On October 11, DJ and producer Raiden released his first mini-album, Love Right Back. The five-track album features several artists, covering genres from K-Pop to K-hip-hop. For the B-side track “Golden,” Raiden collaborated with WayV’s Xiaojun and rapper pH-1 to create an addictive electronic dance-pop song.
Produced by Raiden and Cory Enemy, “Golden” is a love letter to that person you adore. A combination of harmonic raps and melodious vocals, alongside the bright vibe of the track, make up this declaration of love.
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A Dynamic Duo
pH-1 and Xiaojun make a dynamic duo on this collaboration, their voices blending together and bringing the track to life. The song opens up with a whistling sound that sets up the vibe for the rest of the record, with lyrics like “All I want to do/Baby let me treasure you/Ain’t nobody shine like you/Golden you shine you shine” describing being in love and cherishing your lover.
For many, this collaboration was unexpected but welcomed nonetheless. pH-1, who is widely known in the K-hip-hop community, is a skilled artist whose tracks give off upbeat energy. His songs mix English and Korean lyrics and strive to deliver a positive message to his listeners.
A Versatile Artist
This isn’t the first time Xiaojun has collaborated with SM’s DJs. In early 2020, Xiaojun, alongside his groupmate Ten, joined DJ and producer GINJO on the single “The Riot,” a high energy, future-house song.
From covering songs, creating his own choreography, and taking challenges as an actor on the C-drama “Hello, My Youth,” Xiaojun has established himself as a highly skilled singer and artist within NCT. In either his home unit WayV, or on a track for NCT U (NCT’s rotational unit) his versatility stands out, so it doesn’t come as a surprise that he took on this project to show a new side of himself.
Fan Reactions
Even though this collaboration might have taken some fans by surprise, they still took on social media to show their support on the record.
So proud of you Xiaojun🤍 like the song Xiaojun voice is really golden 🤍#Our_Golden_Xiaojun
pic.twitter.com/PQOK9KUVVM— EIA♡ | ia (@eizilie) October 11, 2021
Golden really makes me feel happy, Xiaojun's vocal fits the whole mood and lyrics of the song so much ㅠㅠ it makes you want to dance and I think it's a good song for going on a drive too, it lifts up your mood 🥺 Xiaojun did a really great job!!❤ DJ Raiden thank you 🥺 pic.twitter.com/zhD6LjhcMU
— Dyva🌸 (@captainuwu) October 11, 2021
omg xiaojun really put his whole foot in golden lmaooooo why is the song so good?? #Our_Golden_Xiaojun pic.twitter.com/EOy1YqehFp
— ²⁹A.NEO (@ANeoMulti) October 11, 2021
we finally got a xiaojun collab that’s not a ballad. i used to pray for times like this. and the song is GOOD pic.twitter.com/FxjtDC2FFs
— ⧉ (@cixjuns) October 11, 2021
omg golden is SO good it's actually a lot funkier than I expected and I feel like it's a sound and genre I've never heard xiaojun do before his voice fits the song perfectly and his English is amazing I'm so proud 🥺
— 🥚 (frequently ia) (@centerxiaojun) October 11, 2021
Golden is such a beautiful song, I love it so much 🥺 Thank you @raidenmusic for collaborating with Xiaojun !!!
— 俊俊 ☁️ (@xiaojun_xdj) October 11, 2021
I love the song I love xiaojun's voice
GOLDEN OUT NOW #Our_Golden_Xiaojun @WayV_official pic.twitter.com/3SZxkGN5RZ
— 🦖💚🐕 (@fxdhxah) October 11, 2021
You shine bright like you golden✨
Let’s stream golden yall💖💖Golden Voice Xiaojun#Our_Golden_Xiaojun @WayV_official pic.twitter.com/SHLx7Wx1cW
— cha (@itsrainnyday) October 11, 2021
https://twitter.com/XlAOJUNSS/status/1445824111738081287?t=pc5L0RKVdbEjHKnjLU44TA&s=19
A R&B SONG FOR TAEIL AND A POP SONG FOR XIAOJUN ON RAIDEN FIRST MINI ALBUM https://t.co/MUd6iFuTFR
— NCT Updating (@NCTupdating) October 6, 2021
The artists also shared about the song on their social media.
h1ghrmusic & pH-1 instagram story update #XIAOJUN #肖俊 #샤오쥔 #Our_Golden_Xiaojun @WayV_official pic.twitter.com/yd4NeglJpU
— 茶 (@xiaojundjx) October 11, 2021
another dope collab. thanks @SMTOWNGLOBAL for inviting me on this project 🙏🏻
— pH-1 (@ph1boyyy) October 11, 2021
dj_raiden_ INSTAGRAM STORY UPDATE
Repost Feeds Taeil : Good Job 🌝🌕🌙🙌
Repost Story Update Ph-1 with Xiaojun : Lets go ⚡️
[ 111021 #NCT #TAEIL #XIAOJUN ]@nctwayvupdatee pic.twitter.com/h8TyUivqBi
— CLOSE (@nctwayvupdatee) October 11, 2021
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You can listen to the full album on Spotify, and follow Raiden, Xiaojun and pH-1 on their socials. If you want to read more on Raiden’s mini-album, check out our coverage of Taeil of NCT’s feature on the title track “Love Right Back” here.
Thumbnail courtesy of SM Entertainment.
