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| Members of K-pop act Golden Child pose during an online media event Monday. Courtesy of Woollim Entertainment |
By Dong Sun-hwa
The members of K-pop boy band Golden Child hope its second studio album "Game Changer" lives up to its name.
"As the title of our new album suggests, we want to become a game changer in the K-pop scene," leader Daeyeol said during an online press conference Monday, which took place a few hours ahead of the album release. "Our highest priority this time is to pass on a message of hope to people who are undergoing challenging times these days."
"Game Changer," starting with the moombahton-tinged earworm "Ra Pam Pam," offers 10 more tracks including the disco-based funk tune "Fanfare," the sentimental "Singing in the Rain" and the addictive "Poppin'."
"Ra Pam Pam" is a song about the group's willingness to surmount obstacles without giving up its hopes, according to the members.
"'Ra Pam Pam' is an onomatopoeic word referring to the sound of a heartbeat," member Y elaborated. "The tune is very addictive and we believe it can also cheer people up."
Joochan said, "I think this track highlights our musical growth, showing how Golden Child can pull off different things."
TAG, who contributed to the lyrics of the song, said, "I poured a lot of effort into all my parts… It was such an honor to take part in the creative process."
In the music video of "Ra Pam Pam," the 10 members ― Daeyeol, Jibeom, Jangjun, Bomin, TAG, Donghyun, Y, Seungmin, Jaehyun and Joochan ― appear as the only survivors of an apocalypse.
"In our video, the Earth has been devastated by human greed," Y said. "As the only survivors, we strive to carry on with our lives and manage to survive in the end. I think our success story might encourage people amid these tough times."
TAG elaborated, "We really enjoyed filming the clip. Daeyeol and Y, in particular, excelled in acting."
"Game Changer" also includes "Out the Window," the first solo number by Daeyeol.
"This is my first time to introduce my solo track on a Golden Child album since our debut in 2017," he noted. "Out the Window is a sentimental ballad about precious memories of the past."
The 10-piece act, which is best known for its 2019 song "Wannabe," ended the session by revealing its goals.
"We want to take a further leap in our career," Y said.
Seungmin added, "We were sad to hear that our concert has been postponed (following the COVID-19 flare-up), but this enabled us to put more effort into making our new album."
Golden Child was initially planning to perform on July 17 and 18 at Blue Square Master Hall in Seoul, but it pushed back the dates due to the fourth wave of COVID-19 infections.
Jibeom added, "We actually had a lot of things to showcase in the concerts … But we might be able to present these things in the future."
