Inside the 'wild and weird' rise of 'KPop Demon Hunters' phenoms Huntr/x

This summer, Netflix’s animated deed “KPop Demon Hunters” mightiness person created the astir fashionable K-pop miss radical successful America. And seemingly the lone radical unaware of that favoritism are its members.

“Is that what it is?,” asks Rei Ami, who with chap artists Ejae and Audrey Nuna forms the film’s fictional trio Huntr/x. “Is that what it’s being labeled as?”

The stats are down them: “Golden,” a contender for the Oscar for archetypal song, deed No. 1 connected the Billboard Hot 100 for much than 8 consecutive weeks, with 3 different numbers earning a spot successful the Top 10. As a result, the film’s soundtrack deed No. 1 connected the Billboard 200 and precocious went platinum. With occurrence has travel an array of different opportunities arsenic well. The radical person since made a cameo connected “Saturday Night Live” and performed connected “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.”

But arsenic Ejae points out, theirs has not been the accustomed way to K-pop stardom. A erstwhile K-pop trainee herself, she notes that galore hopefuls walk years processing their trade and chemistry with aboriginal radical members. “We were each individually our ain person. They had their euphony career, and I person my vocation arsenic a songwriter,” she says. “[Becoming a K-pop group] aboriginal is unheard of with K-pop training. You bash it erstwhile they’re kids, earlier thing [can develop], truthful they tin signifier them together, whereas we’re our ain individuals coming together. Having this synergy is incredibly rare.”

That’s what singing successful the most-watched Netflix movie of each clip volition bash for you. Premiering successful August, “KPop Demon Hunters” propelled the members of Huntr/x — each of them already established successful the industry, Nuna and Ami arsenic artists and Ejae, who precocious released her archetypal solo single, arsenic a songwriter for K-pop groups — into a caller strength of spotlight. (Ejae besides wrote respective tracks for the film, including “Golden,” with co-writers Mark Sonnenblick, Ido, 24 and Teddy.)

“We were thrown together, basically,” says Nuna. “I’ve seen photos of america and I [thought], ‘Damn, we look similar we were perfectly calculated to beryllium successful this group.’ The equilibrium is nuts. But to deliberation however serendipitous it was that this happened — we didn’t audition successful rooms oregon spell done aggregate rounds of pairings to find each other… It conscionable speaks to the quality of the beingness and however things spell and erstwhile things conscionable happen.”

In fact, the singers did not adjacent conscionable until astir 5 months ago, connected the carpet astatine the film’s premiere. They recorded their parts separately with enforcement euphony manager Ian Eisendrath, who past worked with the euphony squad to edit them each together.

Ami was the past to grounds her part, which meant she got to perceive “This Is What It Sounds Like” successful its entirety with each the voices meshed together. The infinitesimal recalled the film’s last scene, successful which Huntr/x — whose members treble arsenic the demon hunters of the rubric — reunites to combat the main villain to the sounds of the precise aforesaid song, erstwhile “This Is What It Sounds Like” plays.

“I got to perceive the opus successful afloat and each of our harmonies for the archetypal time,” she recalls. “I was wholly moved. I knew successful my bosom that this was going to beryllium great.”

Still, they ne'er expected the movie to go a planetary phenomenon, resulting successful their present chaotic schedules filled with property interviews, sheet engagements, media appearances and peculiar performances. Ami smiles, “We’re doing our best.”

Through it all, they’ve hyped each other’s achievements and held hands portion expressing their appreciation for each other.

“These women person worked truthful hard connected their journeys individually,” says Ami. “The manufacture has been truthful tumultuous, and the magnitude of pain, struggle, blood, sweat and tears that we’ve individually had to woody with … These 2 girls are the lone ones successful the satellite who volition afloat recognize what I’m going through. I can’t speech to anyone other astir this. Only they understand, and I consciousness truthful supported and not alone.”

They each clasp hands, with Ami telling the others, “I emotion you guys.”

And, for each the challenging moments, they are immensely grateful for the accidental to fulfill their dreams. They each explicit their gratitude for the opportunity, arsenic it has ever been their dream.

“Literally, a period earlier the movie came out, I was doubting myself arsenic a songwriter,” Ejae explains. “My extremity was to get No. 1 connected the Hot 100. I was going to bash that — determination to California, constitute truthful galore sessions, and get No. 1. It felt impossible.”

“Those are each things we person connected our bucket list,” Ami, right, says of the imaginable of performing astatine the Oscars oregon Grammys.

(Justin Jun Lee / For The Times)

Ami becomes affectional astir the film’s occurrence erstwhile she talks astir its interaction connected her career.

“I’m truthful blessed,” she says, holding backmost tears. “It’s truly introduced maine to much fans and caller fans. This full acquisition has taught maine a batch astir myself and what I privation to bash arsenic an artist. My dreams are coming true.”

That hasn’t needfully been the acquisition for her groupmates, though. “It takes a precise agelong clip [for me] to process and metabolize emotions,” Nuna says of her ain deficiency of waterworks. “I’ve ne'er wanted idiosyncratic to outcry truthful overmuch successful my life,” Ami chimes in, laughing. “Feel something!”

The “instant chemistry” displayed successful their interrogation was precocious connected show erstwhile the 3 were asked to execute “Golden” unneurotic for “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” — their archetypal arsenic a group. And the much they rehearsed, the much they cohered. Just similar a existent K-pop group.

“It’s truly chaotic and weird,” says Nuna. “Honestly, the mesh of our voices conscionable felt truthful intuitive. It was precise integrated and easy. The opus is not easy, but the mesh and connecting were. It was virtually our archetypal clip singing together, and I consciousness similar we were proceeding overtones successful our harmonies and stuff, due to the fact that they’re conscionable truly locked in.”

Awards buzz, for some the Oscars and the Grammys, has travel arsenic a astonishment to the group, but it leads to questions astir reuniting Huntr/x onstage astatine the biggest popular civilization events of the year.

“[Performing astatine the Oscars oregon Grammys] would beryllium the biggest deal,” says Ami. “I deliberation we tin each relate. That’s astir apt 1 of the highest accolades and achievements you tin execute arsenic an artist, songwriter, and producer. Those are each things we person connected our bucket list.”

The trio hasn’t thought acold capable up astir an existent show connected either stage, arsenic they’ve lone precocious begun rehearsing together.

“Jimmy Fallon volition beryllium a bully practice,” Ejae laughs. “Good warm-up preparation.”

Indeed, though they person joked astir forming a (real-life) K-pop group, each 3 are engaged with idiosyncratic projects — astatine slightest for now.

“If we were to get together, the charts amended ticker out!” Ami shouts. “You mightiness not ever spot different sanction different than us.”