Rumors have been swirling that Mark’s new solo track Golden Hour is a Gordon Ramsay diss track, stemming from an infamous Twitter exchange. The idea alone is humorous. But although the famous chef is mentioned in the lyrics, the song itself is much weirder and more inscrutable.
Whatever I may think about Golden Hour (honestly… I’m still not sure), I appreciate Mark’s desire to push his music in new directions. The NCT brand has often been labeled as “experimental,” but its music has developed its own type of formula. In some ways, Golden Hour feels a part of that formula. But, its freeform structure and heavy distortion belies expectations.
Mark’s performance blurs the line between rap and singing – a surprisingly potent style for him. Underlined by aggressive guitar and a strutting glam rock beat, Golden Hour is at its best when it keeps its eyes on the prize. The song meanders too much for my taste, though even its most chaotic moments deliver memorable turns. It’s the kind of song I’m more likely to admire than add to my personal playlist, but it’s always enjoyable to hear something fresh and rambunctious in K-pop.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 8 |
| RATING | 8 |
Grade: B-
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
I like it, the lyrics are very personal it seems, always a great lyricist, so what’s the best line?
I got a really big, uhh, I got a really big problem
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I’m veeeeery biased… but that aside, I LOVE this. Child was good, but this is much better. this sounds more experimental than what SM has been calling NCT’s releases in the past 2-3 years. it’s not just a diss track, but also a hoe anthem with some self-awareness sprinkled in there.
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You’re so right, diss track + self aware hoe anthem. I wasn’t exactly expecting much when the concept photos came but as someone who enjoyed Child a LOT, this checked…all the boxes, in every good way possible. Also damn, who worked on this MV?? There are so many great stills n so many cool, clean shapes – I know I won’t ever go hungry now.
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Sorry, I meant to reply to @JENO
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Sorry, meant to reply to @JENO above
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It’s just plain fun and goofy not a regular NCT listener so this was a pleasant surprise!
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I love how quirky in its own special way the song is. Other than that, nothing is screaming “playlist me!” about it, ngl, so I guess I’ll just appreciate it for what it is.
Rating is about right, though I’d give the hook a 7 and 9 for the production.
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It’s so Mark. He’s such a delightful weirdo.
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I think this is entertaining as all hell. As a song, parts I love and parts that are rather ordinary. For the latter, there they are again, rap triplets, Onetwothree Fourfivesix Sevn Eight. People, there are other rhythms!
But on balance, I think it is quirky and has enough whacky things going on to keep my interest.
My favorite line is “I don’t know how to make eggs”.
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My first thought was “wtf?” My second thought was “seriously wtf?” It’s weird, sure, which is kinda endearing, I guess. For me it’s not a weird that intrigues me. Maybe I would change my mind if I felt like listening to it more than once.
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