'KPop Demon Hunters' OST Golden Wins Award at American Cinematheque

Golden, the original soundtrack for Netflix’s animated film "KPop Demon Hunters," received the award for Best Original Song at the American Cinematheque Tribute to the Arts. EJAE and Mark Sonnenblick attended the ceremony as composers to accept the prize.

EJAE and Sonnenblick have previously won the Best Original Song award for this track at the Golden Globe and Critics Choice ceremonies.

At the award show, EJAE described the song as a "beautiful coincidence," stating that its composition conveyed the meaning embedded in his life to the audience. He explained that although his dream of becoming a K-POP idol did not come true, he turned to composing in his mid-20s. At that time, at the advice of other composers, he decided to write a song about breaking up with his former partner. After completing the work, he said that creating music was far more helpful for processing his emotions than talking to friends. He added, "Every melody and word carried intention, allowing me to express emotions in their purest form."

Golden was composed with character Rumi from the film in mind. EJAE said, "Rumi is a fictional character, but the emotions were very real. Everyone understands what it feels like to crave hope when feeling desperate. That emotion brought light to my darkest times; I even cried while singing the demo."

Following the film’s release and success, EJAE has received countless messages from fans. The most common message was, "Your song Golden saved me." EJAE stated that this represents the true purpose of composing music.