The secret behind the success of ‘K-Pop Warriors’? There is no controversy

As 2025 comes to a close, the biggest albums of the year will feature familiar names — Morgan, Taylor, Sabrina — and a completely unexpected success. KPop Demon Huntersthe soundtrack of K-Pop warriors (animated film by Netflix about a fictional girl group that hunts evil), is about to enter the top 20 most consumed albums in the US. By K-pop standards, the work outperformed the genre’s superstar artists, racking up more streams in its first 11 weeks of release than K-pop’s most successful songs. BTS and blackpink in their respective debuts. And all of this was driven by a passionate audience that helped make the film the biggest title in the world. Netflix until today.

The fact that the plot of K-Pop warriors revolves around superfans — in the film’s colorful world, fans Huntr/x use their voices to face the enemy boy band Saja Boyseach supported by an army of devotees — is somewhat ironic, considering there was no fan base prior to the film’s release in June 2025. And that’s exactly what helped the franchise succeed. Although K-pop is a billion-dollar global business, it often faces so-called “antis,” who pit music groups — and their respective companies — against each other, creating an obstacle to widespread recognition.

The film explores the expression of fandom in a realistic way: passionate, shouty, consumerist, perhaps even a little fickle when deciding which group they love more. For the story to fully work, the music needed to sound convincing. With songs credited to names like Ejae, Teddy Park, Jenna Andrews and other K-pop hitmakers, the soundtrack delivered on that: both “golden“, of the Huntr/xas “Soda Pop“, of the Saja Boysspent weeks in the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, with the former beginning its reign at Number One in mid-August.

“The success of the film and its soundtrack offers an interesting case study after a summer in which new music failed to make the usual impact on the charts,” he says Lexi Gumssenior insights manager at Luminate. “This illustrates a growing transmedia ecosystem, in which streaming content on a platform like Netflix can have more influence on music consumption than more traditional marketing campaigns heard on the radio or seen on social media.”

According to Luminatethe soundtrack became “single-handedly responsible for about 43% of K-pop streaming volume in the US” in early August, meaning that songs from a film few knew about in early 2025 were almost as successful as every other K-pop artist combined this year.

“Nothing has ever been so successful coming from a company property. Netflix,” a senior K-pop executive tells Rolling Stonehighlighting how little marketing was done around the film at the time of its release. Much of the discovery occurred through word of mouth, culminating in a spike in streams of the soundtrack in mid-July. “It’s pure K-pop. There are no fan wars. There are no record label disputes. There is no artist drama. There are none of the problems that groups normally face among themselves.”

The soundtrack of K-Pop warriors it exists, in some ways, practically outside the K-pop machine. Although it includes two songs by real big names such as Twicewas released by Visva Records of Savan Kotecha in partnership with the Republic (record label Taylor Swift), and not by a big K-pop company like Hybe or YG. The film itself was made by people who had been fans of the genre for a long time. The directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans were inspired to create the film by watching BTS’ live-streamed concerts during the pandemic. “We were thinking about how to dramatize the idea of ​​music as a way to combat bad things in the world,” he says Appelhans. In terms of K-pop hits, this hit is notably produced in the West.

In the fantasy world they created, the Huntr/x are the latest generation of demon-hunting trio who use their voices to create a barrier between innocent souls and the underworld. They face their enemies in Saja Boysa group of demons trying to put an end to the Huntr/x.

Both directors have seen fan-worthy immersions on social media, especially in TikTok videos, where fans sift through moments of foreshadowing or character details that the filmmakers have carefully woven into the story.

“It’s a lot like any other K-pop fan base, which is amazing,” he adds Kang. “I saw fans embrace the film as K-pop content and even talk about the Huntr/x as if they were real idols.”

Building a phenomenon

Even with the demon hunting trio Rumi, Aim and Zoey Facing their own pressures in the film, they do not reflect the real responsibilities of idols, who, as the name implies, are expected to behave well and remain free from controversy. The mental health struggles of these artists have been well documented since the explosion of K-pop, leading some to speak out or avoid public life altogether.

“The romantic component of this story couldn’t happen in K-pop,” continues the industry source, referring to the flirtation between Rumi and Jinuof the Saja Boys. “Relationships are not discussed. It’s different from being a pop star [ocidental].”

In addition to individual pressure, K-pop’s record label wars have spilled over into the way superfans interact online, competing for the positions and achievements of their favorite artists. Sometimes this divide has created toxicity in the community at large, causing some hardcore fans to feel the need to devote their energy to just one group above all others.

“It’s easy to go online and say certain things, but I think they’re just proud fans of their band,” he says. Stephen Kirkwho co-wrote two songs on the soundtrack. “We are so divided as a planet right now. This movie felt so unifying. It just shows that people want to connect. We don’t want to be against each other.”

K-Pop warriors is proving that a genre that was once — rightly or wrongly — considered too niche to cross over into the Western market can create a monocultural moment. By September, the film had reached nearly 300 million views, surpassing all other titles in the history of the film. Netflix. A sing-along version was released in theaters in August, topping the box office and grossing $19.2 million from 1,700 theaters in the U.S. and Canada, becoming Netflix’s most successful theatrical release to date. By October, it was big enough to be parodied by Bad Bunny node SNL.

“This could be like Star Wars or Frozen“, it says Jenna Andrewsco-author of Kirk. Rumors suggest that the Netflix is planning a sequel. “I hope it continues in the next decade”, he adds Andrews.

Even in South Korea, the film’s crossover success is noticeable. “The K-pop community is very excited about this,” says the industry source. “I haven’t spoken to any record label that isn’t trying to get involved in some way. Artists think it’s great because it shows the casual listener that you can listen to music that’s part Korean and part English, love it and listen to it every day. It creates opportunities for everyone.”

• animation

• film

• K-Pop warriors

• KPop Demon Hunters

• Soundtrack