Golden
Digital cover
Studio album by
Jungkook
ReleasedNovember 3, 2023 (2023-11-03)
GenrePop
Length31:48
LabelBig Hit
Producer
Singles from Golden
  1. "Seven"
    Released: July 14, 2023
  2. "3D"
    Released: September 29, 2023
  3. "Standing Next to You"
    Released: November 3, 2023

Golden is the debut studio album by South Korean singer Jungkook of BTS, released on November 3, 2023, through Big Hit Music. Primarily a Pop record, it was met with generally favourable reviews from critics. It features guest appearances by Jack Harlow, Major Lazer, Latto and DJ Snake,[1] it was preceded by the singles "Seven" and "3D"; and a third, "Standing Next to You", which was released concurrently with the album.

Background and promotion

In July 2023, Jungkook spoke to Variety about his first solo album, saying at the time that he was working on it but that it was too early to "mention anything specific".[2] That same month, he released the single "Seven" featuring American rapper Latto, which debuted atop the US Billboard Hot 100 and reached the top 10 in numerous other countries.[3] Jungkook released another single, "3D" featuring American rapper Jack Harlow, on September 29.[4]

Big Hit Music announced the 11-track album on October 3, including the previously released songs "Seven" and "3D".[5] Golden takes its theme from the "golden moments" of Jungkook as a solo artist.[6] A press release further dubbed him the "Golden Maknae", referring to his status as the youngest member of BTS with a "unique timbre that will captivate listeners worldwide".[7] In promotion of the album, Jungkook is set to deliver "special stage performances and making various appearances alongside the release".[8] The tracklist was revealed on October 15.[9]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic75/100[10]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[11]
Evening Standard[12]
The Guardian[13]
I[14]
IZM[15]
NME[16]
The Observer[17]

At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized score out of 100 to ratings from publications, the album received a weighted mean score of 75 based on five reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[10]

Rhian Daly of NME appreciated that Jung Kook "embodies each song's emotions and style with ease; a musical chameleon becoming each new sound". As best tracks she chose "what feel like classic pop king anthems", therefore "3D", "Yes or No", "Hate You" and "Too Sad to Dance", while she criticized "Somebody" for the use of the robotic processor. Overall she found that Golden manages to "capture Jungkook's multifaceted artistry, charismatic vocals and irresistible pop appeal in 10 easily palatable songs primed for commercial success", but also that "it doesn't feel like an album he and he alone could have released", concluding that however "the 2020s have found their pop king and 'Golden' more than secures him the throne".[16]

AP News's Maria Sherman called it "one of the strongest pop debuts of the year" and an "album of pop bliss",[18] while for David Smyth of Evening Standard, the album "ticked a lot of boxes for pop lovers" and "what elevates it is his fluid, expressive voice, which consistently raises chart-friendly material to a higher plane".[12] Consequence's Mary Siroky found that "the bright spots in the album are truly dazzling, while some of the b-sides aren't very memorable in comparison, and for that reason, the album feels quite top-heavy — the first five tracks are clear bangers, but the energy dips through the back half of the record", concluding that "even in the less enduring moments in Golden, Jung Kook remains interesting, wielding his voice with athletic precision".[19]

For Ed Power of I, "Seven" and "3D" at the beginning of the album give the impression that "Jungkook's solo career will be big on recycled ideas and NSFW lyrics", but "happily, that impression proves misleading. Golden traces the arc of a romance from infatuation to heartache. As the mood darkens, the tunes improve".[14] According to The Observer's Michael Cragg, "Golden is full of bright spots, but only fully shines on occasion", "taking off when Jung Kook can focus on his honeyed falsetto" on "Standing Next to You" and "3D", while the use of sounds already experimented by singers such as Craig David and Justin Timberlake "highlight Jung Kook's struggle to find his own sound and identity".[17]

The Guardian's Alexis Petridis wrote that "it's well-made, hooky – but nevertheless, Golden is an album bound to leave more agnostic listeners pondering what the fuss is about. [...] it just sounds like decent mainstream pop: there isn’t anything happening sonically that sounds particularly unique or fresh", and called "Standing Next to You" "the only real misfire" that "starts fabulously – a big, splashy, live-sounding intro that could have stepped off Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories – then devolves into pallid mid-tempo disco-house".[13] IZM's Han Sung-hyun panned Golden, claiming it lacks individuality and "feels like listening to an algorithmically generated playlist".[15]

Commercial performance

The album entered the charts in twenty five countries and topped the South Korean, Belgian, France, Lithuanian and Japanese album charts. It reached the top ten in fourteen countries including France, Australia, Germany, and in the United Kingdom debuted at number three, becoming the highest-charting album by a Korean solo artist.[20] In the United States, Golden, debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with 210,200 equivalent album units earned. Of that sum, album sales comprise 164,800 (it’s the top-selling album of the week), SEA units comprise 29,800 (equaling 41.59 million on-demand official streams of the set’s 10 songs) and TEA units comprise 15,600. Golden’s sales were largely driven by CD purchases, with 128,500 sold, while digital download album contributed 36,300.[21] As of November 2023, it has sold over 2.4 million copies worldwide.[22]

Track listing

Golden track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."3D" (featuring Jack Harlow)
3:21
2."Closer to You" (featuring Major Lazer)
2:51
3."Seven" (explicit version; featuring Latto)
3:04
4."Standing Next to You"
  • Watt
  • Cirkut
3:26
5."Yes or No"
  • Watt
  • Cirkut
2:28
6."Please Don't Change" (featuring DJ Snake)
2:27
7."Hate You"
2:34
8."Somebody"
  • Bellion
  • Ritter
  • Johan "Roza" Rosa
2:49
9."Too Sad to Dance"StewartStewart2:56
10."Shot Glass of Tears"
Stewart2:47
11."Seven" (clean version; featuring Latto)
  • Watt
  • Walter
  • Bellion
  • Stephens
  • Thomas
  • Watt
  • Cirkut
3:04
Total length:31:48

Charts

Chart performance for Golden
Chart (2023) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[23] 2
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[24] 3
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[25] 5
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[26] 1
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[27] 4
Czech Albums (ČNS IFPI)[28] 13
Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[29] 7
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[30] 10
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[31] 12
French Albums (SNEP)[32] 1
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[33] 6
Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ)[34] 9
Icelandic Albums (Plötutíðindi)[35] 24
Irish Albums (OCC)[36] 6
Italian Albums (FIMI)[37] 3
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[38] 1
Japanese Combined Albums (Oricon)[39] 1
Japanese Hot Albums (Billboard Japan)[40] 1
Lithuanian Albums (AGATA)[41] 1
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[42] 2
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[43] 11
Polish Albums (ZPAV)[44] 1
Portuguese Albums (AFP)[45] 1
Scottish Albums (OCC)[46] 6
Slovak Albums (ČNS IFPI)[47] 8
South Korean Albums (Circle)[48] 1
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[49] 8
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[50] 14
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[51] 4
UK Albums (OCC)[52] 3
US Billboard 200[53] 2

Release history

Release dates and formats for Golden
Region Date Format(s) Version Label Ref.
Various November 3, 2023 Standard Big Hit [5]
United States November 4, 2023 Digital download Voice memo [54]

References

  1. ↑ Krol, Charlotte (October 3, 2023). "BTS star Jungkook announces debut solo album Golden". NME. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  2. ↑ Wickes, Hanna (October 30, 2023). "BTS Jung Kook Debut Album 'Golden': Release Date, Details". J-14. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  3. ↑ Trust, Gary (July 24, 2023). "Jung Kook's 'Seven,' Featuring Latto, Blasts In at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100, Followed by Jason Aldean". Billboard. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  4. ↑ Iasimone, Ashley (September 24, 2023). "Jung Kook & Jack Harlow Join Forces for New Song '3D': Here's the Release Date". Billboard. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  5. 1 2 Kaufman, Gil (October 3, 2023). "Jung Kook's First Solo Album 'Golden' Release Date Announced". Billboard. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  6. ↑ "Jung Kook of BTS Announces New Solo Album GOLDEN". October 3, 2023. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  7. ↑ Paul, Larisha (October 3, 2023). "Jung Kook Sets November Release Date for Debut Album 'Golden'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  8. ↑ "BTS' Jungkook announces solo album GOLDEN, reveals release date". Hindustan Times. October 3, 2023. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  9. ↑ Kreps, Daniel (October 15, 2023). "Jung Kook Recruits Jack Harlow, Latto, Major Lazer and DJ Snake for New Album 'Golden'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  10. 1 2 "Golden by Jung Kook". Metacritic. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  11. ↑ "Jungkook – Golden Album Reviews, Songs & More". AllMusic. Archived from the original on November 4, 2023. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
  12. 1 2 "Jung Kook – Golden album review: the BTS singer shoots for solo stardom". Evening Standard. November 3, 2023. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  13. 1 2 Petridis, Alexis (November 3, 2023). "Jung Kook: Golden review – a sexed-up, hook-filled but unremarkable solo debut". The Guardian. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
  14. 1 2 "Jungkook, Golden review: BTS heartthrob is part Ronan Keating, part Craig David – and it's a triumph". I. November 3, 2023. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  15. 1 2 "Jung Kook: Golden". IZM (in Korean). Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  16. 1 2 "Jungkook – 'Golden' review: a new pop king prepares to take his throne". NME. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  17. 1 2 "Jung Kook: Golden review – BTS star searches for his own sound". The Observer. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  18. ↑ Sherman, Maria (November 3, 2023). "Music Review: BTS member Jung Kook's solo debut, 'Golden,' is no-skip pop bliss". AP News. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
  19. ↑ Sikory, Mary (November 3, 2023). "Jung Kook Plays with Pop Stardom on Golden". Consequence. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
  20. ↑ "BTS star Jung Kook's GOLDEN is highest-charting album by a Korean solo artist ever". Official Charts. November 10, 2023. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
  21. ↑ "Taylor Swift's '1989 (Taylor's Version)' Spends Second Week Atop Billboard 200". Billboard. November 12, 2023. Retrieved November 20, 2023.
  22. ↑ Arts & Entertainment Desk (November 13, 2023). "Jungkook's 'Golden' breaks Billboard 200 chart history, sets 6 massive records". The Daily Star. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  23. ↑ "ARIA Top 50 Albums Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. November 13, 2023. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
  24. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Jung Kook – Golden" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  25. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Jung Kook – Golden" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  26. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Jung Kook – Golden" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  27. ↑ "Jung Kook Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  28. ↑ "Czech Albums – Top 100". ČNS IFPI. Note: On the chart page, select 45.Týden 2023 on the field besides the words "CZ – ALBUMS – TOP 100" to retrieve the correct chart. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  29. ↑ "Hitlisten.NU – Album Top-40 Uge 45, 2023". Hitlisten. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  30. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Jung Kook – Golden" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  31. ↑ "Jung Kook: Golden" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  32. ↑ Le SNEP [@snep] (November 10, 2023). "En exclusivité, voici les 10 premiers du Top Albums de la semaine ! 💿 Classement complet lundi 😉" [Exclusively, here are the first 10 of the Top Albums of the week! 💿 Full ranking Monday] (Tweet) (in French). Archived from the original on November 12, 2023. Retrieved November 12, 2023 – via Twitter.
  33. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Jung Kook – Golden" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  34. ↑ "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 2023. 47. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
  35. ↑ "Tónlistinn – Plötur – Vika 45 – 2023" [The Music – Albums – Week 45 – 2023] (in Icelandic). Plötutíðindi. Archived from the original on November 11, 2023. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  36. ↑ "Official Irish Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
  37. ↑ "Album – Classifica settimanale WK 45 (dal 03.11.2023 al 09.11.2023)" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  38. ↑ "Oricon Top 50 Albums: 2023-11-13" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  39. ↑ "Oricon Top 50 Combined Albums: 2023-11-13" (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on November 10, 2023. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
  40. ↑ "Billboard Japan Hot Albums – Week of November 8, 2023". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  41. ↑ "2023 45-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. November 10, 2023. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
  42. ↑ "NZ Top 40 Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. November 13, 2023. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  43. ↑ "Album 2023 uke 45". VG-lista. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  44. ↑ "OLiS - oficjalna lista sprzedaży - albumy" (in Polish). OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Note: Change the date to 03.11.2023–09.11.2023 under "zmień zakres od–do:". Retrieved November 16, 2023.
  45. ↑ "Portuguesecharts.com – Jung Kook – Golden %5BShine Version%5D". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 22, 2023.
  46. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  47. ↑ "SK - Albums Top 100" (in Czech). International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  48. ↑ "Circle Album Chart – Week 44, 2023". Circle Chart (in Korean). Retrieved November 9, 2023.
  49. ↑ "Spanishcharts.com – Jung Kook – Golden %5BShine Version%5D". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 22, 2023.
  50. ↑ "Veckolista Album, vecka 45". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  51. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Jung Kook – Golden". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  52. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
  53. ↑ "Jung Kook Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  54. ↑ "Golden". Official BTS Music Store. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
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