HUNTR/X "Golden" Hits #1 Again: First K-Pop Girl Group Chart-Topper Makes Billboard History

"Golden" by HUNTR/X returns to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for its second non-consecutive week, while "KPop Demon Hunters" becomes the first soundtrack ever with four simultaneous top 10 hits in the chart's 67-year history.

Record-Breaking Soundtrack Achievement

The "KPop Demon Hunters" soundtrack has achieved an unprecedented milestone, becoming the first soundtrack to generate four simultaneous Hot 100 top 10s over the chart's 67-year archives. The historic top 10 lineup includes:

• "Golden" by HUNTR/X - #1
• "Your Idol" by Saja Boys - #4
• "Soda Pop" by Saja Boys - #5
• "How It's Done" by HUNTR/X - #10

KPop Demon Hunters becomes just the fifth soundtrack with four Hot 100 top 10s at all, and the first since Waiting To Exhale spun off a record five in 1995-96.

First K-Pop Female Group to Top Billboard

HUNTR/X - the singing trio of EJAE, Audrey Nuna and REI AMI - became the first female group associated with Korean pop to top the Hot 100. The act also became the first all-woman collective of three or more members to reign in 24 years, since Destiny's Child with "Bootylicious" for two weeks in August 2001.

"Golden" is the ninth song associated with Korean pop to conquer the Hot 100 - and the first by female lead vocalists. All previous K-pop #1 hits were connected to BTS.

Chart Performance Details

"Golden," on Visva/Republic Records, tallied 33.8 million official streams (up 3% week-over-week), 16.2 million radio airplay audience impressions (up 39%) and 8,000 sold (up 11%) in the United States Aug. 15-21.

The song first hit #1 on the chart dated August 16, 2025, then returned to the top spot on the August 30, 2025 chart after briefly dropping to #2.

The Artists Behind the Animation

The fictional group HUNTR/X consists of three Korean-American artists:

EJAE (Kim Eun-jae) voices Rumi and co-wrote "Golden." A former SM Entertainment trainee, she has written for artists like TWICE, NMIXX, Red Velvet, and KARD, and is the voice behind many popular K-Pop demo tracks, such as aespa's "Armageddon."

Audrey Nuna (Audrey Chu) voices Mira. Born and raised in New Jersey, Audrey is an R&B singer signed under Sony Music Entertainment, best known for songs "Damn Right" and "Comic Sans."

REI AMI (Sarah Yeeun Lee) voices Zoey. Known professionally as Rei Ami, she's from Seoul, South Korea, and rose to prominence in 2020 with "Freak," which became extremely popular on TikTok.

International Chart Domination

"Golden" climbed to the top of the UK Official Singles Chart on 1 August 2025, becoming only the second K-pop Number 1 single in chart history, and the first in 13 years, since PSY's Gangnam Style. The song has now spent a total of three non-consecutive weeks at the top of the UK chart.

The song reached number one on the Billboard Global 200, and also topped the charts in fourteen countries, including South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Netflix Phenomenon

The action-packed film, which premiered June 20, follows a world-renowned K-pop girl group balancing their lives in the spotlight with their secret identities as demon hunters. The film has become a global streaming sensation on Netflix, with 158.8 million views since its debut.

The "KPop Demon Hunters" soundtrack continues to hold steady at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, recording its best week yet with 100,000 equivalent album units.

Cultural Impact

"It's so thrilling that people are hearing the songs in two ways," KPop Demon Hunters executive music producer Ian Eisendrath recently told Billboard. "Some are loving the film, and the film is making the songs hits ... and then some people are just encountering the songs, and the songs are making the film a hit."

Billboard reports that "Golden" is the first No. 1 by a fictional ensemble since the cast of Encanto's "We Don't Talk About Bruno" in the winter of 2022.

The success demonstrates how streaming platforms can create cultural phenomena that transcend traditional entertainment boundaries, combining animation, music, and global audiences in unprecedented ways.

"KPop Demon Hunters" premiered on Netflix on June 20, 2025, with its soundtrack becoming one of the most successful animated film soundtracks in Billboard history.