In KPop Demon Hunters, Rumi, Mira, and Zoey are performers of the girl group HUNTR/X by day and lethal demon huntresses at night. They are the latest in the line of hunters who protect the world from demon king Gwi-Ma and his minions by using their powerful singing voices to create a protective shield, AKA the honmoon. When the demon boy group called the 'Saja Boys' crashes into their world, they have more reasons to sing, dance, and give fans an immersive soundtrack to jam to.
The animated fantasy takes the musical route to show powerful, poignant, and sometimes fun ways to express self-acceptance, grappling with the pressure to be perfect, the allure of an industry like K-pop, and the power of found families. The film's original score was composed by Marcelo Zarvos with a team of writers and producers.
So, here's a ranking of all original songs from KPop Demon Hunters based on how they advanced the plot lyrically and musically.
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Disclaimer: All opinions in this article belong solely to the writer. Spoilers for KPop Demon Hunters ahead.
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Free, Soda Pop, or Your Idol: How do the original songs in KPop Demon Hunters rank?
1) Free (Written by Jenna Andrews, Stephen Kirk, and Mark Sonnenblick)
This pop ballad appears at a crucial point in KPop Demon Hunters. Rumi (Arden Cho) is a half-demon, hiding her identity. Jinu (Ahn Hyo-seop of Business Proposal) is a demon with a dark past and the only one who gets Rumi's inner turmoil, shame, and guilt about being a demon. The one thing that ties them together is the same thing they cannot talk about except with each other.
That's when Rumi sings about showing her true self around Jinu, and Jinu agrees. The song reaches a crescendo, opening Rumi up to the idea that she must face her insecurities about who she truly is and emerge stronger on the other side. As the de facto leader who is often emotionally closed off, this sentiment holds considerable power in the context of the movie.
EJAE and Andrew Choi's singing voices harmonize in a delicate symphony as Rumi and Jinu float in the air. That makes Free one of the best songs on KPop Demon Hunters.
"What if we both tried fighting what we're running from? We can't fix it if we never face it."- Rumi and Jinu in Free.
2) Your Idol (Written by EJAE, Kush, Mark Sonnenblick, Vince)
This song is a complete gear shift from Free. It is dark and alarming, both in the context of the movie and in what it implies about the fate of the K-pop industry. KPop Demon Hunters comments on the rigid, sometimes manufactured desire surrounding idols. Their relationship with fans is almost hypnotic, and the song addresses that.
For starters, the Saja Boys are the antithesis of HUNTR/X. They hypnotize the fans who throng the Namsan stadium so they can feed on their souls and make Gwi-Ma more powerful. This literal plot device, designed to make a point about a metaphorical fan-idol relationship, lands well as a villainous scheme.
Performed by Andrew Choi, Neckwav, Danny Chung, KEVIN WOO, and SamUIL Lee, Your Idol from KPop Demon Hunters uses dramatic bass, drums, and a dark dance-pop vibe. It captures fan obsession while also hinting at the reality that idols face, alluding to how they turn their pain behind the scenes into virality.
"Be your idol, living in your mind now, too late cause you're mine now, I'll make you free when you're all part of me."- Lyrics from Your Idol
3) What It Sounds Like (Written by Jenna Andrews, Stephen Kirk, and Mark Sonnenblick)
This empowering anthem is HUNTR/X's direct response to Your Idol by the Saja Boys. As the boy band's song continues to hypnotize the audience, Rumi steps into the stadium. As a half-demon, half-hunter, she is the only one who isn't affected by their Pied Piper-like strategy. She removes layers of her performance outfit until her demon marks are visible and steps into the light.
She sings about her insecurities and how she has finally come to see herself for who she truly is. As her ballad soars through the crowd, Zoey and Mira wake up from their trance and join her. They belt out high notes about 'exposing their jagged pieces to the light' and being true to themselves. Jinu has a change of heart listening to them.
The fans join them, and it's a celebration of imperfections and what makes human beings unique in KPop Demon Hunters. It is also Zoey and Mira's way of reassuring Rumi that they see her and accept her.
"The scars are part of me, darkness and harmony. My voice without the lies, this is what it sounds like."
4) Golden (Written by EJAE and Mark Sonnenblick)
Golden has all the ingredients to make a quintessential K-pop girl group track: a peppy, inspirational beat, lyrics that encapsulate the journey of the trio, and a liberating high note by the main vocalist. It perfectly sums up the trio's personalities in KPop Demon Hunters and gives fans a track to vibe to.
Performed by EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Rae Ami, it is also the track that leads fans into the second act, when Rumi realizes her demon marks might be claiming her voice. It comes back to make a statement during the Idol Awards when the girls want to showcase their authenticity to beat the Saja Boys.
So, the song is a perfect representation of what the movie is all about.
"Cause we are hunters, voices strong, and now I know I believe."
5) Soda pop (Written by Danny Chung, Kush, Vince)
Soda Pop is the perfect boy group track about love. Exploding with beverage puns, theatrical hair colors, and swooning fans, the pop track is KPop Demon Hunter's fun interlude before everything goes south. It even has a signature step to match.
The song is a celebration of everything K-pop embodies: youthfulness, joy, and involuntary shoulder movements to a fun song. The reason it ranks so low on the list is that it does little to advance the plot except to serve as a manual for the Saja Boys.
"I'm empty, you feed me, so refreshing, my little soda pop!"
6) Takedown (Written by Lingdren)
By no means is this edgy rap by HUNTR/X a bad original song on KPop Demon Hunters. It has the formula for success: Powerful women standing their ground, witty rhyme schemes and puns that allude to the Saja Boys' true identity, and a beat fans can pump their fists to. However, in the context of the movie, the song causes conflict among the trio because it fails to showcase who they truly are.
It is a good track, but does not reflect their main morals and beliefs. To top it all off, the demons use it to ostracize Rumi and reveal her demon marks to Zoey and Mira. Even before the big reveal in KPop Demon Hunters, Rumi is conflicted about her demon side, and her feelings change, seeing that there is good and evil in everyone after spending time with Jinu.
"Yeah, it's a takedown. A demon with no feelings don't deserve to live, it's so obvious."
7) Takedown (Twice Version)
Jeongyeon, Jihyo, and Chaeyoung of the K-pop girl group Twice sing another version of Takedown as a part of the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack. It is a powerful rendition, and the trio showcases their prowess as seasoned industry veterans known for their strong vocals.
The only reason this song is so far down on the list is because of how removed it is from the movie. It appears briefly in the end credits and does not significantly contribute to the plot. Apart from that, the song unlocks a new meta dimension, with K-pop idols singing in a movie about idols.
8) How It's Done (Written by Danny Chung, EJAE, Mark Sonnenblick)
As the opening track of KPop Demon Hunters, the song had immense pressure to be perfect and set expectations for what was to come. It introduces HUNTR/X falling out of the sky from a broken plane after slaying demons. They land on the stage and continue performing without a single glitch. It's glamorous, cool, and fun, and for all intents and purposes, a great way to open the movie.
However, the folk-inspired EDM pop track is easily overshadowed by the numbers that follow it. It is a more superficial introduction to the hunters and lyrically does little to explore their depths, which the other tracks do with more pomp and fervor. The song represents their idea of perfection before the glass castle cracks.
"Better sit down for the show cause I'm gonna show you how it's done-done-done. Yeah Huntrix don't miss."
Watch KPop Demon Hunters on Netflix.
