Jung Kook Is a Dark Angel Channeling the King of Pop in ‘Standing Next to You’ Teaser

Jung Kook‘s debut studio album, Golden, is scheduled to arrive on Friday, Nov. 3, and he’s already raising the bar for himself. In the lead-up to the record’s release, one of its 11 tracks — a song titled “Standing Next to You” — was branded as its “main track.” It isn’t the lead single, but it is meant to make an impact. In the official teaser trailer for the “Standing Next to You” music video, Jung Kook channels an artist whose impact is inseparable from pop: Michael Jackson.

The brief clip runs for under 30 seconds, capturing the musician in various scenes to set the foundation for the video’s overarching narrative. In one scene, he dons an embroidered military jacket and hits the King of Pop’s signature crotch grab dance. Backed by six other dancers, he’s the leader of the whole production, moving to the funk-driven beat with precision. In other clips, he glides through wearing giant black angel wings, communicating a sense of darkness in contrast to the golden lights of the rest of the preview.

“Standing Next to You” and its accompanying music video will arrive alongside the rest of Golden on Friday. The album’s release is preceded by the singles “Seven” featuring Latto and “3D” featuring Jack Harlow. The record will also feature appearances from Major Lazer and DJ Snake.

In 2021, Jung Kook spoke with Rolling Stone about the work ethic required to become a great artist. “You can only improve in a certain area when you really practice, when you really try, when you deep-dive into it,” he shared, addressing the “golden”that has been applied to him because of his skillset across mediums. “So I really don’t want to think myself as an all-rounder. I just want to keep trying and working hard. And of course I do feel pressure, but those pressures can also drag me to work hard and do best at what I do.”

From Rolling Stone US.