Netflix’s “KPop Demon Hunters” Sets Second-Highest Viewing Record Ever; “Golden” Dominates Billboard Charts

Netflix’s animated film “KPop Demon Hunters” has achieved worldwide success. On the 13th, Netflix officially announced that the movie has become the second-most-watched title in the platform’s history. Its cumulative viewership reached 184.6 million, placing it just behind the top-ranked “Red Notice” at 230.9 million. Based on a runtime of 1 hour and 40 minutes, the total viewing time accumulated is 376 million hours. The film’s success is largely attributed to the power of its soundtrack. The OST album has held the second position on the U.S. Billboard 200 for two consecutive weeks and has maintained a six-week upward trend, selling 100,000 units during that period. The total sales volume has reached 535,000 copies. Of particular note is the performance of the OST’s Title Track, “Golden.” This song reached number one on the UK Official Singles Chart’s Top 100 on the 1st and then topped the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 on the 11th. “Golden” secured the chart summit with 31.7 million streams, 7,000 album sales, and 8.4 million radio play impressions. This marks the first time a K-pop song has dominated both major English-language charts simultaneously. Unlike BTS’s multiple Billboard number-one hits and Psy’s “Gangnam Style,” which topped the UK chart, “Golden” conquered both markets. The virtual girl group HUNTR/X, who perform “Golden,” is portrayed in the film as three women who use the power of music to defend human souls from evil spirits. The film’s structure revolves around music rather than traditional plot development. Aside from “Golden,” other tracks such as SZA’s “Your Idol” and “Soda Pop,” as well as “How It's Done” by artists other than HUNTR/X, are currently ranking in the upper tiers of the Billboard Hot 100. Even approximately seven weeks after its release on Netflix on June 20th, the film continues to enjoy high popularity, with average weekly cumulative viewership reaching 26 million over the past four weeks. If current trends persist, it is expected to surpass “Red Notice” and become the most-watched Netflix film in history. Dan Lin, Netflix’s head of film, commented on the success, saying, “Netflix is proud of this achievement and is eager to explore further stories involving HUNTR/X.” He added, “Since the film’s success stems from a fresh and original narrative, if a sequel is made, great effort will be put into preserving the uniqueness and charm of the first installment.” Directed jointly by Canadian-Korean director Maggie Kang and American director Chris Appelhans, the film creates an original universe inspired by the K-pop genre. With contributions from K-pop industry professionals including Teddy Park, known as BLACKPINK’s producer, it faithfully captures K-pop aesthetics. In regions such as Gwinnett County in Georgia, U.S., demand for Korean culture tours and K-pop-related events has surged due to the film’s popularity.