It has been over a year since Golden Child’s last Korean comeback with the single Replay and the mini-album AURA. Apart from one Japanese comeback (CRAYON), the group has been fairly quiet. That was until yesterday, when the group released their newest single Feel Me and the single album of the same name. The group is currently down one member – this time being Y (who is carrying out his military enlistment), while the group did regain Daeyeol (who completed his military enlistment earlier this year).

Feel Me brings a very satisfying and enjoyable dose of rock to the table. It had me feeling the track from the very first listen I have Feel Me yesterday. I really like the retro profile that the rock elements in Feel Me has, which is a refreshing change to the ongoing rock presence that is happening in KPOP. Both the drumming and guitar work in the background just hits me in the right spot when I listen to the song, though I think more bite to the guitar riffs at the end of the song. Feel Me also features some atmospheric synths in the background, which complements the rock sound extremely well. All of the instrumental works hand-in-hand with the members vocals, which brings some really nice and crisp melodies to the song. All of this creates a very delicate atmosphere, yet also keeps Feel Me punchy and dynamic as you would expect from the rock genre. The rapping was nicely done, working towards the subdued nature of the rest of the song, rather than overpowering with an intense sequence. Come to the think of it, I also quite liked the contrast between the verses and choruses. The high note and electronic glitchiness that occurs in the lead into the final chorus was serves well as the peak of Feel Me. However, I wished this was backed up with some more prolific ad-libs to just give the final sequence a bit more edge. The wait that Woolim Entertainment made us go through was definitely unenjoyable, but I am glad that Golden Child was able to return with such a good song after this year hiatus.

Feel Me tells us the story of youth who have grown together, expressing the beauty of youth and a comforting message (taken from Soompi). And we see that in the music video, with the members hanging out with one another – having fun and also go through some hard times with one another. I also think the video highlights the concept of losing someone, which could be due to different circumstances, such as the members going separate ways. Someone on YouTube did point out that 2024 is Golden Child’s 7th year since their debut, which usually means contracts are up for renewal (though I am hoping this group continues on past 7 years). It is a good portrayal of the ‘coming of age’ concept, which I am sure everyone can really relate to in some way. The haziness of the video was a nice touch, as it makes us feel like we are reminiscing Golden Child’s story in this music video.

Choreography-wise, I like how it feels pretty breezy and not as intense. This complements the music extremely well. No move really stands out. But I have to admit, seeing them perform Feel Me hits differently. Solid performance skills and delivery definitely made Feel Me worthy of a few replays.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 8.5/10
Performance – 8/10
Overall Rating – 8.7/10