It’s ‘Golden Child comeback’ time again, which means a track-by-track review of their new album, Game Changer and repackage DDARA!

1. Game Changer (Intro) // 2. Ra Pam Pam // 3. DDARA // 4. Oasis // 5. Bottom Of The Ocean // 6. Fanfare // 7. Singing In The Rain // 8. Game // 9. Spell // 10. Out The Window // 11. Poppin’ // 12. That Feeling // 12. I Know

Oasis

For the first time since their 2017 debut, I feel completely indifferent about a Golden Child comeback (hence the lateness of this b-side review). It’s an odd, unexpected twist. I mean, I know they released new songs this week, but it somehow feels like nothing was released at all. I just can’t muster any enthusiasm for the music this time around.

I’m confident this will be a one-off – a combination of lackluster songs, repackage fatigue, and half-hearted promotion from Woollim. I’m certainly not throwing away my fan card!

Apart from DDARA, Oasis is the only new addition to August’s Game Changer album. Its most notable aspect is a co-writing credit from member Tag, who has often expressed interest in producing. Beyond lyrics, I’m not sure exactly what parts of the instrumental Tag worked on. My hope is that he had a hand in Oasis’s verses and pre-chorus, which are easily its strongest assets.

The song chugs along nicely here, recapturing some of the upbeat energy that Golden Child made their name on. The vocals during these segments are also very satisfying. It’s great to hear the guys’ performance without a ton of fidgety production thrown over the top. The melody isn’t particularly catchy, but the delivery sells it.

I’m less enthused with the chorus. The refrain is fine, but that clunky EDM production feels ripped from 2018. A more interesting series of synth tones would have improved the overall effect and made Oasis stand out. The track works as a vocal spotlight, but its fitful arrangement makes for a somewhat leaden addition to the front half of the album. Still, I’m interested to hear what else Tag has up his sleeve.

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