‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Makes History With Its First Radio Hit

Huntr/x debuts at No. 42 on the Radio Songs chart with “Golden,” making K-pop history as the second K-pop girl group to appear on the tally. NEW YORK, NEW YORK – AUGUST 23: Guests attend the KPop Demon Hunters A Sing-Along Event fan surprise at Paris Theater on August 23, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for Netflix)

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Billboard’s Radio Songs chart is one of the toughest for any musical act to reach. Unlike most rankings published by the company, which can be influenced by fan activity, such as purchases or plays on platforms like Spotify or Apple Music, the Radio Songs ranking is built entirely around promotion to radio stations. It’s incredibly rare for any track to earn enough airplay throughout the United States to land on the 50-spot roster without a large budget and a team of promoters behind it.

The Radio Songs tally is still largely unexplored territory for many K-pop acts, which have traditionally performed best on the Billboard charts on lists focused on sales. As the lead single from the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack arrives, it helps both the fictional girl group from the movie and the musicians who actually sang the smash make history.

“Golden” Reaches Billboard’s Radio Chart

“Golden,” the biggest hit from the KPop Demon Hunters album, debuts on the all-style Radio Songs list this frame. The cut opens at No. 42, and will likely continue to climb in the coming weeks. “Golden” has already reached No. 1 on several other important Billboard rankings, including the Hot 100 and the company’s worldwide tallies.

Radio seems to be lagging behind what’s already popular, and “Golden” has now spent several weeks on pop-specific airplay tallies.

Huntr/x Joins Fifty Fifty

Huntr/x, the band credited with performing “Golden,” is just the second K-pop girl group to ever appear on the Radio Songs chart, and the first that doesn’t actually exist. Huntr/x joins Fifty Fifty, as that all-female troupe sent “Cupid” to No. 13 two years ago.

Ejae, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami Also Make History

“Golden” credits Huntr/x as well as three vocalists — Ejae, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami, the actors and singers who voice the characters on screen. All four names earn wins on the Billboard charts wherever “Golden” appears.

Of that bunch, Ejae is typically known for her work in the K-pop space, and she becomes just the fourth solo female in the K-pop genre to reach the Radio Songs chart. She joins three members of Blackpink who have all landed one win apiece.

Rosé’s “Apt.,” a collaboration with Bruno Mars, ranks as the highest-rising hit ever by any K-pop act, as it topped out at No. 4. Lisa joined Maroon 5 on the track “Priceless,” which spent 11 turns on the tally and climbed to No. 35. Jennie is named on The Weeknd’s “One of the Girls” alongside Lily-Rose Depp. That cut only stepped up to No. 48 on the 50-spot ranking, but she was the first solo female musician typically associated with K-pop to appear on the Radio Songs list.

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2025/09/01/kpop-demon-hunters-makes-history-with-its-first-radio-hit/