For those who’ve stepped exterior even as soon as since June, you’ve got most likely heard the smash hit tune of the yr: ‘Golden’ by Huntr/x, AKA the lady group on the coronary heart of Netflix’s juggernaut sensation KPop Demon Hunters.
‘Golden’ is a runaway earworm that has topped the Billboard Sizzling 100, and its launch scene is one of many most-rewatched moments in your complete film. The tune is a rousing tune about self-acceptance and self-belief. Besides… it type of is not. Properly, for fundamental character Rumi, anyway.
No extra hiding
That is to not say that ‘Golden’ is not sensible. Exterior of the movie, it is a image of KPop Demon Hunters’ extraordinary cultural impression (and I’ve had it on repeat for months).
In my opinion, although, its true excellence lies in its cautious songwriting and the difficult place it holds within the movie’s story. ‘Golden’ is the proper pop hit, meticulously crafted to be each an irresistible singalong favourite in addition to a tune with tons of narrative weight.
With ‘Golden,’ the stakes are sky excessive for Huntr/x. The tune is what Rumi, Mira, and Zoey must seal the Honmoon, a magical barrier between the human and demon worlds, and switch it gold (naturally); a golden Honmoon will defend the human world from demonic interference ceaselessly. However Rumi strains her voice earlier than the group can carry out the tune dwell, revealing simply how a lot strain she’s piling on herself to avoid wasting the day.
That is the ingenious irony of ‘Golden.’ The lyrics are all about empowerment, whereas Rumi continues to be dead-set on concealing her true self. Rumi is secretly part-demon, one thing she is deeply ashamed of: she hides her patterns, the shimmery bodily proof of her heritage, from the world and from her mates, which makes lyrics like “I am achieved hiding” so loaded with double that means.
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Even Rumi herself appears to acknowledge that she’s not being real within the bridge of the tune: “Waited so lengthy to interrupt these partitions down / To get up and really feel like me / Put these patterns all up to now now / And at last dwell just like the lady all of them see.” She will be able to’t think about true freedom, solely becoming what everybody else expects from her.
In fact, this duality is completely intentional, and it units up Rumi’s character arc within the movie. That battle is communicated not simply by the lyrics, but in addition by a superhuman vocal efficiency from EJAE, Rumi’s singing voice, and a author of most of the movie’s songs.
“It needed to pressure her voice to metaphorically present she is singing in a voice that is not who she is,” EJAE defined on the Zach Sang Present. “That was the purpose. That is why it was this non-human voice, a non-human observe to achieve. And that was all on goal.” Rumi is not fairly being truthful with herself, together with her mates, or together with her followers – but.
When darkness meets the sunshine
Over the course of the movie, Rumi grapples together with her heritage and the strain she places on herself by her bond with Mira and Zoey, and thru her budding relationship with the Saja Boys’ demonic chief Jinu. Every thing involves a head when the demons stage a vicious showdown that exposes Rumi’s patterns and all her hidden fears to the world.
With the Honmoon in tatters and Huntr/x no extra, all hope appears misplaced. Rumi flees for a confrontation together with her mentor Celine, difficult her on why she may by no means love “all of” Rumi. This lastly spurs the conclusion Rumi wanted all alongside. Lastly accepting herself, she returns to interrupt the Saja Boys’ lethal live performance with a tune of her personal: this one a real story of affection and forgiveness. Fittingly, it opens with the phrases: “Nothing however the reality now.”
‘What It Sounds Like’ builds on all of the concepts of ‘Golden,’ however this time, Rumi truly believes and embodies what she’s singing. The type is extra snug for her voice, and lyrics like “The scars are a part of me, darkness and concord / My voice with out the lies, that is what it feels like” lastly ring true.
Rumi is finished hiding, as she promised on ‘Golden,’ and the ensuing tune is a strong anthem of pleasure, celebration, and catharsis. Huntr/x emotionally reunite onstage and are lastly collectively with none secrets and techniques maintaining them aside. It is unimaginable to listen to “reality in spite of everything this time, our voices all mixed / When darkness meets the sunshine, that is what it feels like” and not get chills.
It additionally helps that ‘What It Sounds Like’ has a stadium-filling sound by advantage of your complete crowd becoming a member of in, and that it takes place throughout one of the exuberant set-pieces of the film, when Huntr/x lastly combat again – and win – in opposition to the Saja Boys and massive dangerous Gwi-ma, creating a brand new Honmoon. All of this combines to make ‘What It Sounds Like’ essentially the most goosebump-raising, inspiring, and invigorating tune on the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack.
So, whereas the popular culture impression of ‘Golden’ is actually value celebrating, ‘What It Sounds Like’ is the tune that fulfils all of that observe’s narrative promise – and that is what makes it my tune of the yr.
Honorable mentions
- ‘Lose My Thoughts,’ F1: The Film – F1 is an effective old style blockbuster, however ‘Lose My Thoughts’ may be very a lot a contemporary, stylish tune, and it is unimaginable to not bop your head alongside to that beat.
- ‘No Place Like House,’ Depraved: For Good – considered one of two new songs added to Depraved Half 2, ‘No Place Like House’ each showcases Cynthia Erivo’s ground-shaking vocals and fleshes out Elphaba’s journey.
- ‘I Lied To You,’ Sinners – Sinners has a toe-tapping soundtrack, however ‘I Lied to You’ is a moody, time-hopping excessive level in a stacked discipline.
- ‘Take Me Away,’ Freakier Friday – a re-recording of the 2003 unique, this guitar-heavy observe has tons of perspective, and fittingly transports the listener proper again in time.
KPop Demon Hunters is streaming on Netflix now (and KPop Demon Hunters 2 is on the best way). For extra, fill out your watchlist with our information to the greatest Netflix films, or see our rating of the greatest films of 2025.
