Netflix's American animated series "K-Pop Demon Hunters" is creating a global sensation with its high understanding of K-pop idol culture and Korean traditions, coupled with exceptional production quality. Now, its OST is making waves on the US Billboard singles charts. 

According to Billboard's social media on January 7th (local time), five tracks from the "K-Pop Demon Hunters" OST simultaneously debuted on the January 12th chart. These songs are performed by the animated groups "Huntrix" and "Lion Boyz." 

Huntrix's "How It's Done" entered at No. 42, Lion Boyz's "Soda Pop" at No. 49, Huntrix's "What It Sounds Like" at No. 55, Huntrix member Lumi's "Free" at No. 58, and Huntrix's "Takedown" at No. 64. 

Additionally, Lion Boyz's "Your Idol" and Huntrix's "Golden," which had already entered the chart last week, saw significant ranking improvements. "Your Idol" jumped 43 positions to reach No. 31, while "Golden" soared 58 spots to No. 23. 

This brings the total number of "K-Pop Demon Hunters" OST tracks on this week's Hot 100 to seven. The Hot 100 calculates rankings based on physical and digital sales, streaming numbers, radio airplay, and YouTube views, serving as a key indicator of mainstream pop market penetration. 

These chart achievements demonstrate the widespread public resonance of "K-Pop Demon Hunters." K-pop powerhouse TWICE is also benefiting from this momentum. The TWICE members Jeongyeon, Jihyo, and Chaeyoung's version of "Takedown" reached No. 2 on the "Bubbling Under Hot 100," which ranks the top 25 songs just missing the Hot 100. TWICE's signature track "Strategy (feat. Megan Thee Stallion)" from the animation re-entered the Bubbling Under Hot 100 at No. 21. 

The "K-Pop Demon Hunters" OST climbed to No. 3 on the January 12th Billboard 200 main album chart, after debuting at No. 8 last week—the highest chart position for any OST released this year. 

Korean-American Artists Behind the Success 

Interest is growing in the musicians who actually performed these tracks, particularly noting that all artists voicing Huntrix are Korean-American. 

EJAE (Kim Eun-jae), who voices Lumi, is a former SM Entertainment trainee and established K-pop composer known for Red Velvet's "Psycho." His exceptional vocal range, including powerful high notes, perfectly embodies the demon-fighting character Lumi. 

Rising star Audrey Nuna (Chu Hae-won) voices Mira, known for her versatility across hip-hop, R&B, and alternative pop. She is scheduled to perform at the 2025 Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival in August. 

Rapper-singer-songwriter Rei Ami (Lee Ye-eun) handles Joy's vocal parts, bringing expertise across hip-hop and electronic genres. Composer Andrew Choi, known from Korea's "K-Pop Star" audition show, voices Jin-woo, who transforms from playing the traditional pipa to becoming Lion Boyz's leader. 

Production Powerhouse 

THE BLACK LABEL, led by producer Teddy (known for BIGBANG and BLACKPINK), spearheaded the OST production. The team included composers Kush, 24, Vince, ido, and Danny Chung, with Danny also performing as Lion Boyz member Baby. 

The groups' synchronized choreography was created by Lee Jung, a choreographer for THE BLACK LABEL artists. The series' screenplay and co-direction came from Korean-Canadian director Maggie Kang, who was a childhood fan of Teddy's former hip-hop group 1TYM. 

The story follows Huntrix, demon hunters who are also a K-pop girl group, as they battle Lion Boyz, demons who form a K-pop boy group. Huntrix draws inspiration from shamans—the pinnacle of traditional Korean performance art—while Lion Boyz are modeled after the various interpretations of death gods in Korean mythology. 

The "K-Pop Demon Hunters" OST continues to set new K-pop records on major global charts including US Billboard, UK Official Charts, and US Spotify, successfully expanding K-pop's typical elements to a global audience.

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