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'KPop Demon Hunters' anthem 'Golden' hits No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100 chart

Published: 12 Aug. 2025, 09:25

LIM JEONG-WON
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A scene from the Netflix animated film ″KPop Demon Hunters″ [NETFLIX]

“Golden,” the original soundtrack single from Netflix’s animated film “KPop Demon Hunters,” reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the ninth K-pop song to top the chart and the first performed by female vocalists.

Billboard announced on Monday that “Golden,” which is sung by the fictional girl group HUNTR/X in the animated film, rose one spot from last week to dethrone Alex Warren’s “Ordinary” and climb to the top of its Hot 100 list.

The track’s seven-week climb began with a debut at No. 81 in early July, followed by a steady ascent from the 23rd spot to the much-coveted top position. It also topped the U.K.’s Official Singles Chart earlier this month, making it one of the rare songs to conquer both major Western charts.

During the latest chart tracking week, “Golden” logged 31.7 million U.S. streams, up 9 percent from the previous week, along with 8.4 million radio airplay impressions and 7,000 sales.

Billboard noted that while several K-pop acts have reached No. 1 before — most notably BTS, with six songs, and members Jimin and Jungkook with one each — “Golden” is the first K-pop track fronted by women to achieve the feat.

In the “KPop Demon Hunters” storyline, HUNTR/X is a fictional act, but its real-world vocals come from Korean American artists EJAE, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami. EJAE and Ami were born in Seoul, while Audrey Nuna hails from New Jersey. The song, written by former SM Entertainment trainee EJAE, has been praised for its addictive melody and soaring high notes, quickly becoming one of the year’s biggest K-pop hits.

Its high-note section has turned into a viral challenge — dubbed the “Golden Challenge” — with established stars, such as Bada of S.E.S., Lee Hae-ri of Davichi, Solar of Mamamoo, Lily of NMIXX, An Yu-jin of IVE, Ailee and Kwon Jin-ah posting their own renditions. In a summer largely devoid of standout K-pop anthems, “Golden” has filled the gap with a sound that is both cinematic and undeniably catchy.

BY LIM JEONG-WON [[email protected]]