Golden, the breakout track from the animated film KPop Demon Hunters, has soared to the top of the Billboard Hot 100, setting yet another record for Netflix’s hit summer release.
The film which follows K-pop girl group Huntr/x as they use music to protect humanity from demons — has become Netflix’s most-watched animated title since its June debut.
Golden is the ninth K-pop song to reach No. 1 on the Hot 100, and notably, the first by female artists. According to Billboard, the upbeat single racked up nearly 32 million official streams in the first week of August.
Golden isn’t the only hit to emerge from KPop Demon Hunters. The film’s other standout track, Your Idol — performed by the fictional rival group Saja Boys — has climbed to No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100. Both songs dominated US Spotify charts in July, shortly after the movie’s release, even surpassing real-world K-pop giants BTS and Blackpink.
Earlier this month, Golden also reached No. 1 on the Official UK Singles Chart, becoming only the second K-pop single in history to do so after Psy’s 2012 mega-hit Gangnam Style. Official Charts CEO Martin Talbot called it “another landmark moment” for the globally dominant South Korean genre, joking that while Oasis fans may see this as their summer, K-pop’s latest superstars are “giving the Gallaghers a run for their money.”
Sung by Ejae, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami, Golden debuted at No. 81 on the Hot 100 on 5 July and steadily climbed to the top. Ejae, who also co-wrote the track, told BBC Newsbeat the team knew it would be a “banger,” but its record-breaking success was still unexpected. “It’s like I’m surfing for the first time and a big wave just came through,” she said.
The film itself has been a runaway hit, becoming Netflix’s fourth-most watched movie of all time within weeks of release. US media reports suggest the streaming giant is considering turning K-pop Demon Hunters into a multi-film franchise, aiming to replicate the phenomenon of Disney’s Frozen.
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