The Netflix animated film ″K-Pop Demon Hunters″ is garnering significant acclaim for its portrayal of K-pop idol culture and Korean traditions. The film’s soundtrack has reached the top of the UK’s Official Singles Chart, with ″Golden,″ a track by girl group Huntrix, achieving the number one spot. This marks a rise from fourth place just a week prior, and ″Golden″ has now spent six weeks on the chart.

This achievement is notable as it is the first time in 13 years that a K-pop song has topped the chart since Psy’s ″Gangnam Style.″ While BTS and BLACKPINK have not reached this milestone on the singles chart, both groups have previously topped the Official Albums Chart. Martin Talbot, CEO of Official Charts, highlighted ″Golden″’s success as a significant moment for the Korean music industry, which continues to gain global prominence.

″Golden″ is the first animated song to reach the singles chart’s top position since ″We Don’t Talk About Bruno″ from Disney’s ″Encanto.″ Another track from the ″K-Pop Demon Hunters″ soundtrack, ″Your Idol″ by Lion Boyz, climbed to No. 10, marking its fifth consecutive week on the chart. Additionally, Lion Boyz’s ″Soda Pop″ rose to No. 11, also achieving its second week on the chart.

The song ″Take Down,″ performed by Jeongyeon, Jihyo, and Chaeyoung of the K-pop girl group Twice, debuted at number 63. ″K-Pop Demon Hunters″ follows the story of Huntrix, an exorcist K-pop girl group, as they battle evil spirits and the K-pop boy group Saja Boyz. Huntrix draws inspiration from shamanism, a key aspect of traditional Korean performing arts, while Saja Boyz represent various interpretations of the grim reaper. The animation was produced by Sony Pictures in the United States.

The popularity of the soundtrack, featuring Korean lyrics, has sparked increased interest in the musicians behind the songs. Notably, all vocalists for Huntrix’s parts are Korean-American. Lee Jae (Kim Eun-jae), who voices Rumi, is a former trainee at SM Entertainment and a recognized K-pop composer, known for his work on Red Velvet’s ″Psycho.″ He is celebrated for his songwriting, lyricism, and impressive vocal range. Mira’s vocals are provided by Audrey Nuna (Choo Hae-won), an emerging artist known for her unique blend of hip-hop, R&B, and alternative pop. Rapper and singer-songwriter Rei Ami (Lee Ye-eun) delivers Joy’s vocal parts, showcasing her versatility across genres.

The voices of Lion Boyz are performed by a talented group, including SM Entertainment producer Andrew Choi, a contestant from the SBS audition program ″K-Pop Star,″ The Black Label producer Danny Jung, former U-KISS member Kevin Woo, 0x member Neckwave, and samUILee, who has worked on albums for Seventeen and Rise. The album’s production was further supported by composers from The Black Label, a K-pop label led by Teddy, known for his work with Big Bang and BLACKPINK.

″Golden″ is also making waves on Billboard’s Hot 100 singles chart, where it recently secured the second position. Meanwhile, TWICE’s 14th mini-album title track ″STRATEGY″ (feat. Megan Thee Stallion) debuted at number 85, seven months post-release, gaining renewed attention after being featured in ″K-Pop Demon Hunters.″ This marks TWICE’s second entry on the Official Singles Chart, following ″The Feels″ (2021) at number 80. Considering ″Take Down″ as a TWICE song, this counts as their third appearance on the chart. BLACKPINK’s new track ″Jump″ ranked 36th on the singles chart this week, marking its third consecutive week on the chart, while member Rosé’s global hit ″Apartment″ ranked 44th, extending its presence to 41 weeks on the chart.