Netflix’s “KPop Demon Hunters” OST Achieves Global Success, Remaining at the Top of Billboard and UK Charts for Extended Periods

The original soundtrack (OST) for Netflix’s original animated film “KPop Demon Hunters,” titled “Golden,” has maintained a long-term position at the top of global charts, dominating the worldwide music market. According to the UK Official Chart released on the 24th (local time), “Golden” stayed in 3rd place, identical to its position last week. It reached 1st place for a total of 8 non-consecutive weeks after debuting at 93rd place in June. This represents the longest consecutive reign at the top for a K-pop artist since Psy’s “Gangnam Style” 13 years ago, and it is also an exceptional achievement for an OST of a Netflix original animated film. “Golden” held the top spot on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart for 8 weeks as well, and the OST remained on the Billboard 200 album chart for 18 consecutive weeks. It is currently in 2nd place on the Billboard 200, with album sales dropping by 8% to 96,000 units compared to the previous week. This decline reflects ongoing strong global demand. The “KPop Demon Hunters” OST set another record by having a total of 4 tracks enter the UK Official Chart’s Top 100 simultaneously. “How It's Done” reached 9th place, “What It Sounds Like” came in at 13th, and “Takedown” performed by TWICE’s Jihyo, Jeongyeon, and Chaeyoung landed at 98th. The UK Official Chart is considered one of the key indicators representing trends in the global music market alongside Billboard. “Golden” was sung by the K-pop superstar girl group HUNTR/X in the film, with contributions from Korean-American composer Lee Jae, singer Audrey Nuna, and Ray Aimi. These three individuals handled both the vocal performances and character voices in the film, seamlessly integrating music with the narrative. The intense synth-pop-based sound along with the message of “never losing hope” are said to have resonated widely among global listeners. Just two months after its release on June 20th, the film surpassed Netflix’s previous most-watched movie, “Red Notice,” to become the platform’s highest-viewed title ever. In September, it became the first Netflix content to exceed 300 million total views, ranking highest in cumulative viewership among all movies and series released on Netflix to date. Driven by the film’s popularity, theater sing-along screenings are also expanding. According to CGV, special sing-along versions of “KPop Demon Hunters” will be shown at over 100 CGV theaters nationwide from October 31st to November 2nd. Audiences can enjoy the movie on large screens while singing along to tracks including “Golden,” “How It's Done,” “Your Idol,” and “Soda Pop.” CGV also plans to organize “Fandom Battle Screening Events” where fans of the competing idol groups, HUNTR/X and Lions Boys, can support their respective teams. As of midnight on the 27th, “KPop Demon Hunters” ranked 3rd in the ticket pre-sale rankings from the Korea Film Council’s system, with a 10.6% reservation rate and 22,212 reserved tickets. Netflix posted a sing-along practice video on its official YouTube channel that allows viewers to follow along with the pronunciation of “Golden” in Korean. The video received over 150,000 views within a day of release and garnered more than 500 comments, indicating high interest.