Golden Child Takes a Leap of Faith
After showing off their skills on Mnet’s Road to Kingdom, Golden Child is back with their latest mini-album Take A Leap. The boy group has recently had a slew of darker concepts, and their new title track “ONE(Lucid Dream)” has them sticking to their guns, even in the middle of summer.
“ONE(Lucid Dream)” doesn’t differ too much from the group’s previous singles, “WANNABE” and “Without You,” nor does it stand apart from many of the darker boy group releases of today. “ONE” does, however, have Golden Child’s own sleek and sexy touch to it, which makes it lean more towards the dance track end of the spectrum. The song opens with a wubby electro-beat but quickly fades into an otherworldly pre-chorus courtesy of main vocalists Y and Joochan. The chorus is minimal, with the boys singing against a single bass guitar in the first part and against dreamy synths in the second half. When the rappers finally make their appearance in the second verse, it’s to the return of the heavy EDM wubs which carry the song until the pre-chorus again. The back and forth between structured EDM and ethereal, liquid synths is what gives “ONE” its kick, and even if the song brings nothing too new to Golden Child’s repertoire, it’s nice to see them hit it out of the park with the concept a third time.
The album opens with an action-movie-esque intro in the form of “Take A Leap” that leads directly into “ONE.” The second track on the album, “OMG,” is an 80’s electro-pop dream that sounds like it was made to be danced to by the incredibly synchronized Golden Child (thankfully, they are promoting the track alongside “ONE”). The song is produced by LEEZ and Ollounder, frequenters on the likes of Dreamcatcher and ATEEZ’s tracklists, and although they’ve worked with Golden Child before, “OMG” feels like a new sound for the group—and it fits them well. “Moment” sounds like a quintessential second-generation sentimental pop ballad that’s likely to please any BIGBANG or BEAST fan. “Make Me Love” is a tinny EDM track that feels at odds with itself—at times, sounding astoundingly sensual, and at others a little campy. It’s a song that leaves something to be desired, as neither the vocalists nor the rappers truly get to shine, which is a shame considering they’re all quite good at their craft.
“H.E.R” is a pop track that somehow stays in the upper register for its entirety and while a drop would take the song to new levels, Golden Child’s vocals are perfectly suited for this kind of lighthearted tune. “Pass Me By” lacks much of the EDM elements of the rest of the tracklist, instead putting the emphasis on piano, strings, and the group’s vocalists, and sounding like something that a younger Golden Child might have released.
Take A Leap is a surprising choice for the dead of summer, but one we hope will take Golden Child far.
Check out the music video for “ONE(Lucid Dream)” below!