KPOP DEMON HUNTERS Singer/Songwriter Reveals She Wrote Golden on Her Way to the Dentist
Not long after KPop Demon Hunters hit Netflix in June, the world became obssessed with it. The animated film became the biggest movie ever on the platform, topped the domestic box office, and launched four of its songs straight into Billboard’s Top 10.
At the center of the frenzy is “Golden,” the “I Want” anthem performed by the fictional girl group Huntr/X, which has quickly become the song of the summer.
Parents are blasting it for their kids, adults are shamelessly posting their sing-alongs, and Huntr/X is living rent-free in the global playlist. But behind the hit is singer-songwriter EJAE, who recently revealed the song’s unlikely origin.
“I actually wrote the melody on my way to the dentist. That was the first thing that I came up with.”
The melody quickly evolved into the uplifting track that blends English and Korean lyrics while weaving in the struggles and self-discovery of Rumi, the half-demon hero of the movie.
EJAE recalled pitching the hook, “gonna be Golden,” to co-writer Mark Sonnenblick during early takes. His reaction? “Oh my God!” From there, the track came together “super fast.”
The film follows Huntr/X as they juggle being a K-pop phenomenon and demon hunters battling the Saja Boys, a rival demon boy band determined to steal their fans and souls.
Alongside all the supernatural chaos, the story explores Rumi’s personal journey of self-acceptance. Arden Cho, May Hong, and Ji-young Yoo provide the speaking voices of Rumi, Mira, and Zoey, while EJAE, Rei Ami, and Audrey Nuna deliver the powerhouse vocals.
For EJAE, who used to hear her voice only on demo tracks, the worldwide response has been surreal. “Hearing it at H Mart on the radio. It’s weird,” she admitted.
She also explained how her bilingual background shaped the final version of Golden. Speaking with Variety, she said:
“One of the biggest assets I brought to the movie, or when writing the songs, was being bilingual. It was important for our co-director, Maggie Kang, to have Korean in the lyrics, and I just love that it’s not just the verses; it was in the actual song too.”
The writers, which include EJAE, Sonnenblick, IDO, 24, and TEDDY, crafted the song with guidance from the filmmakers. EJAE explained:
“It needed to have the word gold in it, and the feeling of what Rumi was going through. It needed a pep talk and the idea that we can do this together.”
The song also had to introduce each member’s struggle while keeping it empowering, following a classic hero’s journey arc.
That emotional weight is something EJAE pulled from her own past. As a former K-pop trainee, she channeled the pressure and vulnerability she experienced into the bridge. “Going through that experience helped a lot in writing and emoting the melody and lyrics,” she said.
For Cho, the film’s breakout star power makes sense. She shared, “It allows any human or person to feel like they can relate. It’s like they feel seen.”
Between the cultural phenomenon of KPop Demon Hunters and the chart-topping power of “Golden,” EJAE has helped create a rare crossover moment where an animated movie song has transcended the screen to become an anthem blasting through cars, stores, and endless TikToks.