"Golden Hour" is a song by American singer-songwriter Jvke. Released as a single on July 15, 2022, it went viral on TikTok later in the year and became an international hit.
Content The song, three minutes and twenty-nine seconds long, is in the key of E major, changing at the end to B minor, with a tempo of 94 beats per minute. It uses many orchestral musical styles and instruments, primarily piano and strings.
It makes lyrical references to Donald Glover, and Frank Ocean's 2016 album Blonde.
Critical reception The song received critical acclaim. Jason Lipshutz of Billboard wrote, "'Golden Hour' has a winning formula: semi-rapped verses full of romantic observations and modern music references, boiling into an enormous, crooned-from-the-gut chorus. Jvke, to his credit, nails the push-pull at the heart of the song—nimble enough to sound nonchalant during the lead-up, then giving his absolute all on the hook — while the racing piano line beneath him is a memorable piece of production that simultaneously doesn't distract from the vocal take." Other Billboard writers called the song an "incredibly well-crafted, fresh-sounding, lush pop ballad by a prodigious singer-songwriter, with a frantic piano hook, soaring vocals, ornate production, majestic presentation and a sense of orchestral drama."
Erica Campbell of NME called the song a "glittery ballad", and a "slow-burn love song, brimming with keys and strings".
George Griffiths of the Official Charts Company described the song as a "tender piano ballad with a succinct hip-hop influence, that sees JVKE recount the hopeful blossoming of a relationship."
Chart performance The song reached the top 10 in the United States, in addition to charting in Canada, Australia, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Switzerland, and the Global 200.
Remixes Remixes were also released by Illenium & Nurko, Jungle, Ruel, Anton Powers, Shirley Setia, Henry Lau, A7S, blond, Leon Leiden, Vertile, Fujii Kaze, minLee, R3HAB, Seven Kayne, Xplosn and SB19.
Live performances Jvke performed the song for MTV on October 7, 2022, at the iHeartRadio 2022 Jingle Ball on December 9, as well as on Good Morning America on January 23, 2023.
Bodie Kuljian, a contestant for season 22 of The Voice, performed the song onstage on November 28, 2022.
Personnel Jake Lawson – vocals, backing vocals, piano Zac Lawson – synthesizers, programming, synth bass, percussion, drum programming
Accolades + Awards and nominations for "Golden Hour" Ceremony Year Award Result MTV Video Music Awards Japan 2023 Best New Artist Video (International)
Charts
Weekly charts + Weekly chart performance for "Golden Hour" Chart (2022–2024) Peakposition Canada (Canadian Hot 100) 19 Global 200 (Billboard) 13 Japan Digital Singles (Oricon) 26 Japan Hot Overseas (Billboard Japan) 4Netherlands (Global Top 40) 20 Philippines (Billboard) 25 Singapore (RIAS) 2 Sweden Heatseeker (Sverigetopplistan) 8 US Billboard Hot 100 10 US Adult Contemporary (Billboard) 18 US Adult Pop Airplay (Billboard) 13 US Pop Airplay (Billboard) 10 Vietnam (Vietnam Hot 100) 7
Year-end charts + Year-end chart performance for "Golden Hour" Chart (2023) Position Australia (ARIA) 57 Canada (Canadian Hot 100) 38 Global 200 (Billboard) 21 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) 48 UK Singles (OCC) 71 US Billboard Hot 100 41 US Adult Top 40 (Billboard) 48 US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard) 33
Certifications
Release history + Release dates and formats for "Golden Hour" Region Date Format(s) Version Label Various July 15, 2022 AWAL Citations: August 5, 2022 Citations: United States September 13, 2022 Contemporary hit radio Original Various October 7, 2022 Illenium and Nurko remix October 28, 2022 Jungle remix November 18, 2022 Citations: November 25, 2022 Citations: December 30, 2022 Carta remix February 1, 2023 French with Blond March 31, 2023 Leon Leiden April 21, 2023 Fujii Kaze remix July 7, 2023 SB19 remix
References