KPop Demon Hunters: The Animated Phenomenon Rewriting K-Pop History
- Evangeline Elsa
- Jul 30
- 3 min read
Updated: Jul 30
Dubai, UAE: A new K-pop hit has everyone singing: "I'm done hiding, now I'm shining, like I'm born to be...". The song 'Golden' is changing the K-pop landscape, long dominated by titans like BTS and BlackPink.
In an astonishing shift, the new contender, born from the animated screen, has shattered records established by well known K-pop bands.
The soundtrack to the hit animated film KPop Demon Hunters, rebounded a spot to No. 1 on both the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts, yesterday.
Two weeks ago, the song, which has music voiced by EJAE, Audrey Nuna and REI AMI, had become the first leader on each list for the act.
Chart-Topping Dominance
The Netflix animated feature, KPop Demon Hunters, which released on June 20, 2025, quickly soared to the top of global viewership charts.
The animated musical fantasy film produced by Sony Pictures Animation and released by Netflix is directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans from a screenplay they co-wrote with the writing team of Danya Jimenez and Hannah McMechan. The plot is based on a story conceived by Kang.
The film stars the voices of Arden Cho, Ahn Hyo-seop, May Hong, Ji-young Yoo, Yunjin Kim, Daniel Dae Kim, Ken Jeong, and Lee Byung-hun.
While the movie topped in viewership lists across may countries on Netflix, its success extended far beyond the screen. The film's soundtrack became a genuine musical phenomenon.
The movie's fictional K-pop bands, the heroic girl group Huntr/x and their rival boy band, Saja Boys, have achieved chart feats that only real-world K-pop giants have accomplished in the past.
One of the most striking achievements comes from the Saja Boys' track, "Your Idol." This song remarkably reached No. 1 on the US Spotify Daily Top Songs chart, a milestone that surpassed the peak performance of BTS's "Dynamite" in the same market.
Huntr/x's "Golden" also made significant waves, securing the No. 2 spot on the US Spotify chart and becoming the highest-charting female K-pop group track, outperforming Blackpink's previous records.
Other songs from the soundtrack, like "How It's Done" and "Soda Pop," have also found considerable streaming success, proving the depth of the soundtrack's impact.
The chart placements position these two fictional groups alongside real artists such as Billie Eilish and Sabrina Carpenter.
Industry Recognition and Cultural Impact
The soundtrack's overall performance is equally impressive. It debuted at No. 8 on the all-genre Billboard 200, making it the highest-debuting soundtrack of 2025 and the first soundtrack of the year to break into the top 10.
This success led Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos to publicly praise "KPop Demon Hunters," calling it a "phenomenal success" and highlighting the importance of original animation in "piercing the culture" with projects that resonate strongly with audiences and feature impactful music, as reported by Animation Magazine.
Netflix even confirmed that “Golden” is the song from the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack that it will enter for Academy Award consideration.
The film's influence is not limited to charts. Its music has permeated popular culture, with real K-pop idols acknowledging its impact.
Even BTS member Jung Kook reportedly shed tears while watching the film. During a live interaction with fans, he revealed he cried during the climax where a character sacrifices himself to help the protagonist fight the demon king.
Actor Ahn Hyo-seop, who voices the character of Jinu in the film, also expressed his surprise at the film's massive hit status in an interview with The Korea Times, admitting he "really didn't expect this film to be such a hit."
A New Frontier for K-Pop
While groups like SEVENTEEN continue to show immense real-world success, topping brand reputation rankings in June 2025 and achieving impressive album sales, the rise of the K-pop Demon Hunters demonstrates a new frontier for K-pop's global expansion.
The film's blend of compelling storytelling, stunning animation, and high-quality music has carved out a unique space, showing how animated narratives can not only compete with but also redefine what it means to be a chart-topping K-pop act. The movie signifies a powerful new chapter in the history of Hallyu.