Golden / 정국 (Jung Kook) / November 3, 2023
- Joshua Yoo
- Jan 29, 2024
- 1 min read
As the youngest and heralded most promising solo act to come out of BTS, Jung Kook stole a large portion of the charts with two of the biggest pop singles of the entire year. His attempt to compliment these singles with a full-length album sees him grabbing at a handful of established mainstream pop-adjacent styles, but unfortunately nearly all of them fail to elevate his artistic talent in any significant way.
It’s not hard to see why the lead singles are so well received. The hook on “Seven” is as simple as it is addicting, and matched with a first-rate Latto feature and danceable R&B-infused production, it fits the mold of a hit quite well. “3D” also shines under the light of ‘00s pop with its risqué lyrics and boy band-ish instrumental, where it feels like Jung Kook is well in his element.
However, the ventures into pop-EDM collaborations with big names in Major Lazer and DJ Snake are about as run-of-the-mill as they can get instrumentally. Lack of lyrical depth also makes tracks like “Somebody” or “Too Sad to Dance” difficult to connect or resonate with beyond their straightforward musical arrangements.
It’s still obvious that he has an immense wealth of artistic talent, and realistically his career is just starting to fully blossom. ‘Golden’ may just be an indication that Jung Kook is more suited for single releases for now.
Highlight(s): 3D, Seven
Lowlight(s): Closer To You, Somebody, Too Sad to Dance, Please Don’t Change
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