Golden Child Rings in Fall with “DDARA”

Only two months after the release of their second album Game Changer, Golden Child brings us the repackage album DDARA. This repackage comes with two new concepts as well as two new tracks, including the title of the same name and B-side "OASIS.” Written and composed by rapper TAG, “OASIS” is an upbeat electro-pop song about how, if the world is a desert, Golden Child is an oasis. 

“DDARA”

Previous title track "Ra Pam Pam"'s music video carried on Golden Child's recent trend of cinematic post-apocalyptic storytelling, and "DDARA" feels like a bookmark in that narrative. Straying from the warm tones of summer and Latin-inspired styles as well as choreography, "DDARA" repackages the boys as well—with all 10 of them in suits on a white background for the performance sequences, and modeling in a sparsely decorated room for the rest. If there's one standout shot, it's Y and Jaehyun taking turns spinning a lit lightbulb to cast moving shadows over the other's face; why, it stands out so much, it’s even the music video’s thumbnail on YouTube.

This set of visuals complements the sound of "DDARA," which offers a gripping a capella opening by Bomin before diving into its new jack swing backing. With that being said, the production is played a relatively safe for dipping into a genre characterized by jazz, funk, and hip-hop influences, making generous room for their vocals to stand out—particularly when it slows down to emphasize main vocalists Y and Joochan in the bridge preceding the song's outro. “DDARA” is classy across the board, and the styling and color palette give us a much cooler vibe to transition into the coming fall season.