On May 31, K-pop octet ATEEZ released their tenth mini album, titled “GOLDEN HOUR : Part.1.” The album includes six songs: “Golden Hour,” “Blind,” “Empty Box,” “Shaboom,” “Siren,” and the title track, “WORK.” In true ATEEZ fashion, this album is a masterful blend of creative lyrics, incredible vocals, and unwavering dedication to their craft.
Coming off of an utterly jaw dropping and trailblazing performance at Coachella, the members of ATEEZ – Hongjoong, Seonghwa, Yunho, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung, and Jongho – are true forces to be reckoned with. All eight of them are overflowing with talent, and their skills are always highlighted to the max in every release. The album kicks off with the intro track “Golden Hour,” which is an insightful speech about what the true best moments in life are, such as family dinners or time spent with the people you love. The next track, “Blind,” is an upbeat song that would be absolutely insane to see live — since ATEEZ is embarking on a world tour soon with a stop in Tacoma, I really hope this one makes it onto the setlist. The lead song, “WORK,” is full of groove that you cannot help but want to dance to. The music video is cohesive and fun in a way that only ATEEZ could deliver. The fourth song on the album, “Empty Box,” is a beautiful pop ballad that I can see myself driving to on a breezy summer night. The entire song beautifully captures the member’s individual talents as singers and is such a calming listen. The penultimate song, “Shaboom,” is a confident, fiery track with a techno-type beat and anti-drop chorus that would fit perfectly into anybody’s party playlist. Finally, “Siren” closes out the album with a sound that is totally unique to ATEEZ — similar to “Shaboom,” the beat is noisier, but never in a bad way. The lyrics are creative, assertive, and the song kind of makes me want to run a marathon. ATEEZ really struggles to make a bad song, and they might still be yet to do so in the almost six years since their debut. Two of the tracks on this album, “Blind” and “WORK,” feature a sprinkling of Spanish lyrics, and the entire album pays homage to some classic sounds and styles heard in Latin music. The entire album takes a significant amount of influence from Mexican culture, especially in the “WORK” music video. The video was filmed in LA and is arguably one of the best that ATEEZ have ever released. The members are seen working in restaurants, panning for gold, dancing around bouncing cars and flamingo dancers (with Mingi in an incredible Willy Wonka-esque outfit), hanging out with ostriches and roosters, and more. All in all, the entire mini album is 17 minutes of musical mastery.
My favorite song on the album is a tie between “Blind” and “Empty Box.” Both are styles of music that I absolutely love. I can never say no to an upbeat song that makes me want to break into an epic dance number, but I can also never deny my love for a slower, delicate ballad. “GOLDEN HOUR : Part 1” showcases ATEEZ’s incredible versatility, creativity, and raw talent as musicians, and I am always in awe of how incredibly passionate the eight of them are as artists. I know without a doubt that I will have this album on repeat until further notice, and have already added it to all of my playlists.
With undeniable skill and dedication, “GOLDEN HOUR : Part 1” emphasizes the fact that ATEEZ are an absolute powerhouse that have left a lasting impact on the K-pop industry. If you are in the mood to have fun, get serenaded, add some new songs to your workout playlist, perfectly accompany your time on the freeway, or just listen to genuinely good music, “GOLDEN HOUR : Part 1” is ready to give you all of that and more.
