Netflix’s “KPop Demon Hunters” OST Sets New Records by Dominating Billboard and UK Charts

The OST for Netflix’s animated series “KPop Demon Hunters” is dominating music charts around the world. The song “Golden,” performed by the K-pop girl group KPop Demon Hunters in the series, became the first K-pop track to reach number one on the UK Official Singles Chart since Psy’s “Gangnam Style,” and it also became the first K-pop song to top the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 since BTS’s releases. Notably, achieving number one on both charts simultaneously marks the first time in K-pop history that has happened. Following the success of “Golden,” all nine original tracks from the album made it onto the Billboard Hot 100, with three of them entering the top 10 at the same time. The rival group Saza Boyz’s song “Your Idol” reached the top 5, while “Soda Pop” entered the top 10, helping to create history together. According to Billboard’s analysis, this is the first time in 30 years since “Saturday Night Fever” in 1977 and “Waiting to Exhale” in 1995 that a single film soundtrack has managed to get three songs simultaneously into the top 10. It is also having a positive impact on South Korea’s music market. According to the Circle Chart from the Korean Music Content Association, music streaming usage last month increased by 7.9% compared to the previous month. This represents a recovery for the first time in four months since March, with “Golden” securing the top spot on the monthly chart with a usage score of approximately 114 million points. It has been four years since an OST last topped the Circle Chart’s monthly ranking, with Im Yong-woong’s “Sarang-eun Neul Domanga” in 2021. EJAE, the American-Korean singer-songwriter who participated in writing, composing, and singing “Golden,” is a Korean-American who was once a Trainee at SM and has previously composed many major K-pop hits. When discussing his joy at “Golden” reaching number one, he said, “I realized my childhood dream,” adding that “the song clearly embodies the musical characteristics of K-pop.” The animated series itself is also achieving global success. Released on June 20, it had accumulated 184.6 million views by August 10, ranking second among all Netflix films of all time. On August 15, it reached number one in the daily rankings in 63 countries. Literary critic Seong Min-yeop commented that “the success of this anime stems from the concept of exorcists being K-pop idol girl groups, the accurate portrayal of K-culture, and the way the story and music are integrated.” In the series, the idea that the songs of KPop Demon Hunters trigger resonance with souls to protect the human world from evil spirits is an urban fantasy reinterpretation of Muksuk traditions and can also be seen as a metaphor for K-pop fandom culture. In fact, K-pop singers themselves demonstrated the choreography for “Golden” and shared challenge videos, using interactions with fans to further spread the song’s popularity. To sustain this momentum, Netflix held an “A Sing-Along Event” in theaters across North America, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand on August 23 and 24. These achievements clearly demonstrate how high K-pop’s status has risen in the global music market, indicating that K-pop culture has moved beyond being just a musical trend to becoming a central force in world popular culture.