Global popstar Jungkook of BTS released his highly anticipated album Golden on Friday, November 3, 2023 at 12am ET. Alongside the release of the album came the lead single, “Standing Next to You,” which was accompanied by an impressive, high-energy music video.
Golden marks Jungkook’s first solo album.
The album consists of 11 tracks, including the main track “Standing Next to You” and the hit solo single “Seven (feat. Latto). Jungkook shattered a few records with the release of “Seven,” including the fastest song to surpass one billion streams in Spotify history and to hit number on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. Both the clean and explicit versions are on the album, along with “3D (feat. Jack Harlow)” and other brand-new tracks. Each track off Golden occupied the top 12 on US iTunes shortly after the album’s release.
The order of the tracks is significant, according to BigHit Music. “Jungkook expresses the flow of emotions that follow the changes in relationships. The first half of the album introduces songs with lighthearted melodies portraying someone falling in love, whereas the latter half lays out songs that feel heavier, dealing with emotions following a breakup,” offers BigHit Music.
The title reflects Jungkook’s nickname in BTS – “Golden Maknae” (golden youngest in Korean) – a nickname given to him by his bandmate RM in BTS’s earlier days. Jungkook explained that through the album, he charts his growth from his young yet golden debut in his early career to the global popstar he is today. Jungkook, who had a hand in curating the album and inserted a wide variety of genres that reflect his wide musical range and versatility, was fully engaged in the entire process of making the album.
Additionally, Jungkook joined forces with some heavy-hitter musicians for the album’s production. Ed Sheeran, Shawn Mendes, Major Lazer, as well as producers BloodPop, David Stewart, and more joined him for the album. The album has an abundance of star-studded collaborations as well, starting with his hit single “Seven (feat. Latto)” and including “3D (feat. Jack Harlow)” along with tracks featuring Major Lazer and DJ Snake.
The main track, “Standing Next to You,” is a retro funk track that showcases Jungkook’s groovy vocals. The track conveys the message that “because our love is deeper than anything, we will always be together no matter what adversity may come our way,” per BigHit Music. Grammy-winning producers Andrew Watt and Cirkut, who worked on “Seven (feat. Latto),” teamed up with Jungkook again to produce the track.
The song’s music video was directed by Tanu Muino, who won Video of the Year at the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards for Lil Nas X’s “Montero.” Dare we say there’s a hint of Michael Jackson that comes through in Jungkook’s incredible dance moves in the video? The video racked up millions of views within the first hours of its release, earning it a spot in the top three of YouTube’s trending videos.
In support of the album’s release, Jungkook will make an appearance on Today‘s 2023 Citi Concert Series on November 6th and on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on November 8.
Golden Tracklist:
1. 3D ft. Jack Harlow
2. Closer to You ft. Major Lazer
3. Seven ft. Latto (Explicit Version)
4. Standing Next to You
5. Yes or No
6. Please Don’t Change ft. DJ Snake
7. Hate You
8. Somebody
9. Too Sad to Dance
10. Sot Glass of Tears
11. Seven ft. Latto (Clean Version)
