HUNTR/X’s “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters tops Billboard Hot 10

The KPop Demon Hunters craze is hitting new heights, with its hit song "Golden" topping the Billboard Hot 100, making history for both K-pop and virtual idols.

Byeon Ye-young tells us more.

The "KPop Demon Hunters" sensation shows no signs of slowing down, this time topping the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Praised for its high-quality animation, visually striking characters, and clever use of Korean traditional folklore, the Netflix original animation's soundtrack "Golden" climbed up a spot to reach number 1 for the first time.

Billboard announced the feat on Monday, local time, noting that "Golden" is the ninth song linked to Korean pop to top the Hot 100, and the first to do so with female lead vocalists.

"This is the first time a girl group has topped the Billboard Hot 100 since Destiny's Child. And in K-pop history, it's also the first time virtual idols, or an animated act based on K-pop, have reached number 1 on the chart."

Sung by the virtual girl group "Huntr/x" in the movie, the vocalists behind the song are Korean-American artists EJAE, Rei Ami, and Audrey Nuna.

Of all the tracks in KPop Demon Hunters, "Golden" has stood out for its soaring high notes in the latter part of the song, a section that has even become a benchmark for proving one's vocal skills and sparked the "Golden Challenge" among K-pop stars.

Big K-pop names like Solar of Mamamoo, Lily of NMIXX, and Ailee have all joined in.

"K-pop is not just about listening to and enjoying the music; it's about enjoying it together. That's one of K-pop's charms. Participating, singing along, even creating content, all of that has helped bring the songs from KPop Demon Hunters closer to the public."

Earlier this month, "Golden" also topped the UK's Official Singles Top 100 chart, one of the two biggest music charts in the world alongside Billboard's Hot 100, making it a rare track to conquer both the UK and U.S. pop markets.

Byeon Ye-young, Arirang News.