How 'KPop Demon Hunters' became surprise hit of the summer

In the colourful, animated, musical world of “KPop Demon Hunters,” everyone is a fan.

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The general public rocks T-shirts supporting their favorite idols. They hold light sticks and stare starry-eyed at stadium stages; they scream, they cry, they cheer, they buy the merch. It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, then, that the Sony Pictures/ Netflix film itself has inspired similar fanfare, having topped the streamer's global rankings. Fans have flooded the internet with art, covers, cosplay and choreography in response to the movie, which follows the fictional K-pop girl group HUNTR/X as they fight demons.

And it’s not just the film that’s a summer hit. The “KPop Demon Hunters” soundtrack has topped the charts — debuting at No. 1 on Billboard’s Soundtracks chart and No. 8 on the all-genre Billboard 200. Here’s how “KPop Demon Hunters” became the year’s surprising success story.

The “KPop Demon Hunters” soundtrack utilizes some of the best and brightest in the genre. That included a partnership with K-pop company The Black Label, co-founded by super producer Teddy Park, known for his work with YG, Blackpink and 2NEI — empowered girl groups used as references for the film's protagonists, the trio HUNTR/X.