Netflix Animation “KPop Demon Hunters” Exceeds 300 Million Views, Dominates Both Billboard Charts

Netflix’s animated film “KPop Demon Hunters” has become the first title in the platform’s history to reach 300 million cumulative views. Since its release on June 20, the film has sparked a global phenomenon, accumulating 301,420,000 views as of September 14 — far surpassing the previous record holder, “Squid Game” Season 1’s 265,200,000 views. It continues to top the charts in 39 countries worldwide, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Spain, Argentina, Malaysia, and Egypt. “KDeHun covers” and related challenges spread like a trend across social media platforms, while there is a strong surge in fans singing along to tracks such as “Golden” and “Soda Pop.” The success of the original soundtrack was a decisive factor in helping the film exceed 300 million views. According to the latest Billboard charts in the United States, “KPop Demon Hunters” OST topped the main album chart, the Billboard 200, while the title track “Golden” holds the first position on the main single chart, the Hot 100. After “Golden” remained at No. 1 on the Hot 100 for five consecutive weeks, the album itself finally reached the top of the Billboard 200, demonstrating its power to dominate both major charts. All eight tracks included in the OST have stayed on the Hot 100 for 10 weeks since they first appeared there in July. “Your Idol” and “Soda Pop” ranked at No. 4 and No. 5 respectively, while “How It’s Done” and “What It Sounds Like” placed at No. 8 and No. 15. “Take Down” reached No. 21, and “Free” came in at No. 24. This marks the first time in about five years since BTS topped both Billboard’s main charts with their album “BE” and title track “Life Goes On,” released in December 2020, that a K-pop act has achieved this milestone again. The OST album debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 in its first week, then held No. 2 for seven non-consecutive weeks before finally taking the top spot this week. During the most recent tracking period, it sold 128,000 physical units. Streaming numbers increased by 1% compared to the previous week, while physical album sales rose by 56%. Increased sales were driven by “singalong” screenings in the United States and the release of a deluxe edition containing 23 tracks. The upcoming vinyl LP release on October 17 is expected to further boost sales. Directed by Maggie Kang, “KPop Demon Hunters” tells the story of a three-member K-pop girl group named HUNTRIX who fight against evil spirits to protect the world. The film sets a new record as the first Netflix original content soundtrack to simultaneously top both Billboard’s main charts. It is also considered a strong contender for an award in the animated feature category at next year’s March Academy Awards. With “Golden” also nominated for Best Original Song, there is discussion about the possibility of winning in both categories.