KPop Demon Hunters OST “Golden” Dominates Charts in UK, US, and YouTube; Shows Global Domination in Music Market

The soundtrack for the Netflix animated film “KPop Demon Hunters” swept across worldwide music charts, demonstrating the global dominance of K-content. On the UK Official Chart’s 2025 year-end singles chart, the OST “Golden” performed by the female group HUNTRIX from the film reached fourth place, while BLACKPINK’s Rosé’s “APT.” finished in fifth place.

The OST for “KPop Demon Hunters” went beyond just one or two successful tracks; a total of five songs made it into the top ranks of UK charts. “Soda Pop” ranked 36th, “Your Idol” came in at 44th, and “How It's Done” along with “What It Sounds Like” placed 67th and 90th respectively.

The influence of “KPop Demon Hunters” was also evident on Korean music charts. According to the weekly country-specific rankings released by Hanteo Chart, the world’s only real-time music chart, HUNTRIX’s “Golden” held the first place in the U.S. category for five consecutive weeks, while LE SSERAFIM’s “SPAGHETTI” topped the Japanese category. CORTIS’s “COLOR OUTSIDE THE LINES” remained at first place in the Chinese category for two consecutive weeks.

On YouTube music charts, “Golden” maintained absolute dominance. In the weekly summary from December 26, 2025, to January 1, 2026, “Golden” accumulated 72,321,287 views over seven days, securing its position at the global summit. This figure far surpassed Shakira’s “Zoo” with 40,155,532 views and Apušić & Alisu Music’s “Pal Pal” with 36,576,346 views.

Its influence on social media even exceeded that of real-world global pop stars. As cited by the British newspaper The Guardian based on data from marketing firm Pulsar, HUNTRIX and the male group SAZABOYZ from “KPop Demon Hunters” received more mentions on social platforms than famous pop stars such as Lady Gaga, Ed Sheeran, and Billie Eilish. This strong fanbase emerged as a result of fans actively communicating on social media and cooperating to increase music streaming.

The idol characters in the film spread as internet memes, and the choreography on screen became one of TikTok’s most popular challenges. Content creators are expanding the story through fan fiction. The Guardian predicted that HUNTRIX’s golden era would continue into 2026, noting that even six months after the film’s release, fans still crave related merchandise, music, spin-offs, and additional content.

This success resulting from the combination of music and animation is regarded not merely as a fleeting trend but as an example illustrating the global impact power of K-content. Netflix stated that this project achieved an unexpectedly large scale of success, proving the endless potential of K-pop centered content.