Song Review:: ATEEZ: GOLDEN HOUR : Part.3- Lemon Drop

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  • Release date: 2025 June 13
  • Album tracklist: Lemon Drop, Masterpiece, Now this house ain't a home, Castle, Bridge : The Edge of Reality
  • Album runtime: 14 minutes

 The runtime.

Also, sorry, everyone, for dropping off the face of the planet there for a bit. Had to get new glasses and it was this whole big thing. But, here we are finally with GOLDEN HOUR : Part.3. I have my writing snacks on hand. And I'm a little scared of that music video, but it's fine! Let's do this!

The vibes of the instrumentals are Ice On My Teeth, without that glorious violin and a little more tropical leaning. The three title tracks of the trilogy are certainly related, even if they're flavored differently, which is pretty satisfying. The mellowness is deliberately controlled, not effortlessly smooth, but right now it's not something that I'd call predator-lying-in-wait. There aren't any dramatic bursts of energy; rather the energy shifts are in the other direction. It does make me a little restless listening to it because there's not enough here to really satisfy me, but it doesn't frustrate me. It's just a very mannered song, fully domesticated.

I definitely like the second half of the song better than the first because at least the layering going on with their voices gives me more of what I prefer to be hearing. I know they've been describing this as similar to Wave, but the range of their voices reminds me a little more of Utopia. Vocally, the song is as relentless as the instrumentals are. 

I am noting the extra thirty seconds on the music video with a curious, raised eyebrow, but let's move on. I was right to be a little scared of the music video. I had to take a moment to pause because I haven't seen a seduction like this since Jaehyun from NCT dropped Unconditional before he enlisted. Goodness me. That is a lot of bare, wet skin. The majority of the music video belongs to the vibes and visuals category, which is a little unusual for them, but the stinger at the end does indicate that this music video, in the context of their lore, is in media res. Good luck, ATINYs.



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