It’s ‘Golden Child comeback’ time again, which means a track-by-track review of their new album, Game Changer! Check back each day of the week as I make my way through the ten new songs.

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

Out The Window (Daeyeol solo)

It’s hard to write about Out The Window (창밖으로 우리가 흘러) without acknowledging what it portends. As leader Daeyeol’s first solo song, it gives his voice welcome spotlight months before he’ll likely need to begin his mandatory military enlistment. Woollim has structured a lot of this album’s promotion around him, most notably in the music video for Ra Pam Pam. “Killing” his character off is an… interesting choice, but I appreciate the melodrama.

Out The Window isn’t particularly dramatic, but it is very pretty. Though Daeyeol isn’t designated as a main vocal, he’s responsible for some of the best flourishes in Golden Child’s songs (check out That Guy!). For me, his voice carries a comfortable sense of nostalgia. Something about his tone comes across as the sound of an “old soul,” and the rustic, unadorned nature of Out The Window fits this style well.

The song is too unassuming to stand as an album highlight, but if you’re going to lower the energy and opt for sentiment, this is how you do it. The soft instrumentation is pleasant and calming, while the melody tugs in all the right places. Daeyeol sounds great, imbuing the track with an understated passion that keeps things interesting. I especially enjoy the chorus. It doesn’t build toward anything huge or notable, but its timeless appeal would be perfect for drama OSTs.

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