Global Craze for KPop Demon Hunters Continues with Multiple Music Awards and Booming Merchandise Sales

Netflix’s animated film *KPop Demon Hunters* is reaching new heights of global popularity. The film’s theme song, “Golden,” has secured successive wins at international film awards, further solidifying the work’s standing.

Released on July 4, 2025, “Golden” immediately topped the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart upon release, and it also reached the summit of the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global (Excluding U.S.) charts. It achieved a “perfect all-kill” by dominating every major chart in South Korea as well—something that has never been done before by a fictional K-pop girl group song.

Following this, “Golden” continued to win awards on international film platforms. It first received the Best Original Song award at the Golden Globe Awards and the Critics’ Choice Awards. On January 18, it also won the Best Original Song award at the American Cinematheque Tribute to the Arts ceremony.

Composer EJAE explained the background behind the song in his acceptance speech. Originally dreaming of becoming a K-pop idol but failing to realize that dream, he gave up on his singing aspirations in his mid-20s before meeting several K-pop producers, which gave him the opportunity to try composing music. “Golden” was written after he went through a breakup with his former boyfriend, with emotions inspired by the character Rumi in the film.

“Strangely enough, completing this song helped me overcome my breakup more than any conversation I had with close friends,” EJAE said. “Every melody and lyric carries meaning, expressing my emotions in the purest way possible.” He added that after the film’s release, he received thousands of fan messages, with one of the most memorable being, “‘Golden’ saved my life.”

Now, the song is considered a strong contender for the 98th Academy Awards, set to take place on March 2–3. The string of music award wins, including from the American Cinematheque Tribute, increases the chances of “Golden” being nominated for an Oscar.

Meanwhile, the popularity of *KPop Demon Hunters* has extended to merchandise sales. As of January 18, officially licensed mystery boxes were released on Amazon and Hot Topic. These boxes contain random pins of six characters—Rumi, Joy, Mira, ZENA, Thepy, and Seo Si—and some include rare chase versions with glowing effects. This product is an official collaboration between Netflix, Loungefly, and Funko, and it has sold out quickly online.

Hot Topic also launched the Lion Boys Blind Box Set, which allows collectors to gather six different pins, including versions of the Lion Boys dressed in soda pop outfits and a glitter-enhanced version of the demon ZENA. Various other merchandise such as dolls, plush toys, and board games are set to be released through collaborations with Mattel and Hasbro.

On another front, the song’s composers, Stephen Andrews and ZENA Andrews, are attracting attention in the music industry after being nominated for Grammy Awards.