HUNTR/Xs “Golden” Makes History as First Female-Sung K-Pop Song to Top Billboard HOT 100

The original soundtrack Golden from the Netflix animated film KPop Demon Hunters has claimed the #1 position on Billboard’s main singles chart, the HOT 100. This marks a historic achievement as the first K-pop song sung by a female vocalist to top the chart.

Only eight other K-pop tracks have ever reached No. 1 on the Hot 100, all performed by BTS or its members: Dynamite, Savage Love (Remix), Life Goes On, Butter, Permission to Dance, My Universe, Jimin’s Like Crazy, and Jungkook’s Seven. BLACKPINK’s Rosé previously held the highest spot for a female K-pop act, peaking at #3 for her song with Bruno Mars, APT.

Billboard noted, Golden is the ninth K-pop song to lead the HOT 100 and the first to be sung by a female artist. The track also topped the UK Official Singles Chart Top 100 on August 1, making it the first K-pop song since Psy’s “Gangnam Style” in 2012 to dominate both the UK and US charts.

Golden is performed by the virtual K-pop girl group HUNTR/X, featured in KPop Demon Hunters. Behind the group’s voices are composer EJAE, former SM Entertainment trainee and singer Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami, all Korean-Americans. EJAE and Rei Ami were born in Seoul, while Audrey Nuna hails from New Jersey.

LJAE, who voices HUNTR/X’s Rumi and co-wrote the song, expressed her gratitude on social media, writing, “I have no words, just tears. Thank you to everyone for your love.”

The song’s rise has been steady since debuting at No. 81 on the HOT 100 last month. It climbed to No. 23, then to No. 6, holding No. 4 before spending two weeks at No. 2. It climbed to the top of the prestigious chart in its 7th week.

Alongside Golden, several other tracks from the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack are climbing the Billboard Hot 100. Takedown by HUNTR/X rose four spots to No. 29 in its sixth week, marking a new peak. What It Sounds Like achieved the same four-spot jump to No. 25, its highest position yet. 

Meanwhile, “Your Idol” by SAJA Boys and the cast reached a new peak at #8 in its seventh week.

HUNTR/X’s achievement is also significant on a global scale. They are the first female group with three or more members to reach No. 1 on the Hot 100 in 24 years, since Destiny’s Child topped the chart in 2001. Even top girl groups like BLACKPINK and TWICE have yet to achieve this milestone.

The KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack album is also seeing strong success, occupying #2 on the Billboard 200 for a second consecutive week after debuting at No. 8.

In the film’s storyline, HUNTR/X are female exorcists who use their careers as pop idols to maintain “golden Honmoon,” the spiritual power needed to imprison demons in the afterlife. They aim to defeat the demon-controlled boy group SAJA Boys and seal the perfect “golden honmoon.”

KPop Demon Hunters has become Netflix’s 4th biggest English-language film and is expected to climb to #2 soon. While Netflix has yet to confirm, The Wrap reported that two new KPop Demon Hunter movies, musical, live adaptation are on the way.