Jungkook of BTS dropped his highly anticipated debut studio album, “GOLDEN,” yesterday. The album has received positive to mixed reviews from critics and has also been given mad love from ARMY (that’s the name of Jungkook and BTS fans).
Now, one major part of this album is all the musical influences and names that can be found on it. But first, let’s get this out of the way: all music has a source of inspiration, and that’s totally okay! For “GOLDEN,” Jungkook worked with the best songwriters and producers, and also took some references from some of the pop kings, let’s dive in:
- Justin Timberlake: JT was in his prime during the early 2000s, thanks to his album “Justified” and hits like “Cry Me A River.” It looks like JK borrowed a little bit from this sound for his bops “3D” and “Yes or No,” giving us major Justin Timberlake throwbacks, but putting his own spin on them.
- Justin Bieber: JB has worked with Major Lazer for “Cold Water” and with DJ Snake for “Let Me Love You.” Similarly, Jungkook has “Close To You” and “Please Don’t Change.” In this case, none of the songs sound alike, but it’s cool to see these two pop kings have collaborators in common!
- Shawn Mendes: this one feels a little bit closer than just a musical influence or a collaborator in common. Shawn Mendes actually has writing credits in “Hate You,” one of the most heart-breaking ballads in Jungkook’s solo album. Can you imagine JK having Shawn as a guest to sing it together?
