![From left: characters Zoey, Rumi and Mira in a scene from ″KPop Demon Hunters″ in this image released by Netflix [YONHAP]](https://www.koreadailyus.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/0729-Hunrix.jpg)
“Golden,” the breakout soundtrack from the Netflix animated film “KPop Demon Hunters,” rose to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart this week, marking a new peak for the original soundtrack performed by the fictional K-pop girl group HUNTR/X.
The song has steadily ascended the chart since its debut at No. 81 earlier this month, climbing to No. 23, then No. 6, No. 4, and now No. 2, according to Billboard’s chart preview released on July 28.
During the latest tracking period, “Golden” registered 25.7 million streams and 3.7 million in radio airplay impressions — a 109 percent increase from the previous week — along with 4,000 digital downloads. Billboard’s Hot 100 rankings are based on a weighted combination of streaming activities, radio plays and digital sales in the United States.
In addition to its performance on the Hot 100 chart, “Golden” topped both the Billboard Global 200 and Global Excl. U.S. charts, reflecting strong international streaming and sales.
The song accompanies “KPop Demon Hunters,” a genre-blending animated feature set in a futuristic Seoul. The story follows HUNTR/X, a fictional girl group that balances global pop stardom with their secret lives as demon slayers — combining the K-pop spectacle with fantasy and action.
Though fictional, HUNTR/X has drawn real-world attention, with the film’s soundtrack receiving critical and commercial acclaim. The success of “Golden” underscores the increasingly porous boundary between digital entertainment and pop music fandom.
Netflix released the film earlier this summer as part of its expansion into Korean animation and global K-pop-themed content.
BY YONHAP, PAIK JI-HWAN [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]
