THE WASHINGTON POST: ‘Golden’ hits no 1, a first for a K-pop girl group (real or fictional)

First they slayed seductive, singing demons. Then they smashed Netflix streaming records. Now Huntr/x (pronounced Huntrix), the fictional K-pop trio from the animated film “KPop Demon Hunters,” has conquered the US Billboard Hot 100 with “Golden,” becoming the first K-pop girl group in Billboard history to claim the no 1 spot.

It’s an impressive peak for a movie soundtrack that has been dominating Billboard charts - and social media algorithms - in recent weeks.

Three “KPop Demon Hunters” songs have cracked the Top 5 of the Billboard Global 200: “Golden,” along with “Soda Pop” and “Your Idol,” performed by the (also fictional) demonic boy band Saja Boys.

But the up-up-uplifting and anthemic “Golden” has been the film’s runaway hit.

Sung by seasoned K-pop songwriter Kim Eun-jae (better known by the stage name Ejae), Korean American singer Audrey Nuna and songwriter-rapper Rei Ami, the song’s popularity can be measured not just in its streaming numbers but also in the scores of covers (dance, vocal and instrumental) and passionate lip-synching videos that it has inspired on TikTok and Instagram.

Even real-life K-pop idols are fans, sharing their own interpretations of the dances and songs.

In a rare feat for a K-pop song, “Golden,” which contains both English and Korean lyrics, is even being played on American radio: Its airplay numbers have recently surged more than 70 percent, according to Billboard.

The soundtrack’s success continues a stellar run for “KPop Demon Hunters,” released on Netflix in June. The movie revolves around Huntr/x, a trio of demon hunters who keep evil spirits at bay through the power of their music. Their quest to protect the world, however, is jeopardized when a seductive (and demonic) K-pop boy band, Saja Boys, usurps the girls’ place on the charts and in the hearts of their fans.

According to the streaming platform, the surprise summer hit has been viewed more than 180 million times and is the second-most-popular Netflix original movie ever. “KPop Demon Hunters” has proved so popular that it will have a limited theatrical release later this month; it has been billed as a “sing-along” event.

The musical success of “KPop Demon Hunters” highlights one of the film’s strengths: songs that advance the plot and fill out the characters - and are also viable pop bangers.

Directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans prioritised the music while making the film, leaning on K-pop industry insiders such as Ejae, who worked as a vocal producer and songwriter on the film and sang all of Huntr/x lead singer Rumi’s sky-high vocals.

“I think we had Ejae sing the highest notes that she could possibly sing in a lot of the songs,” Kang said - including for “Golden,” which Ejae co-wrote. It was important to Kang that the song embody “the feeling that you get when you hear an artist, like, just put all of her talent and effort and that physical struggle into hitting a note.”

According to Kang and Appelhans, “Golden” was the most difficult song to put together. “It’s really great to see it getting so much love, because that was really tough to get to,” Kang said of the song’s resonance with audiences.

The director theorises that the song’s challenging notes are part of its draw. “I do believe that if a song is hard to sing, everybody tries to sing it,” Kang said. “I do that.”

Fictional groups have entered the Billboard charts plenty of times before, including a couple of animated ones: the Chipmunks (with their holiday hit “The Chipmunk Song”) and the Archies (with “Sugar, Sugar”).

The last time animated characters claimed a no 1 song was in 2022, with “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” from the Disney animated musical “Encanto.”

“Golden” marks the first time a K-pop act that is not BTS (or one of its members) has topped the US Hot 100. It’s also the first time in 24 years that a girl group has ruled the charts, according to Billboard. The last to do so was Destiny’s Child, with their 2001 hit “Bootylicious.”

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