For the past month and a half, Sony Pictures Animation’s Netflix film Kpop Demon Hunters has been an absolute juggernaut, dominating both the streamer’s native chart and, thanks to its banger of a soundtrack, the Billboard charts. Songs like “Golden”, “Your Idol”, “Soda Pop”, and “How It’s Done,” landed in the top ten of the Hot 100, making the voices of the titular band, Huntr/x, household names. EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami had all been bouncing around the industry for years, but now, thanks to KDH, they are bona fide superstars.
The trio made their real-life debut to perform Huntr/x’s signature song “Golden” on The Tonight Show (for real this time, after appearing in a Bad Bunny-led sketch on SNL this past weekend), bringing all their characters’ high-fashion aesthetics and ultra-high notes to the physical world. While a screen behind them alternated between the lyrics and scenes from the movie, EJAE belted, “I’m done hidin’, now I’m shinin’ like I’m born to be / We dreamin’ hard, we came so far, now I’ll believe,” the context behind the performance lending it some extra poignancy.
Prior to providing KDH protagonist Rumi her singing voice, EJAE had been a trainee in South Korea, but was told she was “too old” after ten years waiting for her debut. Instead, she became a songwriter for other Korean pop acts, like Aespa and Red Velvet. Now, at 33, she’s reached heights that no other K-pop act has, and all thanks to an animated movie some people mistakenly wrote off as being too goofy. Likewise, Audrey Nuna, who had some minor hits like “Comic Sans” with Jack Harlow, and Rei Ami, who had been a productive underground artist, are experiencing unprecedented heights in their careers.
Whether they’ll continue as a trio remains to be seen, but with the runaway success of the first film (and its various unresolved plotlines), talks of a sequel are undoubtedly underway, so at the very least, a reunion isn’t too far off. The group also sat on the couch for an interview, which you can watch below.
Watch EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami perform “Golden” from Kpop Demon Hunters on The Tonight Show above.