Kpop Demon Huntersis proving to be one of the most popular movies of the summer. Withthe film becoming Netflix’s most-watched original animated film, the action/fantasy film seems to be working with everyone who watches it. Arguably the biggest aspect of the film is the music. With multiple songs from the film breaking into the Billboard charts, people can’t seem to get enough of the soundtrack.
From catchy pop tunes to romantic love songs,Kpop Demon Huntershas some of the best original songs used for a film in years. Whether they explain how the characters are feeling or are used as a plot device, the inclusion of songs works wonders with the film’s story. Even for non-Kpop fans, these 7 songs have managed to make an impact on people around the world.
Here are the mainKpop Demon Hunterssongs ranked from worst to best.
7"Soda Pop"
“Soda Pop” may be one of the catchier songs of the film, but being catchy acts as its only purpose. The song does exactly what it is supposed to for the film, which is getting HUNTR/X fans to turn into Baja Boys fans. The song is nice on the ears, with an upbeat tempo and blend of genres that makes it easy to attract the listener, but in a lyrical sense, it is completely corny. All the song talks about is how the singers will treat a person they are in a relationship with. Although the song services the movie, “Soda Pop” pales in comparison to the other songs that focus on the feelings of the characters rather than just being a catchy song.
Getting Real Singers To Perform for ‘Kpop Demon Hunters’ Worked Wonders for the Film
The decision to have different people portray the characters' voices during the musical sequences is a big risk for a film to take, butKpop Demon Huntersexcels in this aspect. To fully believe that the Baja Boys and HUNTR/X are the biggest groups in the world,they need to sound like world-class singers, and luckily the film hired some of the best for the film. What could have been a grating flaw for the film in having different people do the singing turned out to be the film’s biggest strength.
6"Takedown"
“Takedown” acts as the diss track of the film, with HUNTR/X attempting to express how the Baja Boys are bad people and how they should not have supporters. Compared to the other songs by HUNTR/X, this song has an edgier feeling to it, with the group’s hatred of the Baja Boys felt in every verse. The song is also more rap-heavy compared to their other work, which works perfectly as the band wants their lyrics to be heard by everyone. Why this song doesn’t rank higher is because, thematically, the song isn’t as interesting as the others. While it serves well as a diss track, it lacks the emotional connection compared to other songs in the film.
The Word-Play Is the Weakest in “Takedown”
While the flow of “Takedown” is easy to enjoy, the lyrics aren’t interesting in the slightest. Half of the lyrics of the song talk about how they are going to “take down” the band, but they don’t say how they are going to take them down until the last moments of the song. The dubstep aspects of the song are also grating at times, with too much focus on the beat and less on propelling the story. The song’s purpose in the film is apparent, but there were definitely elements of the production and lyrics that could have been improved.
5"How It’s Done"
“How It’s Done” acts as an excellent opener for the film. With its blend of genres, the song oozes cool in all the best ways. It perfectly captures how powerful the HUNTR/X characters are, with the lyrics acting as threats to the demons while letting the audience know what they are capable of. While the song plays as a great tone-setter, there isn’t much to take away from the song outside of introducing how powerful the characters are. Whereas other songs are more emotionally potent, this one acts as a fun track to start the film.
The Animation Works Wonders for the Songs
The visuals inKpop Demon Huntersalmost act as music videos for the songs. With its fast-paced editing and lively animation style, the film and songs work seamlessly together to create a satisfying experience for the viewer. “How It’s Done” has perhaps the best animated filmmaking out of the musical sequences in the film, with the transition from a fight sequence on a plane to a sold-out concert venue making for a wide scope of storytelling while conveying the lyrics of the song in the best ways possible. The songs work great on their own, but how they are utilized in the film makes them even stronger.
4"What It Sounds Like"
“What It Sounds Like” acts beautifully as the emotional climax of the film. With a heavy focus on Rumi, the song represents the spiritual journey that HUNTR/X went on throughout the film. From the band reconnecting to Rumi learning that her flaws help define her, the song works perfectly as a means to represent the main takeaway of the film. The wordplay is also one of the strongest of the entire soundtrack, with lyrics like “Why did we cover up the colors stuck inside our head? Get up and let the jagged edges meet the light instead,” standing as one of the most powerful lines of any song in the film.
The Beat Isn’t Very Strong in “What It Sounds Like”
Why “What It Sounds Like” doesn’t rank higher is that the instrumental isn’t as strong. The lyrics and vocal performance by HUNTR/X are off the charts, but the beat doesn’t match the highs that the rest of the song is operating on. The tempo has a steady incline throughout, but it never felt like it was bringing the ferociousness as the other aspects of the song. While it is far from the worst song on the soundtrack, it does have some aspects that it could’ve improved on.
“Golden” acts as the perfect thesis for the movie. Paralleling the plot, the song explains how the HUNTR/X members are a part of two worlds and are excelling in both of them. The song focuses heavily on Rumi and how she was afraid to put herself out there due to her being a demon. The chorus is easily one of the strongest, with an upbeat and catchy instrumental conveying how the group has overcome their turmoil and become the people they were meant to be. Outside the film’s context, the song can come off as corny, but in relation to the film, it represents the film and its morals in the most perfect way.
It’s Crazy How Well This Soundtrack Is Performing in the Real World
It’s shocking that a soundtrack to an original, animated fantasy musical is as popular as it is. With multiple songs appearing in the top ten daily streams on Spotify, the whole world isn’t getting enough of HUNTR/X and the Baja Boys.Kpop has been growing in popularityfor years now, but to see even non-Kpop fans showing their support for theKpop Demon Hunterssoundtrack is astounding, which goes to show how good each song on the album is.
Easily the most underrated song on the soundtrack, “Free” is a great representation of the conflict between Rumi and Jinu. The song perfectly represents how they are one and the same, and how they are both dealing with their trauma and struggling to accept themselves. The song also acts as a romantic ballad, with their chorus duet easily standing as the strongest vocal performance of the entire soundtrack. Whether it is pushing the story forward or building the relationship between Rumi and Jinu, “Free” works better than almost every other song in the film.
The Songs Are Great for Children
Not only are the songs inKpop Demon Hunterswell-produced for the movie, butthey are great for kids. Absent of obscene language, the songs have extremely strong messages of empowerment and loving oneself despite their flaws. In a society that is filled with hate and disparity, having a soundtrack pushing a message of hope and how internal flaws are okay makes for a great message for children to understand and interpret, and more children’s films should try to promote the same thing.
1"Your Idol"
“Your Idol” may not be as thematically resonant as other songs in the film, but the way it services the film, and its incredible instrumentation, make it the best song on the soundtrack. The song is easily one of the darkest and mean-spirited on the track list, but that is exactly what the song is meant to do. The lyrics are on-the-nose in the best way possible, with the Baja Boys blatantly explaining how they want their listeners' souls. The way the Baja Boys deliver the lyrics comes off as if they are bragging about how easily they are able to hook the listener in, and hearing their confidence so clearly makes the listening experience all the more engaging.
The Production of “Your Idol” Is Incredible
Easily the strongest aspect of “Your Idol” is the production. The song utilizes gospel-like vocals in the background, which not only bring a darker tone to the song, but express the Baja Boys' thirst for followers and how they feed off of other people. The inclusion of rap works greatly in the song, with the aggressive diction of the Baja Boys representing their desire to have power over humans. There may be songs that represent the movie better than “Your Idol,” but the song is too well-made and too much of an earworm to be anywhere but the number one spot.
