By Anfernee Chansamooth
Netflix’s biggest animated hit didn’t just break streaming records — it turned its lead singer into a global name.
You’ve probably heard Golden or Soda Pop somewhere — on the radio, at the shops, or sung loudly by your kids in the car.
KPop Demon Hunters has become Netflix’s most-watched original film, with more than 325 million views worldwide, and its soundtrack is a massive part of that success.
The popularity of Korean culture was already booming, from K-pop stages to K-dramas and even Korean street food stalls worldwide. KPop Demon Hunters took that cultural wave and amplified it through the power of music.
The movie was created by Maggie Kang, a Korean-American director who wanted to tell a story inspired by her heritage. She envisioned an animated world that blended K-pop glamour with Korean mythology — an urban fantasy where pop idols battled evil by day and performed by night.
Kang teamed up with Chris Appelhans, co-director of Wish Dragon, and together they found a home for the project at Sony Pictures Animation. It wasn’t an easy pitch. Several studios reportedly passed on the idea before Sony took a chance.
Then Netflix swooped in early and struck gold. The streaming platform covered the entire $US100 million budget and even paid Sony a premium for exclusive global rights. What looked like a risk has become one of the smartest deals in Netflix history.
Released on 20 June 2025, the film became a global hit almost overnight. It racked up hundreds of millions of streams, inspired sing-along cinema screenings, and made history with four songs from its soundtrack landing in the Billboard Hot 100 Top 10 at the same time — the first animated movie ever to do so.
Part of Kang’s genius was her decision to make the soundtrack feel authentic. She and Appelhans brought in Teddy Park, the legendary producer behind Blackpink and 2NE1, along with real K-pop vocalists and composers.
They didn’t just create songs for a movie; they crafted a genuine K-pop album, complete with animated sequences and characters inspired by real-life idol groups.
The result was a film that sounded as genuine as it looked.
The breakout hit Golden, performed by the fictional group Huntr/x, debuted at No.1 on both the Billboard Global 200 and Global Excl. US charts.
Its lyrics capture the film’s core message about stepping out of the shadows and embracing confidence:
“I was a ghost, I was alone…
I’m done hidin’, now I’m shinin’ like I’m born to be.”
The singing voice behind Rumi on Golden belongs to EJAE (Kim Eun-jae). A former K-pop trainee who never debuted, she spent years writing for others while her own dreams sat on hold.
That struggle — the feeling of being unseen yet refusing to quit — became the heartbeat of the songs she co-wrote for the film, especially Golden.
Now, at 33, she’s finally in her own spotlight. EJAE’s debut solo single, In Another World, released in late 2025, has already passed 2.5 million YouTube views.
Golden, performed with Huntr/x, was even submitted for Grammy and Oscar consideration — the first animated K-pop project ever to be placed for both major Western awards.
KPop Demon Hunters bridges cultures and generations. And this is only the beginning. Sony and Netflix have already confirmed that KPop Demon Hunters 2 is in production, with a scheduled release in 2029.
Featured image: Lights up, the K-pop wave rises. Picture: Stefan Schweihofer/CC/Pixabay
