Netflix Animation ‘K-Pop Demon Hunters’ OST ‘Golden’ Wins First Grammy Award

The soundtrack “Golden” for Netflix’s animated film “K-Pop Demon Hunters” has established a new milestone in K-pop history. On February 2 (local time), at the Grammy Awards ceremony, “Golden” received the award for Best Song Written for Visual Media, becoming the first K-pop song to win a Grammy.

“Golden” had already won the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song in January and was nominated for an Academy Award in March. It marked the first time in 30 years since “Circle of Life” from The Lion King in 1995 that an animated film OST received nominations for both a Grammy and an Oscar.

E-JAE, the co-composer of “Golden” and the voice actor for the film’s protagonist Rumi, said in a Vogue interview on February 2, “I still can’t believe we were nominated. It’s surreal.” She added, “If we win, this award isn’t just mine. I want to open doors for Korean-American women and people of Korean descent in the music industry, because we’re not often seen.”

The success story of Korean-American singer E-JAE is even more remarkable. He joined a major South Korean entertainment agency as a Trainee at the age of 11 and endured rigorous training day and night for over 10 years. However, he never received a debut opportunity, and the agency terminated his contract. In an interview with CNN, E-JAE recalled, “I worked hard, trying to make my voice cleaner, dance better, or have a certain look. But it seems like I didn’t leave a strong impression.” He continued, “When the constant competition and pressure affected my studies, I felt like I was failing at everything.” After leaving the agency, he struggled with despair for a long time before deciding to try again.

E-JAE reinvented himself from a singer to a composer. This decision led him to New York, where he eventually connected with “K-Pop Demon Hunters.” He co-composed the film’s chart-topping soundtrack and recorded demo versions, including “Golden.”

Claire Marie Lim, a K-pop expert at the Berklee College of Music, commented, “It’s very rare for someone who was once a K-pop Trainee to achieve such great success as E-JAE.” Professor Lim herself was a K-pop Trainee around the same time and explained that most people left the music industry if they didn’t debut. While some current K-pop stars participate in composition and production, such attempts were extremely uncommon—especially among former Trainees—more than 10 years ago.

“K-Pop Demon Hunters” is the most-watched original film in Netflix’s history. The film features a K-pop girl group that hunts demons and has received attention in various music categories, including five Grammy nominations. At the Clive Davis Pre-Grammy Gala on February 2, E-JAE, Audrey Nuna, and Ray Aimee performed “Golden,” with the audience joining in to dance and sing. Jeff Goldblum even stood up, visibly moved by the performance.