We’re goin’ up, up, up
It’s our moment
You know together we’re glowin’
Gonna be, gonna be golden
Those are lyrics in “Golden,” a song from KPop Demon Hunters. In that movie, a girl group called Huntr/x sings the tune. But the words describe the movie’s success too. KPop Demon Hunters has been going up, up, up in fame!
The movie came out on Netflix on June 20. It is inspired by South Korea’s pop music scene. It has catchy songs, high energy, and colorful looks. Huntr/x isn’t your everyday K-pop group though. The three singers — Rumi, Mira, and Zoey — keep demons from invading the world. One way they do this is by singing. Their music creates a protective force called the Honmoon.
However, there’s a problem when a K-pop boy band shows up. The Saja Boys skyrocket to fame. But they are demons. They are trying to weaken the Honmoon!
The movie quickly became popular. In its first two weeks, KPop Demon Hunters got 33 million views globally. It reached the Netflix top 10 in 93 countries. Today, the movie is still reaching No. 1 on Netflix. It has gotten more than 158 million views.
The craze has spread beyond Netflix too. In Chicago, Illinois, the K-pop girl group TWICE performed “Takedown” at the Lollapalooza music festival. That is a song from the movie. The festival also had a KPop Demon Hunters drone show! The movie’s magic will soon be on the big screen too. On August 23 and 24, the film will be in theaters. Fans can sing along at the events!
One key to the movie’s success is its songs. Directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans worked with K-pop . The producers have experience with real K-pop groups. Those acts include Blackpink, BTS, and TWICE.
The songs from the movie met music milestones. Most recently, “Golden” hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart. That list ranks songs based on sales, , and radio plays. “Golden” is performed by the singers Ejae, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami. It is the first track by a female K-pop group to top the Hot 100 list. The song also passed 3 billion global streams.
This is the first female group to top the Hot 100 since 2001. And it’s the first time a act has done this since the movie Encanto in 2021.
The rise of KPop Demon Hunters has been quick, steady, and surprising. There’s no telling how far the movie will go. But one thing is for sure — with all the K-pop singing, the Honmoon is sure to stay strong!
By Ashley Morgan
Updated August 13, 2025, 5:00 P.M. (ET)
