Earlier this summer, the plot of KPop Demon Hunters came to life on the Billboard charts. Just as in Netflix’s smash animated hit, the demonic Saja Boys initially outperformed Huntr/x on the charts — until the fictional trio fought back with “Golden” and topped the “Hot 100” for eight weeks. (The last time a girl group topped the “Hot 100” was when Destiny’s Child asked us if we were ready for this jelly on “Bootylicious” in 2001.) No, it’s not AI. Three human artists, EJAE, Rei Ami, and Audrey Nuna, are the singing voices of the demon-slaying main characters. And the more these three perform together, the more they look like a real group with an inspiring backstory, distinct personalities, and harmony onstage and off.
In particular, Huntr/x’s real-life lead vocalist, EJAE, seems to be living out the lyrics of “Golden,” one of five songs that she co-wrote on the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack. EJAE began training at the K-pop label SM Entertainment in 2003, when she was around 11 years old, but she was dropped after 12 years. “I was incredibly devastated,” she recalled on Good Morning America. She taught herself how to produce and, in a full circle moment, later found herself participating in SM song camps and penning tracks like Red Velvet’s “Psycho.” While she has sung on several K-drama OSTs, she’s better known for her songwriting résumé (a rich text for K-pop girl-group fans, with credits on tracks for Twice, Chung Ha, Le Sserafim, Aespa, and more). During the first full live performance of “Golden” on The Tonight Show on October 7, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami stepped back to allow EJAE to enjoy a literal spotlight as she sang alone in a callback to a scene from the film.
Beyond the fact that their harmonies and high notes sound just as stable in real life as they do on the soundtrack, “they are LITERALLY the characters,” the top YouTube comment on their Fallon interview declares. Some facets of their personalities do appear to emulate their animated counterparts — Nuna, who performs as the aloof lead dancer Mira, at one point told Fallon that she is “emotionally constipated.” The trio also seemed to be close with each other in real life, nodding as they listened to one another speak and automatically grasping hands after Fallon informed them that “Golden” has gone platinum. At the very least, the trio possess the timeless, essential girl-group skill of being able to act like co-workers are friends.
With talent like this, it would be a waste to keep Huntr/x on the screen. While a potential sequel suggests that we’ll hear them again, the longevity of a group this promising shouldn’t be tied to Netflix or Sony’s development timeline. EJAE is now gearing up to release solo music on October 24. Both Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami already had viral songs and big-name collaborations (see: “Damn Right,” “Comic Sans,” “Snowcone,” “Freak”) prior to the film, so there’s no reason that the three women couldn’t just use the exposure to help three solo separate careers. But as a group, they’ve already got three platinum singles under their belt for “Golden,” “This Is What It Sounds Like,” and “How It’s Done.” A tour would at least give fans an opportunity to use those official Huntr/x light sticks.