[Review] GOLD – ITZY

ITZY also returned this week with GOLD, the title of their 9th mini-album and latest title track. GOLD is also the first comeback in over a year to feature LIA, who went on hiatus last year due to anxiety. Glad to see LIA back on stage! This comeback follows ITZY’s 8th mini-album, BORN TO BE, and the single UNTOUCHABLE.

GOLD‘s powerfulness stands out to me. The opening kicks us off with an intro that just grabs your attention. It’s not perfect, as I keep thinking the vocals sound a little slurred during this part. But it definitely pulls you in. Moving onto the chorus, the clashing cymbals accompanying the hefty and prolific beat make it robust and hard to miss. It contributes to a bombastic result, and I appreciate that side of GOLD. However, all this power also acts as a double-edged sword. The powerfulness of the chorus and intro dominates GOLD, with the last remnants of the “It’s like gold” hook lingering faintly in the background (and that is only if I really pay attention). The rest of the chorus feels minute in comparison, and the verses are just forgotten. Listening closely, the hip-hop influence in GOLD is adequately maintained, even though the members’ delivery was lacklustre past the intro. The electric guitar strings were an interesting percussive element in GOLD, but the energy of the song’s central piece drowned its presence in both verse and chorus. The instrumental break was empty and stripped everything bold. Overall, I am genuinely perplexed with how GOLD weighs itself down and wish it was more balanced for better enjoyment.

It would help if the lyrics made sense. They probably do in Korean (given it is a Korean song), but the English translation feels like a hodgepodge of words strung together to say something. Based on the music video, I guess the members liken themselves to gold in the lyrics, as well as everyone else. Hence, at the end of the video, gold eggs are found in the place of the members and all the other people in the background. Aside from that interpretation, I did like how the music video embraced that bombastic side of the song. There were explosions, dramatic light shows, and even cracks opening on the ground. The CGI and practical effects were cool, even if the other elements felt random.

GOLD sounds better on stage, at least the one I watched to see the choreography for this comeback. There is a lot of head-banging and swinging arms in this one. But while it sounds like there is a lot of freestyling, the routine is still quite sharp and well-synchronised. I also quite like the configuration of the song’s intro. Also, the members look like they are having fun with this routine, even though it looks exhausting.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 7/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 7.4/10