KPop Demon Hunters Claims Top Spots on Billboard Hot 100 and 200, Setting New Records for Animation Music

The OST for Netflix’s animation series “KPop Demon Hunters” has simultaneously topped both the U.S. Billboard main singles chart, the Hot 100, and the album chart, the Billboard 200, thereby establishing a new milestone in chart history. “Golden,” performed by the girl group HUNTR/X who serve as the protagonists of the series, has maintained its position at the top of the Hot 100 for the fifth week in a row on the Billboard chart released on September 14 local time, and it also held the number one spot on the UK Official Singles Chart for six consecutive weeks. This represents the longest streak ever recorded for an animated song at the chart’s summit, surpassing previous records held by The Archies’ “Sugar Sugar” (1969, 4 weeks) and The Chipmunks’ “The Chipmunk Song” (1958, 4 weeks). The OST album debuted at number 8 on the Billboard 200 in its first week of release, later reached number 2 for seven non-consecutive weeks, and finally claimed the top spot this week. This marks the first time an OST has reached number one since Disney’s “Encanto” in 2022, and it is the seventh time in Billboard 200 history that an OST has topped the chart. The album recorded 128,000 units, representing a 7% increase from the previous week. Streaming figures rose by 1%, while physical album sales surged by 56%. Momentum for the OST album, which includes “Golden,” increased following the release of a deluxe edition on September 5, adding bonus tracks along with 23 karaoke and acoustic versions of the songs. Billboard noted that “KPop Demon Hunters” reached number one in just 12 weeks out of its 12-week chart run, the longest wait since Toby Keith’s “35 Billion Hits” re-entered the top spot in 2008. For the first time in Billboard history, all four songs included in the OST simultaneously made it into the top 10 of the Hot 100. Aside from “Golden,” Saja Boys’ “Your Idol” and “Soda Pop” reached numbers 4 and 5 respectively, while HUNTR/X’s “How It's Done” landed at number 8. On the UK Official Singles Chart as well, “Golden” showed a remarkable upward trajectory after its initial entry at number 93, rising to 31st, then 20th, 9th, 4th, 1st, 2nd, and finally 1st. The song was co-produced by Lee Jae, a composer who was once a Trainee at SM Entertainment, in collaboration with singer-songwriter Audrey Nuna and Lay Aimi. All three are Korean Americans and have gained attention for their collaborations that bridge K-pop and global music genres. The additional tracks from the OST also performed well on the charts. Saja Boys’ “Soda Pop” reached number 4 on the UK chart, “Your Idol” reached number 7, and “Takedown,” performed by TWICE members Jeongyeon, Jihyo, and Chaeyoung, landed at number 24. This achievement set a unique record as four songs from the OST stayed simultaneously in the UK chart’s top 100 for seven consecutive weeks. TWICE’s title track from their 14th mini-album, “STRATEGY” (feat. Megan Thee Stallion), also reached number 35 after being used in “KPop Demon Hunters,” remaining on the chart for seven straight weeks.