Image: Netflix Tudum / X (Twitter)

For the second time in history, after a 13-year gap following PSY’s viral success with ‘Gangnam Style’, a K-pop single has climbed to the Number 1 spot on the UK charts. The difference this time, however, is that the group behind the chart-topping track does not exist.

Huntr/x, the animated girl group at the heart of Netflix’s original film KPop Demon Hunters, have taken the UK by storm. Their breakout single ‘Golden’ has now spent five consecutive weeks at Number 1, marking a historic achievement not only for K-pop but also for fictional, animated acts in the music industry.

Huntr/x’s chart run comes at a time when K-pop has been steadily rising in global influence over the past decade. Groups like BTS, BLACKPINK, and Twice have headlined stadium tours, topped Billboard charts, and brought the genre firmly into the Western mainstream. Acts such as Stray Kids and NewJeans are also helping expand K-pop’s reach, drawing in new audiences with each release.

Released in June, KPop Demon Hunters quickly became Netflix’s most-watched animated film of all time, ranking as the platform’s fourth most-streamed film across all genres. The movie follows Rumi, played by Arden Cho of Teen Wolf, Mira (Kim Hong), and Zoey (Yoo Ji-yeon) as they balance life as international pop stars with a secret identity as demon hunters battling supernatural forces. Within the narrative, Huntr/x share the stage with their fictional rivals, boy band Saja Boys, whose track ‘Your Idol’ currently sits at Number 3 in the UK charts.

Much of this success reflects the changing landscape of music consumption. Where chart dominance once relied heavily on radio play, today’s trends are shaped by streaming platforms and the viral momentum of TikTok. ‘Golden’ currently boasts over 575m streams, and a remix by David Guetta has added further fuel to its global reach.

Behind the fictional facade of Huntr/x are some of the biggest real-world names in pop production. Teddy Park of THEBLACKLABEL — known for his work with BLACKPINK — and Grammy Award-winning producer Lindgren, who has collaborated with John Legend, Dua Lipa and BTS, crafted the tracks. Vocals are provided by Korean singer-songwriter Ejae, whose credits include Red Velvet and EXO, alongside American-Korean artists Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami, both known for genre-bending projects and collaborations with the likes of Jack Harlow and Aminé.

This is not the first time a virtual band has made waves in the charts. Gorillaz pioneered the concept of a fictional band with real-world impact in the early 2000s, while the novelty hit ‘Axel F’ by Crazy Frog reached Number 1 in the UK in 2005. Yet Huntr/x’s success feels distinct, arriving at a moment when digital culture, streaming platforms and global fandoms are more powerful than ever.

K-pop has always emphasised carefully crafted idols, and Huntr/x take that idea a step further. As animated characters, they cannot age or stray from the image fans expect, which only adds to their appeal. In today’s streaming-driven music world, where digital culture and fandom shape the charts, their success shows how fictional acts can now compete with — and even surpass — real artists.

KPop Demon Hunters is more than a film soundtrack. It represents a full-fledged transmedia phenomenon, blurring the line between reality and fiction while reshaping the possibilities of what it means to be a global pop act.

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]]> https://www.mxdwn.co.uk/news/animated-k-pop-group-huntrx-tops-uk-chart-for-fifth-week/feed/ 0 https://www.mxdwn.co.uk/news/blackpink-singer-lisa-drops-new-single-born-again-featuring-raye-and-doja-cat/ https://www.mxdwn.co.uk/news/blackpink-singer-lisa-drops-new-single-born-again-featuring-raye-and-doja-cat/#comments Mon, 10 Feb 2025 12:05:58 +0000 http://www.mxdwn.co.uk/?p=106565 BLACKPINK singer Lisa has just dropped a new single, featuring RAYE and Doja Cat. The song, titled ‘Born Again’, is a disco-inspired track with a funky slap-bass, sharp synthesizers and intertwining vocal parts from the three singers. The trio strike some elegant poses in the artsy music video, including RAYE singing in a sea of flowers and Doja dancing in a nun’s outfit.

The single, a lost-love song with slightly existential, religious undertones, has Raye and Lisa harmonising in the chorus, singing: “If you stayed just another few nights / I could’ve made you pray to Jesus / Would’ve showed you to the light / Every single night, to be born again”

The new song is the fourth track to be released from Lisa’s upcoming debut solo album, ‘Alter Ego’. The album was first announced in November 2024 and will contain her previously released singles ‘Rockstar’, ‘New Woman’ featuring Rosalia and ‘Moonlit Floor’, showing a range of different sounds from EDM and trap to funky electro-pop. It will be her first album released under her own label, LLOUD, after she and the other members of BLACKPINK chose not to renew their solo contracts with their label YG Entertainment.

Other member of BLACKPINK have kept busy with new music and collaborations – Rosé recently teamed up with Bruno Mars last October, dropping the feel-good pop-rock hit ‘APT’. It managed to rack up a billion streams on Spotify, becoming the fastest song released by a K-Pop artist to do so. She then dropped her debut solo album ‘rosie’ on December 6.

Last week, Jennie dropped a new single titled ‘Love Hangover’ featuring Dominic Fike. It’s the third song to be released from her upcoming solo debut album ‘Ruby’. Jisoo is also gearing up to release her mini album, ‘Amortage’.

They’re not just limiting themselves to the music world – Lisa is set to make her first venture into acting on the upcoming third season of HBO’s The White Lotus, which is set in her home country of Thailand, ready for release on Sunday February 16. Jisoo is set to star in Coupang Play and Prime Video’s original K-drama Newtopia, a romantic fantasy-comedy set during a zombie outbreak.

BLACKPINK have also shared a teaser for a 2025 world tour. The trailer shows a roaring stadium crowd waving lights and falling confetti, and then the 5 members of the K-Pop group holding a pose beneath the spotlights. The screen then fades to black, with a pink text popping up reading: “2025 WORLD TOUR”. You can watch it below.

The announcement of two album releases in 2024 has fans eagerly anticipating the new music that Stray Kids will bring. Known for their unique sound and powerful performances, the group’s albums are expected to showcase their growth as artists and further establish their musical identity. With their previous releases topping the charts, there is no doubt that these albums will make a significant impact on the music scene.

Stray kids have recently unveiled a video clip showcasing their accomplishments in 2023 and outlining their aspirations for the upcoming year, 2024.

Contrary to what their name suggests, Stray Kids did not come from a Charles Dickens novel. Instead, these talented individuals came together on a South Korean reality TV show called “Stray Kids” in 2017. Despite the show’s original purpose of eliminating contestants, all nine young men successfully secured a place in the band: Bang Chan, Woojin, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, Han, Felix, Seungmin, and I.N.

Stray Kids effortlessly blend EDM and rap, incorporating fast-paced hi-hats. However, what sets them apart is their use of hard electric guitar, which adds a surprising and unique rock element to their music. Alongside their attractive looks and impressive dancing abilities, Stray Kids deliver an electrifying live performance.

The achievements of Stray Kids in 2023, including their debut on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and their success on the Billboard 200 albums chart, have solidified their status as a force to be reckoned with in the music industry. Their recognition at the Billboard Music Awards further validates their talent and hard work. With their unwavering dedication and constant drive to push boundaries, Stray Kids are poised to achieve even greater success in 2024.

As fans eagerly await the release of new music, unforgettable performances, and memorable experiences, Stray Kids’ journey in 2024 is sure to be an exhilarating one. The group’s passion for their craft and their ability to connect with their audience will undoubtedly propel them to new heights and solidify their place as one of the leading K-pop boybands in the industry.

Earlier this year, Rebecca Black received heaps of praise from the music world for her self-released debut album Let Her Burn. The former viral video star shocked listeners with her transformation from a meme to a hyperpop hero. Listen below to the single “Crumbs” below:

TikTok sensation Peach PRC will also be supporting BLACKPINK performing in the UK for the first time at the concert. “dumb dumb” singer Mazie will also be supporting as well as rising star Annika Bennett, Dublin-based singer-songwriter Sarah Crean, and fellow Dubliner punky singer SPIDER. Click here for tickets to BLACKPINK’s BTS concert.

The South Korean girl group, dubbed the “biggest girl group in the world”, consists of Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa. BLACKPINK became the first Korean group to headline Coachella earlier this year.

Their sophomore album Born Pink was released in September last year through YG Entertainment and Interscope Records. The girls dipped into hip hop, pop, rock, and EDM on the genre-spanning album. The album peaked at number 1 in several countries including South Korea, the US, Canada, Croatia, Portugal, and UK – making the band the first K-pop Girl Group to land a UK number one album.

Watch the video for “Pink Venom” below:

Also headlining the festival spanning multiple weekends from 24^th – 8^th July are Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, Guns N’ Roses, Billy Joel, and Take That. For more information and tickets see here.

American superstar P!nk will be headlining British Summer Time on Saturday 24^th June and Sunday 25^th June. Support for the pop princess includes American songstress Gwen Stefani, British Eurovision contestant Sam Ryder, TikTok famed singer Gayle, and American singer Tinashe. For remaining tickets see here.

Dreamy Americana femme fatale Lana Del Rey will close the festival this year on Sunday the 9^th July. Support acts are due to be announced soon. For remaining tickets see here.

The festival taking place in the heart of London started back in 2013. Over the last decade, the festival has hosted many iconic headliners such as The Rolling Stones, The Beach Boys, The Libertines, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Blur, The Strokes, Kylie Minogue, The Cure, Kendrick Lamar, Taylor Swift, and Florence + The Machine.

As stated in NME Martin Talbot the Chief Executive at the Official Charts Company, said: “Congratulations to BLACKPINK. Being any kind of chart first is a record which can never be taken away, so for their new album ‘Born Pink’ to become the first UK Official Number One by a K-pop girl group is a fantastic achievement – and puts them in the record books forever!”

The rest of this week’s UK top five includes Suede‘s Autofiction at Number Two, the band’s highest chart position since 1999. The London-based rock group also claimed the best-selling album in UK independent record stores this week,. Then Rina Sawayama‘s Hold The Girl at Number Three, Marcus Mumford‘s (self-titled) (Number Four), and Pink Floyd‘s Animals reissue (Number Five).

The album was accompanied by the release of a vibrant video for the lead single “Shut Down,” which paid homage to some of BLACKPINK’s prior collective and solo releases. There where visual references to their singles “Kill This Love,” “Ice Cream,” “How You Like That,” Rosé’s “Gone,” Lisa’s “Money,” and Jennie’s “Solo”. BLACKPINK also shared two tracks from Born Pink prior to its release – first, “Ready To Love,” which premiered as part of the band’s virtual concert with PUBG. In August, they then returned with their vivacious single “Pink Venom,” which upon release broke Spotify and YouTube records for a K-pop girl group and racked up the views for the biggest music video premiere of 2022 so far. You can view the music video below.

Additionally according to The Korea Times quoting YG Entertainment citing data from Hanteo Chart, (a local market tracker) the album broke the record for the biggest first week sales by a K-pop girl group in history by selling more than 1.54 million copies in the first week of its release. BLACKPINK are also set to embark on a world tor kicking off with a pair of dates in Seoul before heading to North America and Europe which will include two shows at The O2 in London.

AB6IX (pronounced as “A B Six”) is a new five-member K-pop boy band under the management of Brand New Music. The group consists of Lim Young-min, Jeon Woong, Kim Dong-hyun, Park Woo-jin and Lee Dae-hwi. Their debut EP B:COMPLETE was released in May 2019, with “Breathe” as the lead single of the EP.

Following the release of B:COMPLETE, the five members dropped their first full-length LP titled 6ixsense (pronounced “six sense”) in October. “Blind for Love” is the single chosen for the promotion of the album, together with the first world tour titled as same as the debut album. London, Amsterdam, and Paris are three cities in Europe included in the group’s tour.

JUST ANNOUNCED: K-pop’s new rising stars #AB6IX has announced their first world tour in February 2020. Sign up here to receive the ticket link in your inbox ready for general on-sale Friday 10 Jan at 3pm: https://t.co/e2vTxJLzhe pic.twitter.com/eyHnoXxeF0

— AEG Presents UK (@AEG_Presents) January 6, 2020

K-pop sensations @superm are heading to London on 28 February 2020. Ticket info coming soon. Follow us for all the latest updates. https://t.co/UI2wYE5D1L pic.twitter.com/XUvobJLryx

— The O2 (@TheO2) December 23, 2019

The K-Pop group – which features members of three different groups including EXO, NCT127 and WayV – are set to play tracks from their self-titled, SuperM, debut EP, including the hit single ‘Jopping’. The band’s hit single, ‘Jopping’ reached Number One, on the US Billboard 200 earlier this year.

The group – which includes seven members from four SM boy groups: Taemin from Shinee, Baekhyun and Kai from Exo, Taeyong and Mark from NCT 127, and Ten and Lucas from WayV – became the first Korean act to debut at the top of the chart, as well as achieving the fourth Korean-language album release to open at Number One.

The supergroup, who released their self titled debut EP on October 4 2019, kick started their world tour off, in North America last month and will re-commence in early 2020, with shows in cities such as San Diego, Los Angeles and Vancouver.

The announcement comes after fellow K-Pop group Ateez announced they’re coming to London next year on tour. The K-pop group are bringing ‘The Fellowship: Map the Treasure Tour’ to London’s SSE Arena Wembley, on March 20 2020. As part of the group’s European tour, they will also perform shows in Madrid, Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, Warsaw and Moscow, during March.