'KPop Demon Hunters' Craze Dominates Everything from Movie Music to Merchandise

Netflix’s animated film “KPop Demon Hunters” has seized both music charts and the merchandise market, emerging as a global cultural phenomenon. The song “Golden” by the fictional female idol group HUNTR/X featured in the film remained at number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 throughout November, demonstrating its overwhelming popularity. During that month, “Golden” accumulated 117.9 million streams in the United States and achieved 24,000 downloads. Similarly, other HUNTR/X songs, “How It's Done” and “What It Sounds Like,” ranked third and fifth respectively on the Billboard Top Movie Songs chart. Since its release on Netflix on June 20, “KPop Demon Hunters” has shown consistent dominance on music charts. Among the top 10 songs on the November Top Movie Songs chart, seven were film-related songs, with the group even occupying all six of the top positions. In particular, the song “Free” performed by EJAE and Andrew Choi also reached number 8, further proving the film’s musical influence. The film’s popularity is also spreading to the offline merchandise market. International toy manufacturer Jazwares announced on December 4 that it would collaborate with Sony Pictures Animation to produce squishmallow stuffed toys of the film’s key characters, Derpy and Sussie. Derpy, sized at 12 inches and priced at $19.99, is inspired by the “foolish tiger” character found in Korean folk tales. This supernatural tiger is beloved by fans for its silly charm, such as its tendency to knock over pots. Sussie, measuring 8 inches and costing $14.99, is a supernatural magpie character with six eyes, three on each side. Pre-orders for Derpy and Sussie squishmallows are available starting December 4 on Squishmallows.com, with deliveries scheduled for May 2026. Jazwares stated that it plans to expand its entire product line with additional characters within 2026. A company official said, “‘KPop Demon Hunters’ is causing a storm worldwide, and by launching a wide range of stuffed toy lines centered around fans, we will invite children and collectors into the universe that has swept screens and social media.” Given that Mattel’s previously released “KPop Demon Hunters” HUNTR/X doll set sold out quickly, fan demand is expected to be very high. Meanwhile, the film’s cultural influence is extending to events in the United States as well. A Korean festival in Houston, Texas, is showcasing related culture alongside K-POP performances, strengthening South Korean popular culture’s presence in mainstream American culture.