What Can the Industry Learn From the Success of ‘KPop Demon Hunters’?

While the past couple weeks have seen major new releases from established superstars like Drake and Justin Bieber, the still-growing success of KPop Demon Hunters and its soundtrack arguably remains the most explosive story of the pop summer.

The animated Netflix fantasy musical, about the fictional K-pop girl group HUNTR/X (who are also the superhero demon hunters of the movie title) and their boy band rivals, the hellbound Saja Boys, has taken the Billboard charts by storm since its late-June release. This week, the soundtrack climbs to No. 2 on the Billboard 200, while seven of its tracks appear on the Billboard Hot 100 — led by HUNTR/X’s “Golden,” which zooms 23-6 on the chart.

What’s responsible for the soundtrack’s consistent growth? And what can other studios learn from the movie’s success? Billboard staffers discuss these questions and more below.

1. KPop Demon Hunters’ soundtrack reaches a new high of No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with 75,000 equivalent album units moved. What do you think is the biggest reason the soundtrack is still growing at such a high rate?  

Kyle Denis: Generally, I think we’ve been waiting for a true 2025 music phenomenon. By the midpoint of the year, 2024 gave us so many tentpole music-centric cultural moments from Cowboy Carter and Brat to Chappell Roan’s rise, Sabrina Carpenter’s breakthrough and “Not Like Us.” It’s been much quieter this year, and now we have a hit film that’s tapping into one of the buzziest contemporary genres, looping in horror aesthetics (which have already been proved fruitful this year by Sinners) and blending IRL K-Pop groups with fictional characters you can’t help but root for. Combine all that with the charts being so stagnant, and you have a perfect storm for KPop Demon Hunters. 

Lyndsey Havens: I personally love growth stories like this, where the hype comes after the release and you can almost feel more and more people buying in because the success has become undeniable. I think the biggest reason this soundtrack is still growing is exactly that; while buzzy from the start, it has felt like the mainstream reaction was a bit delayed. And whether it be a curiosity listen or a fan reliving the movie that brought people in, the soundtrack is clearly earning and benefitting from repeat spins — and skyrocketing up the charts as a result.

Jason Lipshutz: Word of mouth. As KPop Demon Hunters logs more weeks as one of Netflix’s top films around the world, millions of new viewers are discovering the film and its music, whether through recommendation or simple curiosity about this new animated movie at the top of the queue. Simultaneously, millions who have fallen in love with the movie and its soundtrack are streaming the latter on music platforms, reliving their favorite moments from the film and driving several songs up the daily streaming chart. KPop Demon Hunters has become a pop culture phenomenon that grows larger week after week because the film is so accessible — even if you’re totally unaware of the movie and its music weeks after its release, you’ll be fully up to speed in 90 joyful minutes.

Andrew Unterberger: We’re definitely reaching the general-audience “wait so what’s the deal with this movie?” stage where it’s getting a lot of curiosity views and listens from folks who wouldn’t normally be first in line to check out an animated musical about a group of K-pop superheroes. But it also helps that the folks who fell in love with the movie upon its release don’t seem to have been able to get away from it in the weeks since — they’re still streaming these addictive songs over and over, while plenty of new converts are also joining the party.

Abby Webster: I watched the film on the release day, so I’ve been really surprised to see it grow week after week. It’s obviously found a fandom within the U.S., but we’ve also started to see it embraced by the K-pop community (even if a bunch of idols have been commenting on how unrealistic the movie’s portrayal of their profession is, which I think is hilarious). That may give it a bit of a second wind. And, in general, I think the fact that it’s equally loved by people who are and aren’t familiar with that world is one of the reasons it continues to get bigger and bigger.

2. HUNTR/X’s “Golden” launches into the Hot 100’s top 10 this week, moving 23-6. Do you think the song makes sense as the breakout hit from the soundtrack, or would you have tabbed a different song?  

Kyle Denis: I think “Golden” makes sense! Not only is it integral to the plot, but it’s also a very catchy, well-made pop song with a strong hook. 

Lyndsey Havens: I was a bit surprised that “How It’s Done” wasn’t the immediate fan favorite, just because of how familiar it sounds and the way in which it fuses pop and rap so seamlessly and has fun with the verses. And when it comes to the Oscars, I would have thought “What It Sounds Like” would be fair game for submission to the best original song category for the way in which it crescendos into a rallying and satisfying conclusion to the story. But “Golden” — which Billboard reported will be the song entered for Oscars consideration — benefits from being an undeniable turbo-pop anthem.

Jason Lipshutz: Even if “Golden” isn’t your personal favorite song from KPop Demon Hunters — shout-out to “What It Sounds Like”! — it’s understandable why it’s become the standout hit from the soundtrack, as a unifying anthem for HUNTR/X with soaring melodies and chest-thumping inspiration. Over the past few weeks, “Golden” has become a single-song representation of the KPop Demon Hunters phenomenon, as a highly positive, musically undeniable piece of pop songwriting; it was designed as a smash in the fictional world of the movie, but was strong enough to become one in the real world, too.

Andrew Unterberger: “Golden” is the song. It’s so fun and exciting and it would sound like a girl group going up, up up and embracing their moment even if it wasn’t what the group literally sang about in the chorus.

Abby Webster: It 100% makes sense to me. “Golden” is the big “I Want” song, which makes it the centerpiece of the soundtrack, but it also does a great job threading the needle between pop and narrative songwriting. It’s a really emotionally satisfying song whether you’ve seen the movie or not, though it’s heightened if you have. “Golden” is also just so catchy — I have genuinely been hearing “We’re goin’ up, up, up” when I close my eyes at night.

3. What do you think is more likely to happen in the coming weeks, the soundtrack topping the Billboard 200 or “Golden” topping the Hot 100? 

Kyle Denis: I think Alex Warren still has some things left to say — as does Drake apparently — so I’ll go with the soundtrack topping the Billboard 200… perhaps the week after Justin Bieber’s Swag makes its chart debut. 

Lyndsey Havens: While “Golden” has a bit higher to climb, I think that’s more likely to happen at some point… but maybe not in the coming weeks. I think the soundtrack has some stiff competition from Bieber’s Swag ahead, but knowing that “Golden” will be, at some point, getting an Oscars campaign and push makes me believe it has a shot of soaring to the No. 1 spot eventually. 

Jason Lipshutz: A week ago, I would have said that the soundtrack could eke up one more spot and top the Billboard 200… but that was before we knew we were getting Justin Bieber’s Swag and Travis Scott’s which will likely score major debuts on the albums chart and stay near the top for a bit. So I’ll say that “Golden” — which is just getting started at top 40 radio, but sounds like it could cross over to that audience — could feasibly make it all the way to No. 1 on the Hot 100, especially considering the speed with which it’s moved up the charts over the past three weeks.

Andrew Unterberger: “Golden” might be about to hit its ceiling on streaming, so at this point it probably comes down to if the song can find a place on radio. The odds are against it there — top 40 has been historically inhospitable to both K-pop songs and songs from animated musicals, so a K-pop song from an animated musical already has two strikes. But the song is just so catchy and buoyant and the phenomenon is so far-reaching that I have to imagine programmers are at least tempted to give it a chance; it’s a more seamless pop radio fit than “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” was three years ago, certainly. I’m oddly optimistic about its chances to hit No. 1.

Abby Webster: Probably Billboard 200? They have a pretty big demon to slay in that regard, though.

4. Undoubtedly countless studios will look at the success of KPop Demon Hunters and attempt their own version — what lessons do you think they would be smart to learn from the movie and its soundtrack?  

Kyle Denis: I think the biggest lesson here is one that the entertainment industry rarely seems to fully grasp: if you’re going to tap into a specific culture or genre, make sure the key players in those spaces are involved in the process. It would have been easy — and pretty distasteful — to make something like KPop Demon Hunters without involving people who have actually made K-pop hits, so it’s dope to see names like TWICE, Teddy Park, and Jenna Andrews, among others, in the credits. 

Lyndsey Havens: Listen to superfans! I think what makes KPop Demon Hunters and its soundtrack so successful is that — maybe mythical elements aside — it’s so rooted in what fandom feels like today and the music is a direct reflection of what’s resonating today across the globe. Not only stylistically, but also lyrically with songs that talk about celebrating what makes a person so authentically them. I think what really makes this franchise special is it doesn’t feel like it’s selling anything or pushing any agenda, and ironically, that’s usually when people tend to buy in the most.

Jason Lipshutz: Simply put, KPop Demon Hunters would not have worked had the soundtrack been lacking in K-pop legitimacy. Because a crew of expert producers, songwriters and vocalists were involved in the creation of the music, though, songs like “Golden,” “Your Idol” and “How It’s Done” sounded like real hits, both within the music-centered plot of the movie and real-world streaming playlists. The film itself is entertaining and well-crafted, but the music elevates the experience, in a way that recalls any animated Disney smash of decades past. While KPop Demon Hunters may inspire more musical TV and film projects in the world of K-pop, if the songs fall flat, so will the projects themselves. 

Andrew Unterberger: If you’re going to do a successful genre/culture musical like this, you absolutely need three things: good songs, a good story and legitimate connection to and buy-in from the community you’re representing. KPop Demon Hunters did the work to get all three, and now it’s reaping the rewards.

Abby Webster: A good takeaway would be that it took actual hitmakers for KPop Demon Hunters to have hits. The studio assembled a big crew of real K-pop songwriters for the project, which I think is why the soundtrack resonates so well outside the context of the movie.

5. If they were real groups, would you be more likely to stan HUNTR/X or Saja Boys? 

Kyle Denis: Saja Boys. “Your Idol” is a banger!

Lyndsey Havens: HUNTR/X for life, sorry boys.

Jason Lipshutz: HUNTR/X. The trio contains balance: all three members have distinct roles within the girl group, and skillfully deploy them in each of their signature songs. Are Saja Boys cool? Sure. Is “Soda Pop” catchy enough to snatch a soul or two? Absolutely. But a boy band can’t have five bad boys — a fundamental issue with constructing a pop group full of demons.

Andrew Unterberger: HUNTR/X don’t miss.

Abby Webster: Unfortunately, I think I would be stanning demons. Saja Boys tap into two genres of K-pop boy groups that I really like — the pure serotonin bops and then, like, “We’re dark and mysterious supernatural creatures.” But I also love big vocal moments from girl groups, which EJAE definitely provides that as the singing voice of Rumi. I tend to gravitate toward K-pop groups that are heavily involved in creating their own music, too, so the fact that Zoey writes for HUNTR/X would be a big plus for me.