Netflix's 'K-Pop Demon Hunters' Song "Golden" Makes Billboard Hot 100 History as First Female K-Pop #1 Hit

Netflix's animated hit "K-Pop Demon Hunters" has achieved a groundbreaking milestone as its soundtrack single "Golden" becomes the first K-pop song performed by female artists to reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

"Golden" by HUNTR/X reached the top spot on August 12, 2025, marking the first time an all-female group has claimed #1 since Destiny's Child's "Bootylicious" in August 2001. This makes HUNTR/X the first all-women collective of three or more members to top the Hot 100 in 24 years.

"Golden" is the ninth song associated with Korean pop to conquer the Hot 100 - and the first by female lead vocalists. Previous K-pop #1 hits were achieved by BTS (6 songs) and BTS members Jimin and Jungkook (1 song each).

The song started modestly at #81 and climbed through 23rd, 6th, 4th, 2nd positions before reaching #1 in its seventh week. During the latest tracking period, "Golden" recorded 31.7 million streams (up 9%), 8.4 million radio audience (up 71%), and 7,000 sales (up 37%).

"Golden" features vocals by SM Entertainment trainee-turned-composer EJAE, singer Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami, all Korean-American artists. According to Billboard, "EJAE and Rei Ami were born in Seoul, South Korea, while Audrey Nuna is from New Jersey".

The song represents the fictional K-pop girl group HUNTR/X from Netflix's animated film about demon-hunting K-pop idols.

"Golden" also became only the second K-pop single ever to hit #1 on the U.K.'s Official Singles Chart following PSY's 2012 "Gangnam Style". The achievement marks the first K-pop #1 in the UK in 13 years.

"K-Pop Demon Hunters" has become Netflix's most-watched original animated film of all time, maintaining its #1 position on global Netflix charts since its June 20 release.

The soundtrack has become the highest-charting soundtrack of 2025 and the highest-charting soundtrack to an animated film since "Encanto" spent nine weeks at #1 in 2022. Eight tracks from the soundtrack entered the Billboard Hot 100 simultaneously, a rare achievement for any album.

The success of "Golden" represents a significant milestone for female representation in K-pop's global reach. The song has sparked a viral "Golden Challenge" among K-pop stars including S.E.S.'s Bada, IVE's Ahn Yujin, Mamamoo's Solar, and others, with artists attempting the song's challenging high notes.

This achievement demonstrates how animated entertainment can serve as a bridge for Korean culture to reach mainstream American audiences, proving that virtual K-pop acts can achieve the same commercial success as their real-world counterparts.