'KPop' unlocks Grammy possibilities for Netflix

Streaming platform's success with 'Demon Hunters' proves to be a golden opportunity.

- BY CERYS DAVIES

AUDREY NUNA, left, Ejae and Rei Ami have won Golden Globes for their work in “KPop Demon Hunters.”

(BRIANNA BRYSON Getty Images)

As it turns out, '80s pop star Kate Bush and fictional girl group Huntr/x from “KPop Demon Hunters” have a lot in common.

Over the last several years, Netflix has positioned itself as one of the few video streaming services focused on making an impact in the music industry.

From the surprise revival of older songs like Bush's “Running Up That Hill” and Metallica’s “Master of Puppets” in shows like “Stranger Things,” to streaming the most originally produced music documentaries, there's no doubt Netflix’s audience is musically in tune.

Last summer Netflix hit another level with the overwhelming success of “KPop Demon Hunters.” The animated movie, featuring fictional K-pop idols who fight the forces of evil, has become the most streamed Netflix movie with more than 480 million views since its release in June. But its success wasn’t limited to the viewership.

The soundtrack, full of punchy K-pop melodies and inescapable earworms, is the first to top the Billboard charts since 2022, when Disney’s “Encanto” created a similar frenzy. Huntr/x is also up for five Grammys at the awards ceremony Sunday.

The breakout single, “Golden,” which spent eight weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, is nominated for song of the year, the first time a Netflix production has been nominated in one of the Grammys’ big four categories.

Music and movies always have enjoyed a symbiotic relationship. Think of classic tunes like “Over the Rainbow” in “The Wizard of Oz” and “My Heart Will Go On” in “Titanic” that became generational hits.

Now, Netflix and other global streaming platforms have taken the synergy to another level, creating new opportunities for recording artists to showcase their music.