Is BTS Jungkook's Solo Album Golden 'Too Westernised'? Here's What Golden Maknae Said

BTS

member Jungkook released his first-ever solo album, Golden, on November 3, 2023. The album featured 11 all-English tracks inspired by his 'golden moments' as a soloist and his nickname Golden Maknae. The pop-driven album includes hits like Seven feat. Latto, 3D feat. Jack Harlow, and the title track Standing Next to You. Shortly after the release of his solo album, Jungkook went to complete his mandatory military service along with his BTS members. 3 years later, BTS is finally back with their record-breaking album, ARIRANG and during a recent interview, Junkook was asked about his Golden which some music listeners labelled it as "too westernised."

Jungkook reacts to 'too westernised' Golden

Speaking to Rolling Stone Brasil, the interviewer said that while ARMYs loved his solo work, some reviews stated that they also wished he had written more, and that the solo album Golden was too "Western," for better or for worse. Reacting to it, Jungkook said that ended up being his choice at the time. He mentioned that he could write more for his next album if that's what ARMY wants but, at that time, he wanted something else. "I wanted to get good songs and release an album as quickly as possible. That's the only reason," he shared.

The Golden Maknae also said that the types of stories he can tell are quite limited so in the future, when he has a lot to do and a lot to say, he hopes it will happen naturally.When the interveriers said that he has been in BTS since very young and his only real breaks from being an idol were during the pandemic and military service. Reacting to it, the Euphoria singer said that the BTS members (RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook) were very busy during the pandemic and the only time he was completely away from music was in the army. During that time, instead of figuring out his sense of identity, because he think that's always changing, he felt that he really wants to perform. "I want to sing. “Oh, I can't wait to get away! I want to go out and dance!” That's all I thought about," he said.

About Golden

As per reports, Jungkook's Golden (2023) broke numerous records, becoming the first album by an Asian solo artist to surpass 6 billion Spotify streams. It also achieved the highest first-week sales for a Korean soloist. It is also the longest-charting album by an Asian solo artist on the Billboard 200, setting a new standard for K-pop globally.

About BTS

BTS made their highly anticipated comeback in March 2026, marking their return to music after completing mandatory military service. The group released their new studio album, Arirang, on March 20, 2026, followed by a massive free comeback concert at Seoul's Gwanghwamun Square on March 21, which was live-streamed globally. Currently, the group is doing world tour featuring a 34-city, 79+ show across South Korea, North America, and Europe.