Album Review: Golden Child – Miracle

Release Date: January 29, 2018

Tracklist:

1. Miracle
2. It’s U
3. Lady
4. Crush
5. All Day
6. I’m Falling

Total running time: 00:17:36

Recommended for: Golden Child fans; people who are quite into fun and youthful music.

Not recommended for: Complete opposite of the above.

Five months after their remarkable debut, Golden Child is back with their newest mini album titled “Miracle”. For the first time, the boys will be working with the genius behind some of INFINITE’s popular songs, the popular hit-making  team, Sweetune. The OneHallyu blog also reviewed Golden Child’s debut album “Gol-Cha!” and it managed to garner 5 out of 5 stars. Let’s see if this new album will actually be a miracle for us.

Track 1: Miracle

It’s already a given for a Woollim album, regardless if it’s a mini or a full length, to have an intro track. “Miracle” starts with the beautiful sound of the keyboard; as it progresses it gains pace but doesn’t stray away from the sound it establishes in its first seconds. If you have seen the photo teasers of the Golden Child members, which are meant to be like theatrical posters for a dramatic film, you can hear what their concept is after listening to Miracle.

Track 2: It’s U (Title)

Behind the hit songs of labelmate INFINITE such as “Last Romeo“, “Before the Dawn“, “The Chaser“, “Be Mine“, and more, are the musical geniuses of Sweetune team. I’m very pleased that Golden Child gave life to a Sweetune song and they absolutely created an amazing combination.

It’s U” starts with an energetic intro that is meant to be a continuation of the sounds we’ve heard in “Miracle”. Clearly, “It’s U” is an upbeat song that characterizes the youthful Golden Child. The verses start with a medium pace that speeds up until the pre-chorus and explodes with the extremely catchy chorus. The chorus is definitely the best part of the song,; it’s really cute  and with just one hear, you’ll be hooked to it. What caught my attention the most is the synth during the chorus. It sounds just beautiful. Everything sounds really good, definitely impressed.

Now let’s talk about the music video. I would love to praise the quality of the video first. Like the concept, it really looks cinematic. The color scheme used is very aesthetically pleasing and the outfits used are very visually endearing. Woollim marketed this comeback as a “Golden Film” and even casted actress Jung Da-bin to be the female lead in the music video. The main lead in the MV is obviously Bomin. However, the storyline is really vague, but it will probably be clarified upon the release of the assumed upcoming Drama version. But let’s not get our hopes up for that. On the brighter side, there are really cute scenes in the MV, such as Jaehyun witnessing Y’s delusion of having “superpowers”, Jangjun summoning his inner San Goku, Jibeom accidentally knocking Bomin out, and the both of them reconciling in the clinic with Bomin’s warm eyes towards Jibeom. Regardless of the storyline, this might actually be one of my most favorite music videos of all time.

Track 3: Lady

I initially could not search the correct folder in my mind as to which song reminded me of “Lady” when I first heard it. Thankfully, I heard it after, and I think “Lady” is reminiscent of The Unit B digital release “No Way.” Lady is another masterpiece by Sweetune, and they truly did not let anyone down. In contrary to the title track’s youthful and playful vibe, “Lady” is youthful BUT is more on the mature side. I know the words “youthful” and “mature” can be considered as opposites but it really fits the description of this song. The boys’ voices in this song are very angelic and the harmonies are worth commending.

Track 4: Crush

If you have watched KBS2’s drama School 2017, you may get the “Student X” feel in the intro. Based on the highlight medley, this is the song that made me most excited, and when the album was released, this is the first song I listened to. “Crush” has elements of arena rock that are characterized by heavy bass and a stomping beat. Special mention to rapper Bomin!

Track 5: All Day

It’s a tradition to have a ballad-esque song in every Woollim album and “All Day” is the representative of this album. The group’s vocal line really made this song extra beautiful and ethereal. It starts with a beautiful keyboard sound, like the ones in the intro track and in “Lady”. The verses give a hint of it being a sad song. The chorus is sung by all members, showcasing the group’s extraordinary harmonization. After the first chorus, the rapper line’s slow rap gave (gives) the song more character and fits the vocal parts perfectly. The bridge then showcases more of the group’s harmonization, giving justice to my earlier claim: they have extraordinary harmonic abilities. Main vocals Joochan and Y did amazing; also worth mentioning is Daeyeol with his high note. Superb job, boys!

Track 6: I’m Falling

An old school version of Golden Child’s “Sea”! The verses of the song give an old school vibe and a sweet sounding melody. The chorus, with the powerful vocalists, then comes with an uprising momentum until it reaches its peak with an EDM break. Overall the song gives a very vibe vibe with an energetic and groovy dance break.