OST of K-POP Demon Hunters Wins Golden Globe, Marking First K-POP Grammy Award

Twenty years have passed since K-POP music took over global music markets and exerted cultural influence. During this time, it evolved from a mere musical genre into an industry that reshapes global aesthetic standards and exerts economic impact. The OST Golden for the 2025 Netflix film K-POP Demon Hunters serves as the clearest example of K-POP’s global reach.

Golden is a song composed and performed by Korean American singer-songwriter Ejae. Along with the film, it spread rapidly among listeners worldwide through word of mouth. Artists from around the world, including Thai star Bright Chivaaree, MAMAMOO’s Solar, Filipino singer-songwriter Morissette, America’s Got Talent 2025 winner Jessica Sanchez, and Scottish rock band Biffy Clyro, performed this song on social media and during live performances.

K-POP Demon Hunters tells a story about K-POP girl groups acting as guardians of humanity. Released on Netflix in June, the film became the most-watched title on Netflix by December. The Singalong Film Festival held in North America and the UK in October generated approximately $18 million in revenue over the weekend, securing its place as Netflix’s top-grossing film to date.

Golden received the Best Original Song award at the Mama Awards in November, K-POP industry’s premier ceremony. It later won the Best Song award at the Critics’ Choice Awards in January and the Best Original Song (Film) award at the Golden Globes. With four Grammy nominations, Golden won one of them, becoming the first K-POP song to receive a Grammy award, and it also received an Oscar nomination.

K-POP’s global influence is expanding beyond the music industry into various fields. BTS’s first stadium concert in New York in 2018 sold out immediately upon ticket release. BLACKPINK’s Born Pink tour in 2022–23 generated the highest revenue in girl group history, surpassing even the records set by the Spice Girls.

K-POP artists have also made appearances at the world’s largest music festivals. BLACKPINK and aespa performed at Coachella, SEVENTEEN performed at the 2024 Glastonbury Festival, and TXT, Stray Kids, and TWICE performed at Lollapalooza Chicago.

K-POP artists also serve as faces for world-renowned luxury brands. BTS’s Jung Kook is an ambassador for Calvin Klein, BLACKPINK’s Lisa is a brand ambassador for Louis Vuitton, and EXO’s Kai is a brand ambassador for Gucci. This level of global influence has drawn attention from academic circles as well. Starting this year, the University of Southern California has introduced courses focused on G-Dragon, demonstrating that Hallyu is a cultural phenomenon important enough to be subject of academic research.