Song from Netflix film reaches No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100, becoming 9th associated with Korean pop to reach highest spot
The hype around Netflix’s “KPop Demon Hunters” shows no sign of abating, with a song from its soundtrack emerging as the summer’s biggest pop hit since its release in June.
“Golden” has climbed to No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 singles chart, beating out Alex Warren’s “Ordinary” for the top spot, according to Billboard on Monday.
This marks the ninth song associated with Korean pop to reach the highest spot on the chart, joining “Seven” by Jungkook and “Like Crazy” by Jimin, both of BTS, in 2023, among them. Sung by the fictional girl group Huntrix — voiced by Ejae, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami — it is also the first such song by female vocalists, according to Billboard.
The Billboard Hot 100 ranks the most popular songs in the US based on streaming, radio airplay and sales data.
After debuting at No. 81 early last month, the hit song has steadily risen through the ranks, climbing to No. 23, then No. 6, No. 4 and No. 2, before finally reaching the highest spot.
The track is also the first No. 1 on the Billboard Indonesia Hot 100 chart by any fictional act since the ensemble No. 1 “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” which reigned for five weeks in February-March 2022, Billboard added.
Earlier this month, “Golden” climbed to No. 1 on the British Official Singles Chart Top 100, which ranks the UK’s biggest songs of the week, based on audio and video streams, downloads, CDs and vinyl, compiled by Official Charts Co.
It marked the first K-pop act to reach the top position since Psy topped the chart with “Gangnam Style” in 2012.
“It represents another landmark moment for the globally dominating South Korean genre,” Martin Talbot, chief executive officer of Official Charts, commented in an article published on the company’s website on Aug. 1.
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