The breakout hit "Golden" from Netflix's animated film "KPop Demon Hunters" has successfully maintained its impressive No. 2 position on the prestigious Billboard Hot 100 chart for the second consecutive week, cementing its status as one of the biggest musical phenomena of the year.
Billboard announced on Monday in a preview of its upcoming main singles chart that "Golden" continues to rank just behind Alex Warren's "Ordinary," which holds the top spot this week. The song's sustained success represents a remarkable achievement for a soundtrack piece from an animated film.
The track features an impressive collaboration of talented artists performing as the fictional girl group Huntr/x, which is featured prominently in the Netflix original movie. The group consists of Ejae, a skilled composer who received training at the renowned SM Entertainment; Audrey Nuna, a Korean American singer who has been making waves in the music industry; and Rei Ami, a South Korean-born artist now based in the United States. This diverse lineup brings together different musical backgrounds and cultural perspectives to create the song's unique sound.
The production team behind "Golden" includes some of the most respected names in the K-pop industry. Teddy and 24, who are well-known for their exceptional work with major K-pop agency The Black Label, served as co-producers on the track. Their involvement brings professional expertise and industry credibility to the project, helping to explain the song's polished sound and commercial appeal.
"Golden" has demonstrated remarkable staying power on the charts since its debut. The song first appeared at No. 81 early last month and has shown consistent upward momentum, steadily climbing through various positions including No. 23, No. 6, and No. 4 before reaching its current impressive No. 2 spot. This trajectory showcases the song's growing popularity and broad appeal across different demographics.
The Billboard Hot 100 serves as the definitive ranking of the most popular songs in the United States across all musical genres. The chart's methodology incorporates comprehensive data from multiple sources, including streaming numbers, radio airplay frequency, and direct sales figures, making it the gold standard for measuring commercial success in the American music market.
According to Billboard's detailed tracking data, "Golden" recorded an impressive 28.9 million streams during the current chart tracking period, representing a significant 13 percent increase from the previous week. This streaming performance is particularly noteworthy as it marks the highest streaming count among all Billboard Hot 100 entries for the fifth consecutive week, demonstrating the song's dominant presence in the digital music landscape.
The Netflix original film "KPop Demon Hunters," produced by Sony Pictures Animation, tells the story of the fictional girl group Huntr/x, who must balance their pop star careers with their secret mission to protect the human world from dangerous evil spirits. This unique premise combines elements of supernatural action with the glamorous world of K-pop, creating an entertaining narrative that has resonated with audiences worldwide.
The film's soundtrack success extends beyond just "Golden." Another track from the movie, "Your Idol" performed by Saja Boys, which represents Huntr/x's rival idol group within the film's storyline, has also achieved significant chart success. This week, "Your Idol" climbed three spots to break into the top 10, landing at No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100. This achievement means that the "KPop Demon Hunters" soundtrack now has two songs simultaneously occupying top 10 positions, a rare feat that speaks to the overall quality and appeal of the film's musical content.
The success of these tracks represents a broader trend of increased mainstream acceptance and appreciation for K-pop influenced music in the American market. The combination of traditional K-pop production values with storytelling elements from animated entertainment has created a unique musical product that appeals to both existing K-pop fans and newcomers to the genre.
