'Golden' from KPop Demon Hunters OST Takes Over Billboard and UK Charts, Setting New Records for Animation Soundtracks

The theme song "Golden" from Netflix’s animation series "KPop Demon Hunters" is dominating global music charts. Performed by EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami as the voices for the female group HUNTR/X in the series, the track has secured 8 consecutive weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, etching its name into chart history. Since entering the charts in June, "Golden" has demonstrated consistent growth. It recently held the number one spot on the UK Official Singles Chart for 9 non-consecutive weeks, establishing a record as the longest-reigning number one song by an animated series. This achievement surpasses The Archies’ "Sugar Sugar," which stayed at number one for 8 weeks in 1969, and Disney’s "Encanto" track "We Don’t Talk About Bruno," which held the top spot for 7 weeks in 2022. The song also outperformed Taylor Swift’s "The Fate of Ophelia" and continues to maintain strong performance on the UK chart. The success of "Golden" is evident in radio charts as well. It reached number one on the U.S. Pop Radio Airplay chart and has been played over 1,100 times on SiriusXM’s Hits 1 channel alone since June. Radio programmers have praised "Golden" as a track with "immediate familiarity and intense emotional impact." Technically, it has also achieved remarkable results. The original soundtrack album featuring "Golden," titled "KPop Demon Hunters," topped the Billboard 200 albums chart and has accumulated over 700 million streams. The album has received platinum certification, and during the movie’s release, the theater singalong version generated approximately $20 million in box office revenue, setting a record for success. Interestingly, EJAE revealed that she partially composed the song while riding in a taxi on her way to a dental appointment. After spending over 10 years as a Trainee at SM Entertainment and being eliminated at age 23, she has since worked as a composer behind the scenes. "Golden" marked her first major publicly released song and provided her with the opportunity to introduce herself and her voice to the public through the film. The production team behind ENCAT expressed their enthusiasm about this global success, stating, "HUNTR/X proved that a truly great trio is more than just the sum of its parts." With nominations for an Oscar for Best Original Song also in consideration, "Golden" is expected to occupy an important place in music history going forward.