The hit song "Golden" from the animated Netflix film "KPop Demon Hunters" has successfully reclaimed the top position on Billboard's Hot 100 chart, dethroning last week's chart-topper "Ordinary" by Alex Warren. This marks a significant return to the summit for the track that has been making waves in the American music scene.
Billboard announced on Monday in a preview of its upcoming main singles chart that "Golden" managed to edge out the competition to secure the number one spot. The achievement is particularly noteworthy as it makes "KPop Demon Hunters" just the fifth soundtrack in history to produce four Hot 100 top 10 hits. This impressive feat hasn't been accomplished since the "Waiting to Exhale" soundtrack, which set a record by spinning off five top 10 hits during 1995-96.
This latest chart victory follows another historic milestone achieved by "Golden" just two weeks prior. On August 1st, the song made music history by simultaneously topping both the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States and the British Official Singles Top 100 in the United Kingdom, demonstrating its remarkable global appeal and cross-cultural impact.
The song's commercial performance during the latest chart tracking period from August 15-21 was impressive across all metrics. "Golden" accumulated 33.8 million streams, secured 16.2 million radio airplay audience impressions representing a substantial 39 percent increase from the previous week, and sold 8,000 physical and digital copies, marking an 11 percent boost in sales. The Billboard Hot 100 ranks the most popular songs across all genres in the United States, using a comprehensive methodology that combines streaming data, radio airplay statistics, and sales figures.
"Golden" is performed by a talented trio of Korean American artists: Ejae, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami, who provide the voices for the fictional K-pop girl group Huntr/x featured in the animated film. The international backgrounds of these artists add authenticity to the project, with Ejae being a composer who received training at the prestigious SM Entertainment company, while Rei Ami was born in South Korea. The song's production team includes renowned producers Teddy and 24, who are well-known for their collaborative work with major K-pop agency The Black Label, bringing professional industry expertise to the soundtrack.
The journey to the top has been a steady climb for "Golden" since its debut. After initially entering the charts at a modest number 81 position early last month, the song demonstrated remarkable staying power by making a consistent ascent through the rankings before achieving its first number one position two weeks ago. The track also holds the distinction of being the first song from an animated film soundtrack to reach the top of the charts since "We Don't Talk About Bruno" from Disney's "Encanto" accomplished this feat in 2022.
"KPop Demon Hunters," produced by Sony Pictures Animation and distributed as a Netflix original film, tells the compelling story of the members of Huntr/x who navigate the challenges of living double lives. The characters must balance their demanding careers as international pop stars with their secret responsibilities as supernatural warriors tasked with protecting the world from various demonic threats, including the powerful overlord Gwi-Ma and the dangerous soul-stealing entities known as the Saja Boys. This unique blend of K-pop culture and supernatural action has resonated strongly with global audiences, contributing to both the film's success and the soundtrack's chart performance.
