When the only thing that comes between the battle of good and evil is music, Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters shows us a new definition of slay.
Slaying demons and slaying the stage, KPop Demon Hunters follows Rumi, Mira, and Zoey of HUNTR/X, the world’s most popular girl group, who live double-lives as demon hunters. In a world where demons threaten the peace, a demon boy band poaches the HUNTR/X fans, and the world’s balance hangs by a thread, order can only be restored through the power of music (and an inspired audience!). For HUNTR/X, their passion becomes a mission to save the world.
If you haven’t seen it, don’t worry. The spoilers will come later. If amazing animation, fluid fight scenes, a banger soundtrack, and a gripping story is your thing, go watch this now!
Track by track, we explore the story of KPop Demon Hunters. From the moment we meet HUNTR/X, to the debut of the Saja Boys, and to the story’s most pivotal and emotional moments, we go into detail with how the soundtrack has played an important role in moving the story along.
Now here’s the spoiler alert!
How It’s Done
This story wasn’t about the struggles of a K-Pop group trying to make a name for itself, neither was this a story about underdogs rising to the top. We meet the girls of HUNTR/X at the peak of their popularity, in their private jet as they make their way to their concert. What they thought would be a relaxing journey to see their fans turned into an annoying skirmish with demons that hijacked the plane. The girls didn’t even care until the demons threatened their fans, and the demon-slaying anthem ‘How It’s Done’ breaks the scene.
Reminiscent of BLACKPINK’s ‘Kill This Love’, ‘How It’s Done’ was also inspired by West Side Story’s ‘Jet Song’. A sonically-powered track, ‘How It’s Done’ is the perfect exposition for setting the stage of KPop Demon Hunters, and a powerful introduction to K-Pop music as a whole.
Golden
After a successful bout of demon hunting during their concert, HUNTR/X is more popular than ever! Initially planning to go on a short hiatus, Rumi makes the snap decision to release their new single ‘Golden’.
‘Golden’ explores the demon hunting world of HUNTR/X, the journey the girls faced, and even their inner thoughts. We are also introduced to the idea of the Honmoon, a barrier that separates the human world from the demon world that can only be strengthened and sealed with the power of music, and ‘Golden’ was supposed to be the song that laid the final brick.
An upbeat pop ballad, ‘Golden’ was to mark the end of an era for the demon hunting era of HUNTR/X. But trouble finds Rumi as her voice strains to sing the song, and we later find out that it’s because Rumi is a half-demon, and the constant suppression of her demon identity has put a toll on her voice.
Soda Pop
In the demon world ruled by Gwi-Ma, demons work hard to feed him human souls. With the Honmoon getting stronger and stronger, Jinu, a demon from the bygone eras, concocts a plan to steal more souls for Gwi-Ma in exchange for his torturous memories to be erased by forming a demon boy band.
With HUNTR/X going through a few small scandals with the delays for ‘Golden’s live performance, the Saja Boys take this opportunity to steal the spotlight.
While Rumi, Mira, and Zoey were looking for ways to cure Rumi’s voice problems, they bump into the Saja Boys in an alleyway of a shopping district. Thinking they were just a bunch of attractive men, the girls were up for a surprise when the Saja Boys started performing ‘Soda Pop’ and attracting a huge crowd.
Soda Pop is a bubblegum summer pop song reminiscent of the style of BTS’ Grammy-nominated songs ‘Dynamite’ and ‘Butter’. And boy, is it catchy!
Free
As the rivalry between HUNTR/X and the Saja Boys continues, a more intimate relationship blossoms between its two leaders. Where there were arguments, there are understandings, and Rumi starts to see her demon origins in a different light. Even as HUNTR/X was writing a diss track against the Saja Boys, Rumi can’t help but write more sympathetic verses instead of dipping into her animosity for demons. On the other hand, Jinu begins to understand that he’s more than his demon identity.
In ‘Free’, Rumi and Jinu sing an emotional ballad in an attempt to break their chains. They share secrets with each other that they haven’t shared with anyone else, even to the people closest to them. Because to Rumi and Jinu, they were the only ones who could understand each other.
Here, they’ve made a plan to overthrow Gwi-Ma.
Takedown
Worried about losing their fans and the Saja Boys’ increasing popularity (aside from the fact that they’re demons masquerading as a boy band), the girls of HUNTR/X decide to take matters into their own hands and play the game that the demons started. Instead of sending the demons back to the hell they came from, the girls decide to beat them in the Idol Awards and put a stop to their success.
This is where ‘Takedown’ comes in, a diss track full of their rage and anger towards the Saja Boys and the demons.
Because of how spiteful and malicious the lyrics of ‘Takedown’ are, Rumi can’t help but feel hypocritical when singing the song, which is when she attempts to change the verses to be more sympathetic. In the end, the girls decide that ‘Takedown’ wasn’t the song that could bring down the Saja Boys because the song was filled with hatred.
But this backfired during the Idol Awards after Gwi-Ma sabotaged Rumi and Jinu’s plan by reminding Jinu of his demon roots. Demons posing as Mira and Zoey start singing ‘Takedown’ in an attempt to offend Rumi, eventually revealing her patterns and her association with the demons, ending with HUNTR/X splitting up.
Your Idol
In an intense climax, the Honmoon is no more, HUNTR/X has disbanded, all their fans have turned to the Saja Boys for respite, and the Saja Boys are hosting a large concert to offer Gwi-Ma a feast of human souls.
When all hope is lost, and the fans have lost the trust and respect of HUNTR/X, the Saja Boys swoop in like a false prophet to gain public traction with a mesmerising performance of ‘Your Idol’.
The complete opposite of ‘Soda Pop’, ‘Your Idol’ is a song with a riveting, dark, and powerful melody. Coupled with a haunting stage and hypnotic choreography, Your Idol prepares the final stage of the movie.
What It Sounds Like
At the end of the run, with the Saja Boys successfully luring the audience to be devoured by Gwi-Ma, Rumi has a breakthrough. She can’t deny who she is, what she’s lost, and how she’s failed, but she can face the truth of her past and be honest to her present. Crashing the Saja Boys’ stage, Rumi starts singing ‘What It Sounds Like’. Mira and Zoey break out of their trance and start singing with her. The audience starts to wake up too.
A song full of purpose and hope, every scene and every track in the film culminates here. The demons are no match for HUNTR/X, Jinu sacrifices his soul to empower Rumi, Gwi-Ma is finally defeated, and the Golden Honmoon has been formed.
‘What It Sounds Like’ was the perfect ending to the movie, and really, there was no other way to finish the film. It’s the one track that can’t just standalone if you weren’t part of Rumi, Mira, and Zoey’s journey.
KPop Demon Hunters is a film for all ages, navigating the complexities of fame, duty, authenticity, and the self. It’s amazing that with such a complicated script and original story, there was perfect harmony between the animation and the soundtrack. There’s no other way to put this, but this film deserves to be in the theatres. For now, stream this on Netflix if you haven’t!
