This week on the pop music charts, a movie soundtrack has executed one thing that no different soundtrack had executed in practically 30 years.
MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:
Final week, a track from the Netflix animated film “KPop Demon Hunters” made it to the highest of the pop charts. Properly, there’s extra the place that got here from as a result of this week, that movie’s soundtrack has executed one thing no soundtrack has completed in practically 30 years. NPR’s Stephen Thompson has our replace.
STEPHEN THOMPSON, BYLINE: “KPop Demon Hunters” has generated one of many hottest soundtracks in years, led by “Golden,” the observe by the fictional Ok-pop lady group HUNTR/X, that made it to No. 1 final week.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “GOLDEN”)
EJAE, AUDREY NUNA AND REI AMI: (As HUNTR/X, singing) We’re going up, up, up. It is our second. You already know collectively we’re glowing. Going to be, going to be goldеn. Oh…
THOMPSON: “Golden” dips to No. 2 this week, however “KPop Demon Hunters” has reached a uncommon milestone on the identical time. It is simply the third soundtrack in historical past to land three High 10 hits in the identical week. The opposite soundtracks to try this? “Ready To Exhale” from the ’90s…
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “EXHALE (SHOOP SHOOP)”)
WHITNEY HOUSTON: (Singing) All you bought to do is say shoop be doop. Shoop, shoop.
THOMPSON: …And “Saturday Evening Fever” from the ’70s.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “STAYIN’ ALIVE”)
BEE GEES: (Singing) Whether or not you are a brother or whether or not you are a mom you are staying alive, staying alive. Really feel the town breaking…
THOMPSON: For “KPop Demon Hunters,” the High 10 hits are by two fictional Ok-pop teams, HUNTR/X and their rivals within the Saja Boys, whose members possess a very demonic potential to craft boy-band earworms. This week, “Your Idol” lands at No. 4…
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “YOUR IDOL”)
ANDREW CHOI, NECKWAV, KEVIN WOO, SAMUIL LEE AND DANNY CHUNG: (As Saja Boys, singing) Now we’re working wild. You are down in your knees. I’ma be your idol.
THOMPSON: …Whereas “Soda Pop” jumps to No. 10.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “SODA POP”)
CHOI, NECKWAV, WOO, LEE AND CHUNG: (As Saja Boys, singing) You are my soda pop, my little soda pop.
THOMPSON: In fact, the streaming period has made it simpler for a single album to land a number of singles within the High 10 concurrently. However for soundtracks, it is a completely different story. Even current blockbusters like “Barbie,” “Encanto” and “Depraved” have not executed what “KPop Demon Hunters” does this week. And it won’t even be executed hitting milestones. “How It is Completed” by HUNTR/X is sitting at No. 14, able to make its transfer.
Stephen Thompson, NPR Music.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “HOW IT’S DONE”)
EJAE, NUNA AND AMI: (As HUNTR/X, singing) HUNTR/X do not stop. The way it’s executed, executed, executed.
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