ATEEZ’s main vocalist Jongho is facing a wave of divided reactions after his cover of “Golden” from the Netflix hit KPop Demon Hunters went viral.
The song is notorious for its high notes and technical difficulty. It’s become a challenge for idols eager to prove their vocal strength. In recent weeks, idols like NMIXX’s Lily and IVE’s Yujin earned praise for their powerful covers. Jongho’s take, however, split fans.
His cover gained traction on X (formerly Twitter) for his vocal power and the fact he is among the rare male idols to sing the song in its original key. His ability to hit extremely high notes was widely praised.
"jongho and baekhyun being the only male idols that sang golden in the original key tells me everything about who are the best vocalists in kpop"
— iki (@zkdlinhwa)"Jongho is fucking INSANEEEEEEE INSANE INSANE INSANE I’m sitting on my bathroom floor rn tryna hit the same notes in Golden and OMFG Its IMPOSSIBLE. I didnt warm up tho lmao I sound like Rumi when her voice cracked. INSANE"
— 》MAE《 (@xmaetiny)"singing in this high of a key as a MAN and nailing every note is fucking insanity"
— mel | (@Mel_teez)
But not everyone is impressed. Some critics say his delivery feels uncomfortable and mismatched with the song’s tone. They argue the cover emphasizes range over vocal ability and doesn’t suit his voice.
"cover recommendation: mouth"
— abid (@meowonzie)"Just hootin and hollerin …when are we going to be honest about this man cause I’m ready when yall are"
— redemption arc (@guiltyiana)"he sounds like chicken in distress. next"
— yssupyknits (@singbehatred)"It’s so uncomfortable to listen to all the glazing comments, like bfr. I know he’s somewhat of a good vocalist but this song isn’t for him. He sounds like a dying goat. "
— Fox (@foxykamisama)
The controversy over Jongho’s “Golden” cover continues to heat up online as fans debate his vocal choices.
