Let me start with a confession:
this is not normally my lane.
Animated K-pop demon movies aren’t exactly what I throw on when I’m in the mood for music discovery. And yet—against my better judgment and all preconceived notions—KPop Demon Hunters absolutely won me over. The movie is sharp, the animation is slick, and the soundtrack? Way better than it had any right to be.
Case in point: HUNTR/X.
After already camping at No. 1 on Pop Airplay for three weeks with “Golden” (casual flex), the group just added another win to the board. Their latest track, “How It’s Done,” officially debuted on Billboard’s Pop Airplay chart, proving this project isn’t a one-hit novelty—it’s a full-on pop takeover.
And this isn’t just “radio-friendly” success. We’re talking real numbers:
- “Golden” hit No. 1 across multiple charts, including the Billboard Hot 100, Global 200, and Global Excl. U.S.
- The song stacked eight weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100, 18 weeks globally, and a frankly absurd 20 weeks atop the Global Excl. U.S. chart.
- The KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack ruled the Billboard 200, dominated the Soundtracks chart, and landed four top-10 singles, something no soundtrack has done in nearly 30 years.
That’s not hype—that’s domination.
“How It’s Done” is the movie’s opening punch, introducing the HUNTR/X trio—EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and REI AMI—as demon-slaying heroines with hooks strong enough to hijack pop radio. Stations like KIIS-FM, WBBM-FM, and WBLI didn’t need convincing, pushing the track with a 31% week-over-week jump in spins.
Even industry vets admitted they were caught off guard. One exec summed it up best: the animation was great, the music was “extraordinarily catchy,” and suddenly everyone got it.
Same.
And credit where it’s due: the producers absolutely nailed this project. The soundtrack doesn’t feel like a marketing accessory—it feels intentional, cohesive, and surprisingly replayable. Whether you came for the movie or just stumbled into the music, HUNTR/X is now firmly in pop’s upper tier.
Not bad for a project most people probably underestimated.
As always, if you want to keep up with what’s actually moving in music—radio, festivals, tours, and the stuff that sneaks up on you and ends up living rent-free in your head—download the Static Live Music Calendar App.
We currently cover the East Coast of Florida (Daytona Beach, New Smyrna Beach, Flagler Beach, Ormond Beach and beyond), and yeah—we’re expanding. Because music doesn’t sit still, and neither do we.
Sometimes the best surprises come from outside your comfort zone.
Turns out, demons can dance—and pop radio noticed.
