“Golden” Lives on Stage: KPop Demon Hunters Singers Make Late-Night Debut on The Tonight Show

On a buzzing Tuesday night, KPop Demon Hunters fans got something they had only dreamt of: a full live performance of the hit song “Golden,” on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. The fictional K-pop trio Huntr/x — voiced by real singers EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami — took over the stage, bringing their chart-topping anthem from animation to late-night reality.

This moment marked a turning point: KPop Demon Hunters is no longer just a Netflix success story or an animated fantasy — it is a force in real-world music, fandom, and pop culture. Here’s how it unfolded, why it matters, and what’s next for this hybrid phenomenon.

Setting the Stage: From Animation to Late Night

The Night’s Big Moment

When the lights dimmed on Jimmy Fallon’s set, anticipation filled the air. Huntr/x appeared, not as cartoon figures, but as real voices, real presence, real energy. They delivered the first full live rendition of “Golden,” the signature track from KPop Demon Hunters. The performance was polished, confident, and electric — a milestone for both the show and the property.

In conversation afterward, Fallon congratulated the trio, teasing that their soundtrack had gone platinum. He noted how the “Golden” track had dominated the Billboard charts, and that the KPop Demon Hunters album had logged a second nonconsecutive week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The soundtrack’s metrics? Over 117 million on-demand streams, and 102,000 “equivalent album units” in the tracking week.

Fun fact: The soundtrack also holds the history-making distinction of having four simultaneous tracks in the Hot 100 top 10 — “Golden,” “Your Idol,” “Soda Pop,” and “How It’s Done.”

A Soundtrack That Changed the Game

It wasn’t just a stunt or a promotion. The KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack is a pop juggernaut. “Golden” itself made Billboard history by ruling the Hot 100 for five straight weeks, becoming the longest-running No. 1 hit by an animated act.

The movie, released on June 20, 2025, quickly became Netflix’s most-watched film, even surpassing Red Notice with 236 million views in its early run.

The synergy between visuals, story, music, fandom, and media appearances is what makes KPop Demon Hunters unique.

Who Are Huntr/x (and Their Voices)?

Huntr/x is the central K-pop girl group of KPop Demon Hunters, composed of three characters:

Rumi (voiced by EJAE)

Mira (voiced by Audrey Nuna)

Zoey (voiced by Rei Ami)

These characters live double lives: chart-topping idols by day, demon hunters by night. The fictional setup is part of the movie’s fun—but the voices behind them are real artists with real careers and influence.

In interviews, the vocalists have spoken about their musical inspirations (hip-hop, R&B, classic K-pop) and their goals of blending narrative character with musical authenticity.

Their collaboration with K-pop creatives, producers, and sound engineers has helped the material sit comfortably among top-tier pop releases.

The Power and Pressure of Live Performance

Translating a song from animation to a live stage is a high-stakes endeavor. Animation gives you perfection, camera cuts, layers, and polish—but live performance demands authenticity: vocal stability, stage presence, crowd energy.

Huntr/x’s Tonight Show performance did more than replicate the studio version: it humanized it. Fans got to see the faces behind the voices, the effort behind the sound, and the reality of what makes a hit live. It was validation: this is a musical act, not a mere soundtrack gimmick.

Moreover, this appearance gives KPop Demon Hunters a foothold in late-night pop culture. It gives legitimacy. It tells audiences: this is more than Netflix, more than animation — this is music and fandom crossing over.

Chart Wreckers: KPop Demon Hunters’ Unprecedented Success

To understand how big this moment is, you need to see the numbers.

“Golden” Dominates

“Golden” debuted and soared to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 instantly.

It also reclaimed the U.K. Official Singles Chart No. 1 — making it the first K-pop track to do so twice.

In doing so, it became the longest-running No. 1 song by an animated act ever.

In South Korea, “Golden” achieved a perfect all-kill (dominating all major charts), and broke records for hourly perfect all-kills.

Soundtrack Supremacy

The KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack climbed to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 — a huge feat for any soundtrack, let alone one from an animated property.

It’s the first soundtrack ever with four tracks simultaneously in the Hot 100 top 10.

Its global streaming count has crossed 3 billion total streams.

Multiple Hits, One Universe

Other tracks from the film’s soundtrack—“Your Idol,” “Soda Pop,” and “How It’s Done”—each cracked top 10 on the Hot 100. That level of dominance from an animated world is unprecedented.

In the U.K., three KPop Demon Hunters songs were in the top 10 simultaneously.

That sheer presence across multiple markets shows its global resonance.

After Tonight Show: What’s Next?

Huntr/x didn’t just stop by The Tonight Show. On October 4, they made another late-night appearance: Saturday Night Live. There, they performed an abbreviated version of “Golden” alongside host/musical guest Bad Bunny, in a sketch where he played a superfan brought to life.

These appearances help sustain momentum. They keep the eyes of mainstream pop culture — not just Netflix fandom — on KPop Demon Hunters. That cross-pollination can bring in new listeners, drive streaming, and open more doors for awards, tours, and expansion.

In fact, the property is already extending itself: theatrical sing-along events, streaming expansions, talk of sequels, and multi-platform engagement.

Also, the movie broke another Netflix record recently by staying 15 consecutive weeks in the Top 10 — the longest run for an English-language film on the platform.

Why This Moment Resonates: Beyond Hype

What makes Huntr/x’s Tonight Show debut more than a gimmick? Three key factors:

1. Convergence of Worlds

Animation, music, fandom, social media, and traditional broadcast collided. KPop Demon Hunters isn’t just a film that has songs — it’s a musical world extended into real life. In doing so, it blurs the line between fiction and pop culture.

2. Fandom & Fan Economy

The fans aren’t passive — they create covers, dances, edits, fan art, charts pushes. That energy fuels sustained success. And televised appearances give fans a moment of shared recognition: “Our idols are here, officially.” It’s validation and amplification.

3. Cultural Hybridization

The project is inherently cross-cultural: Korean pop influence, Western frameworks, global streaming, multilingual audience. It doesn’t lean too hard into one region; it becomes universal. That makes it able to chart globally, not just in niche or K-pop circles.

Key Takeaways & What to Watch

The Tonight Show performance enacted a crucial transition: from streaming hit to live-stage musical act.

“Golden” is not just successful — it’s historical, breaking records in Billboard, the U.K., and Korean charts.

The KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack continues to dominate, with multiple tracks in top positions.

Follow-up appearances, fan events, sequel talk, and cross-platform moves will be essential to sustain momentum.

This blend of animation + music + fandom might become a new model for entertainment IPs.