‘TOO MUCH’ Didn’t Have Enough Jungkook
I just listened to The Kid LAROI’s new track, ‘TOO MUCH’, featuring Jungkook and Central Cee, and I love it. I just wish Jungkook had triple the amount of airtime.
Released just hours ago, ‘TOO MUCH’ marks the first time these three artists have collaborated, and it’s a smart move. The Kid LAROI has been on the rise since his smash hit ‘STAY’ with Justin Bieber, quickly becoming Australia’s music darling. Central Cee is TikTok’s favourite rapper at the moment after ‘Doja’ went viral for lyrics like “How can I be homophobic?/My bitch is gay”. He then told Rolling Stone UK that he thinks homophobia is “so weird”. Okay ally.
However, nothing stacks up to the worldwide adoration of BTS’ Jungkook, who recently made an official solo debut with his already-hit single ‘Seven’ — and sent our very own Let’s Talk K-Pop columnist Jenna Guillaume into a complete tailspin.
I think that’s why I wanted more Jungkook on ‘TOO MUCH’, beyond his beautiful vocals on the chorus. ‘Seven’ is such a fun song and marks a really interesting departure from his work with BTS, so this track, I thought, could’ve been the perfect opportunity to continue to expand that side of him.
Regardless of my demands, though, the song’s sure to be a hit. It helps that it’s a perfectly produced track, too. ‘TOO MUCH’ is the lead single from The Kid LAROI’s debut studio album, THE FIRST TIME. (He loves a caps lock doesn’t he?)
The song depicts a messy relationship that’s probably better left alone. It focuses on that irksome question that’s always at the back of your mind after a bad break-up: if you had the chance to go back and do the relationship again, would you? A question I’m sure a lot of us can relate to.
‘TOO MUCH’ has a slick production with a beat that lends itself perfectly to The Kid LAROI and Jungkook. Despite them both having very distinct sounds, Jungkook’s charisma is the perfect contrast to The Kid LAROI’s angst. I found Central Cee’s verse jarring at first, but it eventually fit itself pleasantly into the rhythm of the song. The Kid LAROI always has a rawness about his vocal delivery. You can feel his pain bleeding through the song. Despite my longing for more Jungkook, his vocals blend seamlessly with The Kid LAROI’s, making the chorus melt in your ears like butter.
After a song like ‘Doja’, you’d expect a Central Cee verse to be filled with lines that make you rewind and ask ‘What did he just say?’ On ‘TOO MUCH’ that line is “She injection’ with Ozempic, tryna stop her hunger/Huh, I wanked before you came, so I can fuck you longer”. Try explaining that to William Shakespeare.
If ‘TOO MUCH’ is anything to go by, it seems like The Kid LAROI is maturing and stepping into his feelings more and more. It’s an exciting look at what’s to come from his solo debut album, THE FIRST TIME. In the meantime, I’m petitioning for Jungkook to add a verse to this track immediately.
Ky is a proud Kamilaroi and Dharug person and writer at Junkee. Follow them on Instagram or on X.
Image credit: Sony Music