NCT’s annual bring-everyone-together project promises two title tracks, with Golden Age up first. And when you think about it, this may just be the most NCT song yet. By attempting to smash together every aspect of their sound into a single three-and-a-half minute track, it certainly doesn’t lack ambition. But does the mash-up work?
I admire Golden Age‘s constantly-shifting arrangement, but this approach makes for a frustrating listen. What opens as a sentimental piano ballad quickly swerves into the aggressive rap and combative production we’ve grown used to from the NCT brand. Then, it’s back to balladry before Golden Age crests into a stomping centerpiece reminiscent of SM’s winter/holiday tracks. This journey may give listeners whiplash the first time through, though further listens smooth out the transitions.
But even as you grow used to Golden Age‘s tricks, the song struggles to find highlights worth looking forward to. The chorus works as a sentimental centerpiece, but it’s not strong enough to warrant the rocky road it takes to get there. In the end, Golden Age is just trying to do too much at once.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 7 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 8 |
| RATING | 7.75 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
This reminded me a little bit of Joohoney’s “Freedom” where the song started slow, then it just switched up without warning.
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As a Sticker enthusiast, I far prefer the yelling macho NCT group title tracks to the last few soppy ones. and frankly, even Beautiful was a much better song than this. But WinWin got lines, so cool. And as a modeling audition reel, it is superb. I’m waiting to hear what the rest of the album sounds like.
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Same here. I would rather here outre Shouty Mcshouterson tracks that are really challenging to sappy crap any time. The only sap can come from NCT Dream and NCT DoJaeJung when SM does a proper vocal showcase.
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And WayV in a soft mood. Those vocal unit tracks (Horizon, Back to You) are exquisite.
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Also Wayv.
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the chorus desperately needs stronger production. it just fell flat and unmemorable.
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Well , shit. I mean what the hell. Flippety flip.
First of all, at times it sounded like a song off some pop group’s Christmas album that you find in the bargain bin a few years later for $1.99.
There are better ways to lift a classical melody to contemporary music, SM’s own SNSD “New World” being the prime example, so clever. Also, Ateez “Wonderland” which used … the same classical piece.
… I mean, my kid is in marching band, I am always listening to classical pieces wondering “will it marching band?”, but it has to be artfully done. This source material barely marching bands. So dulllllll. Snooooooze.
‘https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VGHCQU-wak ‘https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rC-TETqvtp0
Here, I heard the piano, then immediately thought well shit they are going to slow it down a touch and add a beat box underneath. And that is exactly what they did, and not much better than this version … ‘https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvglRszoVsQ Gah, could such a tragic song be so tragic? Part of the problem is that the source material is such an evocative landscape that in the piano version the pianist varies the tempo from sombre to spritely and back again, breathing ephermeral emotions like the wind into every fleeting line. Once it is transformed to a steady beat, the material loses that humanity and becomes lovely but flat.
Sure, this is an easy add to a listicle for “classical music in kpop songs”. For me its an easy and hard pass. Nil pois. No peas.
Instead, I am going to listen to Ateez “Wonderland” with Dvorak underlayed. It slays. The cowbell slays. Even the screamy high notes slay. Nick called the Kcon performance “operatic”, because it is.
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Since no one asked, my favorite “will it marching band” ever is Phantom Regiment “Harmonic Journey”. This is my spot pick me up I could listen to any time. When they do the turns near the beginning and again at the finale, gets me every time. Also, the tempo changes. That humanity and breathing thing. 150-some musicians all at the same time, together with the whole audience.
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I kinda like it, but it’s not their best. That said, if there’s one thing you can say with full confidence, it’s that Xiaojun’s voice will cut through the noise and shine in any of these NCT megagroup tracks. What a voice on that guy
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My 2023 prediction would be that Xiaojun would be NCT’s It Boy and he delivered.
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Yet another SM song that is all over the place
8.5 for me
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Apparently this has the same producers as Feel My Rhythm by Red Velvet and it shows lol. It feels like if FMR got NCT’d. But I admire how they managed to stick in all 20 members equally, even Winwin gets to shine for a bit.
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Thanks for the info. It does sound like FMR got NCT’d.
(… I wasn’t a fan of FMR either. It seems to me like the producers need to listen to a wider range of classical music to be inspired from, mho freely shared.)
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The piano was pretty, and then out of nowhere (shame on me for not expecting it) I got NCT’d so hard that I almost gave up on the song right then and there. I am glad I stuck it out because there were some nice things happening vocally, and getting to hear all of everybody in the same song is cool. But even though I’m used to it now, that rap slamming in when and how it does tanks the song for me. I can’t make it fit, and the rest of the song doesn’t do enough to save itself.
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I… kinda like this! I don’t know, it feels weird to call an NCT release as the start of their golden age right after losing three members and having their agency debut a new group using two of said members. It feels like NCT is, conceptually, getting stretched thin, but weirdly that has resulted in better music.
Btw, shameless self-promo warning: I am creating a ranking of my top 100 K-Pop songs of all time. The list isn’t perfect, but just wanted to mention it anyway (most recent post: https://108ent.blogspot.com/2023/08/the-100-greatest-k-pop-songs-of-all_010435814.html )
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in all honesty i feel kinda bad for listening to this song considering what nct has been through this year….i mean u had them losing sungtaro to a new group haechan having to go on an extended hiatus due to heart issues from being so overworked johnny breaking his arm and being made to do choreography while still healing taeil having a massive injury a week or so ago jaehyun having a serial stalker break into his room……god i do not blame the nct fans who wanna boycott this
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I liked it, but found the rap parts jarring. It was like they were trying to choose between the sound of an NCT 127 song and a 2nd gen ballad. I like the ballad vibes and wish they had stuck by that. Otherwise nice song.
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I said to my daughter that this song sounds like several songs have all just been chopped up and then shmooshed together. She told me that is kind of the idea.
So, it worked, I guess?
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