‘Golden’ by HUNTR/X Breaks Records as First Female K-Pop and First Girl Group Since Destiny’s Child to Top Billboard Hot 100
Netflix’s new animated movie KPop Demon Hunters is making huge waves, not just on the streaming service but also on the music charts, according to Billboard. Since its release on June 20, 2025, six songs from the film’s soundtrack have entered the Billboard Hot 100, with two of those songs breaking into the top 10.
The biggest hit is Golden by HUNTR/X, a fictional girl group from the movie, which has climbed all the way to number one on the Billboard Hot 100. This achievement is historic because it’s the first time a female K-pop artist has reached number one on the chart. It’s also the first time since Destiny’s Child that a girl group has topped the Hot 100. Plus, Golden is only the second song from an animated film to hit number one this decade.
‘Golden’ by HUNTR/X from ‘KPOP DEMON HUNTERS’ has reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) August 11, 2025
• First #1 for a female K-Pop artist ever
• First #1 for a girl group since Destiny’s Child
• Second song from an animated film to reach #1 this decade pic.twitter.com/juTON0rtpd
The story of KPop Demon Hunters follows rival K-pop groups who secretly have supernatural powers, mixing music with magic. Fans around the world have been hooked by this unique blend. Golden, performed by HUNTR/X’s voices EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and REI AMI, is currently holding the number two spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for its second week in a row, with nearly 29 million streams. Another song from the movie, Your Idol by the rival group Saja Boys, jumped up from number 12 to number 9, pulling in 19 million streams.
For all the artists involved, this marks their first time landing top 10 hits on the Hot 100 chart, which is a major milestone. The whole KPop Demon Hunters album is also number one on Billboard’s Soundtrack chart. Billboard pointed out that this is the first time since Disney’s Encanto in 2022 that a movie has had two songs reach the top 10. Back then, We Don’t Talk About Bruno hit number one, and Surface Pressure got to number eight.
The success isn’t just on the charts. Netflix shared on X that KPop Demon Hunters, directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, has become the most-watched original animated movie ever on the platform. Fans took to X, excitedly calling for a sequel and praising the film’s heartfelt story and colorful energy.
It's their moment!
— Netflix (@netflix) July 29, 2025
KPop Demon Hunters is Netflix's most-watched original animated film of ALL TIME. pic.twitter.com/zHpijRAzT6
With its soundtrack topping charts and the film breaking records on Netflix, KPop Demon Hunters is proving to be a global hit. It’s blending K-pop style with magical storytelling in a way that’s getting everyone talking and wanting more.
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