“Golden”, performed by the fictional K-pop girl group HUNTR/X from Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters, has stormed to number one on both the US Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Official Singles Chart.
Released as the lead single from the animated film, “Golden” quickly became the breakout success of the summer, with Billboard reporting it racked up nearly 32 million official streams in the first week of August.
The song was performed by Ejae, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami, who provide the singing voices for the HUNTR/X’s members. Ejae is a South Korean songwriter who has worked with some of the biggest K-pop acts like EXO and Red Velvet, while Korean-American artists Nuna and Rei Ami have gained attention in the US for their genre-blending solo work and collaborations with artists like Jack Harlow and Aminé.
“Golden” is the ninth time a song associated with K-pop has reached No 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, but it is the first led entirely by female vocalists, according to Billboard. Previous entries have been dominated by male acts, notably BTS, whose hits “Dynamite,” “Butter,” and “Permission to Dance” helped usher K-pop into the Western mainstream.
In the UK, “Golden” has become only the second K-pop single ever to top the Official Singles Chart, following Psy’s “Gangnam Style” in 2012, according to a Korea Herald report.
K‑Pop Demon Hunters is directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, and features a voice cast led by Teen Wolf’s Arden Cho and popular K-drama star Ahn Hyo Seop, along with May Hong and Yoo Ji Young. The supporting voice cast includes Kim Yun Jin, Daniel Dae Kim, Ken Jeong, and Squid Game’s Lee Byung Hun.
The plot follows a popular K-pop girl group, HUNTR/X, made up of Rumi (Cho), Mira (Hong) and Zoey (Yoo) who lead a double life as popstars by day and demon hunters by night.
Their powers stem from their music, which maintains a barrier that protects humans from soul stealing demons. The band’s mission, which has been passed down generations, is challenged when a rival boy band led by Jinu (Ahn), the Saja Boys, turn out to be demons intent on collapsing the barrier.
Since the film’s release in June, it has become Netflix’s most-watched animated film and currently ranks as the platform’s fourth most-watched film of all time. After its premiere, K‑Pop Demon Hunters topped Netflix’s global movie charts for four consecutive days, steadily expanding its reach, beginning with 17 countries on the first day and climbing to 41 within just four days.
Meanwhile, HUNTR/X’s biggest rivals haven’t done too badly for themselves. Saja Boys’ song “Your Idol” hit No 2 on the US Spotify chart in July, beating BTS’ Grammy-nominated “Dynamite”, which charted at No 3 when it was released in 2020.
Behind the music are renowned producers such as Teddy Park of THEBLACKLABEL, known for his work with Taeyang and BLACKPINK, and Grammy winner Lindgren, who collaborates with BTS, TWICE, Dua Lipa, and John Legend.
Grammy-nominated producer Stephen Kirk and hit songwriter Jenna Andrews, both of whom have worked with BTS, have also contributed. The soundtrack was overseen by executive music producer Ian Eisendrath, whose credits span Broadway and major television productions.
