Being the current bias group of The Bias List has its advantages, and just like their big brother group Infinite, Golden Child are going to get the full-album review treatment. (Plus, back in the summer when it seemed like Golcha was never going to come back, I promised on twitter to run this feature!)
So for the next few days, I’ll be offering my thoughts (and ratings) on every one of Re-boot’s tracks.
1. Re-boot // 2. Wannabe // 3. Lately // 4. Compass // 5. No Matter What // 6. A Song For Me // 7. Spring Again // 8. She’s My Girl // 9. Our Heaven // 10. Fantasia // 11. Don’t Run Away // 12. Go Together
LATELY
As Golden Child teased their album track by track over the past week, Lately (느껴져) was the song I was most looking forward to. Its propulsive, anthemic qualities are right in my wheelhouse, and a style I would love to see the group pursue for future title tracks. The combination of soaring synth strings, chugging percussion and searing guitar is unbeatable in my book, and a galvanizing backbone for Golden Child’s vocalists to really let loose. There’s something about this song that feels very suited to the Japanese market, which is a quality I could also pinpoint in a lot of Infinite’s music.
Lately’s robust, ascending chorus is pure bliss, but the post-chorus refrain is even better. Joochan and Y are a dynamite duo of main vocals, and hearing them trade off lines with the utmost of ease is very satisfying. I’m actually surprised that this is a 1Take & TAK production, as I’ve rarely heard this pair craft something so streamlined. No unnecessary trap breaks or future bass blips here — just pure momentum. Though I definitely prefer it over Wannabe, I’m not sure that Lately has the qualities to be a title track by K-pop standards. Still, it’s one of Re-boot’s undisputed highlights, and the kind of song that has made me such a fan of Golden Child.
| Hooks | 9 |
| Production | 9 |
| Longevity | 9 |
| Bias | 10 |
| RATING | 9.25 |
~
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
The minute I heard the teaser for this one, I went, “Yeah, Nick is going to like this one.”
I like it too. It definitely gave me a Jpop feeling, which, in this world of trap/edm boy group fare, is quite a welcome breath of fresh air.
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I like this song a lot. It has a lot of forward momentum, and keeps it up the whole time.
Oh, also, = actual sung choruses=
The raps are placed so they are present but aren’t annoying or distracting.
Nothing tropical, no reggae beat 2nd verse, no trap, no increasing snare drum, no drop, no overused synth sounds.
A bit of real guitar. what, a real instrument? I love the disco like opening – the bit of guitar with swooping strings.
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Isn’t it sad that, oftentimes these days, we’re rating songs on what’s *not* in them?
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Fewer demerits. Fewer reasons to hit the skip button.
Maybe it is like ice skating or gymnastics. Every song starts out with a base score, then add or subtract based upon the technical elements and execution.
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My favorite golden child song! At least yet..
I see golden child in the running for album of the Year!
Oh and quick question Nick, I just realized your top 50 songs go from December to December not January to January.
1.Why?
2. Is that just for your end year countdown but for all your lists.
thanks
Rishi
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Glad you like it!!
As far as my end-of-year list, it’s just a preference. Some prefer to write theirs in January, but by that time I’m ready to move onto other things. Plus, I have extra time available to cobble together lists in December, whereas January is usually quite busy with new releases and other things.
Because of this, I decided years ago to make my window of eligibility end on November 30th. December tends to be pretty blank anyways, so it’s worked well in the past. All other lists go by the calendar year, since they’re published later in December and don;t usually take as long to cull.
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