California artist
24kGoldn secured an international chart-topping hit with his 2020 single "Mood." The highly melodic song was equal parts mainstream radio accessibility and club-ready charisma, extracting the maximum amount of energetic fun from elements of both pop and rap.
Goldn applies a similar formula to his debut studio album
El Dorado, while approaching each song from a different vantage point. He's quick to move from the buoyant R&B-tinged hooks and wide-open production of album opener "The Top" to far heavier trap bass on the
Future-assisted "Company." Whichever mode he's in,
24kGoldn never sacrifices hooks, and expert production helps every song land. Tracks like "Yellow Lights" could pass for moody
Trippie Redd fare, but more adventurous songs like "3, 2, 1" mix rubbery basslines and programmed drums with crunchy guitars high in the mix. "Love or Lust" approaches
Maroon 5 levels of pop, rooted by
24kGoldn's infectious flows. The pitch-perfect "Mood" shows up to close out the album, but moments like the full-throated belting of "Butterflies" and the amped-up catchiness of "Coco" (complete with a feature from the always ready to rage
DaBaby) follow a similar template, splitting hooks and attitude right down the middle. ~ Fred Thomas