WHY ARE WE SO HOOKED ON K-POP?

Korean pop music – and a certain demon-hunting film – is rapidly gaining popularity with children and adults alike

- JOHANNA BELL

It's hard to miss the excited frenzy surrounding KPop Demon Hunters, Netflix’s record-breaking animated musical. The film, about a K-pop girl group descended from demon slayers, quickly became the streaming service's most-watched movie of all time after its release in June 2025. Even if you don't have children or grandchildren obsessed with watching the film on repeat, you've probably heard Korean pop music, or K-pop, seeping into the airwaves via bands like BTS and Blackpink, or the 2012 hit Gangnam Style by Psy.

You might have even found yourself humming Apt. by Rosé and Bruno Mars – which recently won Song of the Year at the VMAs - even if you don’t actually know the lyrics. High-energy, catchy songs from the new film have been dominating the UK charts. Then there's KPopped, a reality show which sees K-pop groups performing with iconic artists, like Kylie Minogue and Spice Girls Emma Bunton and Mel B, putting a K-pop spin on their classic hits.

So just what is it about the genre that's making it such a phenomenon? We speak to one woman who admits that it's not just her kids who are hooked...

'I was transported back to my teenage years'

Johanna Bell, 42, lives in Woodbridge, Suffolk, with her husband, Mark, 50, and their two daughters.