Netflix’s “KPop Demon Hunters” OST Dominates Billboard Charts, Becoming a Global Phenomenon

Netflix’s animated film “KPop Demon Hunters” has seized control of global music charts and established itself as a worldwide cultural phenomenon. The original soundtrack (OST) for this film, which received five nominations at the American music awards ceremony Grammy, is displaying overwhelming dominance on Billboard charts. According to the U.S. Billboard main single chart “Hot 100” released on the 18th (local time), “Golden” from “KPop Demon Hunters’ OST” secured second place and has maintained this position for four consecutive weeks. This week alone, eight tracks from the film’s OST made it onto the Hot 100 chart. “Soda Pop” and “Your Idol” ranked 15th and 24th respectively, while “How It's Done” and “What It Sounds Like” placed 27th and 32nd. “Takedown” and “Free” occupied 43rd and 44th positions. “Takedown,” performed by TWICE’s Jeongyeon, Jihyo, and Chaeyoung, was listed at 92nd. K-pop groups are also shining brightly. “Gabriela” by the global girl group KATSEYE, produced by HYBE and Geofree Records under Universal Music, reached 31st place, climbing two spots from the previous week. TWICE’s “Strategy” was positioned at 87th. On Billboard’s main album chart “Billboard 200,” the “KPop Demon Hunters” OST album took third place, while TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s Jungjun’s solo album “NO LABELS: PART 01” made its debut on the album chart at 10th. KATSEYE’s “BEAUTIFUL CHAOS” ranked 35th, and Stray Kids’ “KARMA” reached 42nd. The film’s popularity is spreading beyond music charts to cultural events around the world. At the “Chungbuk Global Center K-Study&Culture Festival” held near Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi, Vietnam, on the 15th, students from Chungcheong National University’s Practical Dance department performed K-pop songs such as Psy’s “Gangnam Style” and “KPop Demon Hunters”’ “Soda Pop.” Tourists from various countries visiting this major Hanoi attraction immediately showed great interest by focusing their cameras on the K-pop dance performances. At the event “KPop Demon Hunters: A Conversation on Media, Culture, & Globalization” held at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), over 40 students and faculty members attended to learn the choreography for “Golden” and experience the film’s cultural value rooted in Korean traditions. Attendees highly praised the film for its positive portrayal of Korean culture, including Korean cuisine, Korean-style bathhouses, and Korean shamanistic practices. Experts consider this film’s success a clear example of the growing global influence of K-pop and Korean content. The film set a record for the highest number of views in Netflix history back in August, and its Grammy nominations have earned it recognition from the international music industry as well.