While attending USC, 24kGoldn was establishing himself the old fashioned way – releasing good music and slow and steady grind. His debut single Valentino was promoted for over a year before going Gold. His debut EP Dropped Outta College found a home in an unlikely place – alternative radio, its single City of Angels eventually went top 10 and gold as well. By the start of 2020, Golden was building a reputation for defying industry rules and creating his own path much like the city he was born in. 

I’m from San Francisco, a place known for creativity. We’ve given the world Star Wars, Apple, Pixar, YouTube, and more. We don’t play by anyone's rules but our own 

One unsuspecting night playing video games with his friends, Goldn caught lightning in a bottle and took that ‘gradual rise’ and strapped a rocket to its back. The moment he posted a snippet of “Mood” on Instagram everything changed. His formative years would be deferred by a new trajectory. 

Honestly it’s still crazy to me how big that song is. I was getting messages from friends all over the world telling me they had heard it. 

“Mood” was inescapable, it became the #1 song in the country for 8 weeks and even delayed Mariah Carey’s annual Christmas dominance by a week. But there was a catch – the song was released dead smack in the middle of the world being shut down. 

Golden was on top of the world, but with no one allowed to gather and meet, connecting the dots between an artist and such a massive song proved to be a steep challenge. When the world opened back up, “Mood’s” moment had passed and Golden found himself chasing its success with follow up songs, but it wasn’t the same. 

When the party ends there’s only one thing left to do – go home. 

Growing Pains finds Golden processing his upbringing as a mixed kid raised in the notorious Lakeview neighborhood of San Francisco on top reconciling the aftermath of “Mood.” 

I realized, while everyone knew my song, they didn’t know me and how could they? I still didn’t know me. I was just a college kid just having fun. 

“I tapped into me.” And that’s where Growing Pains was born. Representing both the notorious struggles of his hometown of San Francisco, as well as finding his footing in the world both as a man and an artist, Growing Pains gives a fuller picture of Golden and the experiences that shaped him. 

“There is no growth without pain. That’s something I always heard but shit hits different once you live it. Being an artist means high highs and low lows and at this point I’m just embracing the entire experience

and sharing it with the world on this project. Tying together my own challenges around change with the similar issues my city is facing right now” 

On the starkly confessional “I Remember,” he confronts his hardships head-on with raw recollections of childhood traumas while still showcasing his trademark optimism that you can’t help but root for. 

“Those chords brought out a sense of longing and acknowledging the past,” he admits. “The first verse is probably the most uncomfortable I’ve ever been on a record.” 

While for many, the accolades Golden’s achieved would signify a successful and complete career, he’s only getting started in his journey of sharing his story to the world. 

“I’m as curious, determined, and grateful as ever. I know who I am, what I stand for, and what it means to be Golden,” I feel like there’s a lot of people who don’t know about me, so I said it all in the music.”