A Fake Musical Act Joins BTS With A Major Chart Win

In the span of only a few weeks, Netflix’s animated film KPop Demon Hunters has become not only one of the platform’s most successful titles, but a shockingly successful new franchise in the music world. The film’s corresponding soundtrack grows in terms of total consumption every week, and the original songs penned for the K-pop musical have reached beyond those who identify as fans of the South Korean musical genre and have now hit the ears of the American public at large.

This week, KPop Demon Hunters manages a historic feat on one of Billboard’s most important tallies — one which helps even a fictitious group stand apart as incredibly successful.

“Golden” Hits No. 1 on the Hot 100

The No. 1 song in America at the moment is “Golden,” featured in KPop Demon Hunters. The track is credited to the made-up girl group Huntr/x, which was created for the movie. Also named on the tune are the three actual human vocalists who voiced the smash, Ejae, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami.

Less than two months into its time on the Hot 100, “Golden” lifts from No. 2 to No. 1, and in doing so makes history. “Golden” is one of fewer than 10 K-pop tracks to rule the Hot 100. Before this frame, no girl group from that genre had ever led the charge, nor any female soloist in the K-pop space.

BTS, Jimin and Jung Kook

While a handful of different credited acts from the K-pop sphere have reached No. 1, they’re all connected. BTS was the first K-pop name to reach the highest rung on the Hot 100. The septet — easily the biggest in the history of the style — has racked up half a dozen champions, including “Dynamite,” “Butter,” “Permission to Dance,” “Life Goes On,” as well as “Savage Love (Laxed – Siren Beat),” a collaboration with Jawsh 685 and Jason Derulo, and “My Universe,” a duet with Coldplay.

Two members of BTS have also hit No. 1 on their own. First came Jimin, with “Like Crazy,” and then months later, Jung Kook repeated the showing alongside rapper Latto with “Seven.” Both ruled in 2023 with solo smashes.

“Golden” Remains a Sales and Streaming Win

The Hot 100 is compiled using a methodology that blends sales, streams, and radio airplay to show which songs are being consumed at the greatest levels throughout the United States. “Golden” is steady at No. 1 on the Streaming Songs tally, and this frame it jumps from No. 5 to No. 3 on the Digital Song Sales list, hitting a new high point. Luminate reports that in the past tracking week in America, “Golden” sold a little more than 6,200 copies, up 35% from the period prior.

“Golden” Grows at American Radio

The KPop Demon Hunters track also once again leads both the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S., as it has now ranked as the biggest song in the world on and off for several frames. In America, the tune is quickly growing at radio, although it has yet to land on Billboard’s Radio Songs tally. This frame, in its third turn on the Pop Airplay chart, “Golden” rockets from No. 28 to No. 20. At the same time, it opens at No. 37 on the Adult Pop Airplay list.

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2025/08/18/a-fake-musical-act-joins-bts-with-a-major-chart-win/