Do you remember those tearjerking moments when your favorite idols broke down after missing a music show win? Maybe you even stayed up past midnight casting votes, streaming non-stop, hoping to push your bias group up just one more spot. That emotional weight—shared between fans and idols—has always made K-pop feel deeply personal. Therefore, when “GOLDEN,” a song by HUNTRIX from “KPop Demon Hunters”—which isn’t even a real K-pop group—suddenly topped the Billboard Hot 100, it’s only natural that some fans felt a sting.
But wait a minute. If you’ve actually heard “GOLDEN,” you already know—this wasn’t some gimmicky viral hit. This was a K-pop song of the century, crafted and performed by real artists, packed with more emotional punch than most title tracks released this year.
And now, as the world is listening, K-pop fans are debating, treating the song as if it were a threat. But why? Because maybe—just maybe—we’re asking the wrong question. Join the discussion below.
“GOLDEN” Song by HUNTRIX: A Billboard Win That Sparked Massive Debate
Let’s be clear on the facts. The song “GOLDEN” by HUNTRIX from “KPop Demon Hunters” is NOT an AI-generated track. It’s not deepfaked, nor is it sung by synthetic voices.
The whole song was written and produced by Teddy Park and his team, and performed by EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami—three real vocalists lending their talents to the fictional members of HUNTR/X: Rumi, Mira, and Zoey.
“GOLDEN” by HUNTRIX is a movie soundtrack, tied to Netflix’s “KPop Demon Hunters,” which has since become the platform’s now second most watched English language movie of all time—and still climbing apparently.
GOING UP UP UP!
— What's on Netflix (@whatonnetflix) August 12, 2025
KPOP DEMON HUNTERS is now Netflix's second most watched English language movie of all time.
It now has 184.6M views as of week 8. pic.twitter.com/OhuundWnkK
As if that wasn’t enough achievement, the film’s fictional girl group HUNTR/X now holds the first-ever Billboard Hot 100 No.1 by a female K-pop act, and the first girl group since Destiny’s Child to top the chart.
Let that sink in.
‘Golden’ by HUNTR/X from ‘KPOP DEMON HUNTERS’ has reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) August 11, 2025
• First #1 for a female K-Pop artist ever
• First #1 for a girl group since Destiny’s Child
• Second song from an animated film to reach #1 this decade pic.twitter.com/juTON0rtpd
Yet, despite the real people behind the production, backlash and criticisms came hard and fast.
Critics questioned how a “fake” group could achieve what real idols hadn’t. Some framed it as a troubling sign of AI’s growing role in music—even after Rei Ami herself bluntly reminded the internet:
“EJAE, AUDREY NUNA AND I ARE NOT AI — ARE U BITCHES DUMB?!”
Rei Ami, the singing voice for Zoey calls out people who claimed HUNTR/X’s songs from ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ are AI:
— ToonHive (@ToonHive) August 13, 2025
“EJAE, AUDREY NUNA AND I ARE NOT AI — ARE U BITCHES DUMB?!” pic.twitter.com/MT5RumZrwJ
And yet, the confusion lingered still.
Why “GOLDEN” Song by HUNTRIX Feels Realer Than Reality
Now, this is the giant question: most of the fans who keep on streaming and playing “GOLDEN” perfectly realize that this song came from a fictional K-pop group HUNTRIX from an animated movie, “KPop Demon Hunters.”
Yet, why did the track hit them so hard?
It’s because the performance wasn’t about image. It wasn’t about pushing an aesthetic, nailing a dance break, or driving social engagement. GOLDEN had room to be what many K-pop title tracks today aren’t allowed to be—emotionally vulnerable.
The vocals hit with grit. The structure was simple yet haunting. The lyrics weren’t buried under trend-chasing jargon or dancefloor filler.
And the animated format gave fans the gift of listening without pressure: no fan wars over visuals, no MV view-count battles, no focus on airport fashion or inkigayo styling.
Just the music.
Deeper dive in our discussion on: “GOLDEN” by HUNTRIX is the K-pop Song of the Century: How Is That Possible?
So, when GOLDEN hit, this HUNTRIX song just felt like home. Fans actually saw themselves in it.
And when you’ve waited years to feel seen—especially as a global K-pop fan—authenticity matters more than the medium.
What This Really Means for K-pop
Please know that this is not the first time fiction blurred into K-pop reality.
You saw it with K/DA, when real artists voiced League of Legends champions and somehow made it more addictive than half the active girl groups at the time.
Then, it happened again with SHAX from “Imitation,” and again when we all cried together with ECLIPSE and their “Sonagi” from “Lovely Runner.”
And lately, we all screamed when HI-BOYZ a fictional second-generation K-pop boy group from “Resident Playbook,” made a “comeback.”
Fictional K-pop acts are not new—and no one panicked when their OSTs charted.
So, again, why now?
The truth is, this “GOLDEN” song by HUNTRIX exposes a discomfort the industry doesn’t want to admit. That a song without a real idol group attached to it—a song not designed to dominate TikTok or cater to YouTube thumbnails—could outperform some of the most heavily promoted acts of the year.
And mind you, this is not a threat to idols. It’s a mirror to the system, instead.
The Real Debate Isn’t About “Fake vs Real.” It’s About Impact vs Image.
Instead of blaming HUNTR/X for being fictional, maybe the industry should ask why so many real groups with real stages, real budgets, and real comebacks didn’t connect the same way.
Maybe it’s not about animation. It’s not about AI.
Maybe it’s about the fact that fans are starved for music that speaks directly to them, without the noise.
So, instead of questioning if “GOLDEN” deserves its crown, ask why it stood out:
- Was it the lack of over-stylization?
- Was it the space it gave for vocal performance?
- Or was it because fans didn’t feel marketed to—but invited in?
Whatever the answer, GOLDEN didn’t manufacture virality. This song earned its impact, fair and square, just like any great record should.
So… Is HUNTR/X a Real K-pop Group?
HUNTRIX? No. But the voices behind it—EJAE, Audrey Nuna, Rei Ami? And the producers shaping every sonic layer—Teddy Park, 24, and more? They are as real as the emotions “GOLDEN” stirred the moment it hit your ears.
The sweat, the sessions, the late-night revisions—it all happened, just like it does for every K-pop comeback you’ve ever waited for.
You may not see Rumi, Mira, or Zoey on a fansign livestream or SBS Inkigayo stage, but their voices came from people who live this craft.
So don’t let the animation fool you. Just because Rumi, Mira, and Zoey don’t exist in real life doesn’t mean their message didn’t reach us.
Sometimes, the most honest songs come from the least expected places.
You Don’t Need to Understand It; You Just Need to Feel It
You’re allowed to feel conflicted about this. It’s okay to wonder what it means for the future. But don’t forget the reason why you first fell in love with K-pop.
It wasn’t about who had the most schedules or the most fancams.
It was that one song. That one performance. That one lyric that hit when you needed it most.
For many, “GOLDEN” was that song this year.
And maybe—just maybe—that should be worth celebrating.
Finally, what’s your take on this debate? Does this “GOLDEN” song by fictional K-pop group HUNTRIX deserve the #1 place of Billboard Hot 100? Please share your thoughts in the comments.
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