Netflix’s “KPop Demon Hunters” Exceeds 300 Million Views; OST “Golden” Holds Billboard No. 1 for 6 Consecutive Weeks

Netflix’s animated film “KPop Demon Hunters” has become one of the biggest global hits in history. Since its release in June, it has accumulated 314.2 million views, making it the most-watched content on Netflix to date. The film follows K-pop girl groups who transform into demon hunters to fight supernatural enemies, and it is praised for its musical spectacles that combine stunning action sequences with high-quality music. The success of the film extended to its soundtrack as well. The track “Golden” topped the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 for six consecutive weeks, setting a new record for the longest streak at No. 1 for a soundtrack in the past decade—surpassing “See You Again” by “First & Forever 7” which held the title for 12 weeks in 2015. What is even more historic is that “Golden” became the longest-running No. 1 song by an animated group in the 67-year history of the Hot 100. The impact of the soundtrack did not stop there. In the Hot 100 chart released on September 23 (local time), not only “Golden” but also four other tracks—“Soda Pop” (No. 5), “Your Idol” (No. 6), and “How It’s Done” (No. 10)—entered the top 10 simultaneously. This was the first time in the history of the Hot 100 that four soundtrack tracks have all reached the top 10 at once. In total, eight songs from the film’s OST made it onto the Hot 100, and they remained on the chart for 11 consecutive weeks since their release in July. It also maintained strong performance on the Billboard 200 album chart. It reached No. 2 in the week of September 21 and stayed in the top 10 for 13 weeks after debuting at No. 8. The album sold 112,000 units that week, demonstrating solid results even amid competitive release schedules. Industry experts emphasize that this achievement has expanded the commercial standing of K-pop soundtracks. In the past, K-pop soundtracks often struggled to compete with studio-recorded albums, but this work proved the synergy between global streaming platforms and the music industry. Analysts attribute the film’s success to the production team’s thorough research into Korean mythology and cultural elements, as well as it marking a turning point where audiences around the world began to recognize the aesthetics and cultural depth of K-pop.