The next group making their comeback this week is Golden Child, with Pump It Up! This is the male group’s third comeback this year, following the likes of Without You and One (Lucid Dream) this year. Golden Child also participated in Road To Kingdom, but was unfortunately the first group to be eliminated from the show. They also held an online concert (due to the ongoing pandemic) and also participated with their labelmates as With Woolim for a special single, Relay. Phew! That is quite a lot of work for Golden Child, who continues to push themselves with each activity. Let’s see what Golden Child has in store for this comeback.

Pump It Up is an upbeat pop track and return to Golden Child’s more youthful sounds and roots. If you weren’t a fan of their more mature and serious change up over their last three comebacks, then I am sure you will be glad with Pump It Up‘s sound. Coming from those mature sounds, however, does make this new song feel more powerful. And this additional oomph to their song pretty much works in their favour. The instrumental is quite lively and energetic, with the guitar riffs and slight retro touch (there is a bit of the song that reminds me of Jackson 5’s ABC 123) definitely helping to bring the song to life. There are fantastic vocals during this song. The chorus and bridge were very solid sequences, while the final moments of the pre-chorus contained harmonies that I thought were a fantastic addition to the song. The rapping had the right amount of energy to them and felt fitting for their lively sound. I would have liked more rapping, but I am fine with the serving they have provided to us. Aside from that, I wonder why Pump It Up was released in Autumn/Fall. It feels more aligned for the Summer season, given its energy and refreshing change back to their original sound. I also reckon that Pump It Up would have been a hit if it was released this past Summer. I am not sure how the song would play out in Autumn/Fall, but I am definitely on the side of it being another Golden Child hit nonetheless!

The members of Golden Child break up into smaller groups for this comeback for majority of the video. And there was quite a bit going on that made me laugh. Some members were watching a horror movie at the cinema, others were filming the movie. There were some getting ready for a upcoming live broadcast over the radio waves, while others were eagerly awaiting a meal, just to be disappointed with a mini meal (this reaction made me laugh). Video games and scratchy lotteries were also played. The members reconvened as a group to work hilariously in an office and also were pilots for brief moments throughout the video. It was a fun and exciting video worth watching. I love the splash of colour that the video had, with the red in one of the choreography shots and the yellow on vibrant blue shopping containers in another set of choreography shots.

The choreography looks as vibrant and fun as the music video did. The opening looked fun. As I also mentioned the song section of this review, I noticed how much more powerful this lively sound was and how this would be advantageous for the group. And that perceived powerfulness was definitely apparent when it came to the chorus of the song. Their mature concepts/sound has refined their synchronisation and made their performance look more polished. I also really like the cascading effect they did with their formations when it came to the harmonies just prior to the choruses.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 10/10
Performance – 10/10
Overall Rating – 9.5/10