KPop Demon Hunters singer praises actor's cover of his song

South Korean singer-songwriter Andrew Choi felt a tinge of bitterness when he first heard Canadian actor Ahn Hyo-seop's cover of the song Free from KPop Demon Hunters.

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Ahn voices male lead Jinu in the hit Netflix animated film, while Choi provided the character's singing voice.

"It's unfair that Ahn is not only good-looking, but he's also a great actor and such a good singer. I was pretty upset," says Choi, laughing.

The Sony Pictures Animation-produced movie follows K-pop girl group Huntrix, who use their secret identities as demon hunters to protect their fans from a growing supernatural danger in the form of the irresistible boy band Saja Boys, a quintet of demons in disguise, led by Jinu.

Ahn, who starred in K-dramas such as Lovers Of The Red Sky (2021) and Business Proposal (2022), posted a video of himself singing the ballad Free on Instagram on July 1. The clip has garnered more than 17 million views and more than two million likes.

Choi, 44, has nothing but praise for 30-year-old Ahn's rendition, calling it "perfect".

He adds: "It's a 10 out of 10 for me. Ahn brings the song to a completely different level. He has this airiness and depth to his voice that I don't have.

"He has the kind of voice that I love, that I wish I had. My voice is more high-pitched."

While Choi acknowledges that Ahn had singing experience after debuting in 2015 with the group One O One, he says not all K-pop trainees or idols are at Ahn's level.

"I'm surprised that Sony Pictures did not get Ahn to record the songs too," Choi adds, joking that he would have then lost the job.

Choi was in town from July 25 to 29 to conduct vocal workshops at K-pop training academy SM Universe (Singapore), where he held one-to-one and group lessons.