By Harshit | September 29, 2025 | New York City
From Netflix Sensation to Late-Night Stage
After dominating Netflix charts all summer, KPop Demon Hunters is crossing over into live television. Huntr/X, the fictional K-pop girl group at the center of the animated hit, will perform live on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Tuesday, October 7, at 11:35 p.m. ET/PT on NBC, with streaming available the next day on Peacock.
The performance represents a milestone moment: the first televised appearance of Huntr/X as a real-life musical act. The group’s singing voices—Ejae, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami—will take the stage to perform “Golden”, the breakout single from the film’s soundtrack that stormed the Billboard Hot 100 to claim the No. 1 spot in August.
A Film That Became a Phenomenon
KPop Demon Hunters premiered quietly on Netflix earlier this year but quickly turned into a global sensation. The animated feature follows three fictional K-pop idols—Rumi, Mira, and Zoey—who balance their glittering music careers with a secret double life as demon slayers.
Combining fantastical storytelling with sleek K-pop stylings, the film struck a cultural nerve. Its soundtrack, packed with synth-driven hits, transformed from fictional stage numbers into real-world streaming successes. “Golden” in particular became the anthem of the summer, climbing playlists across platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube Music.
According to Netflix, KPop Demon Hunters is now the most-watched movie in the platform’s history, surpassing previous juggernauts such as Red Notice and Don’t Look Up.
Huntr/X Steps Into Reality
For many fans, the late-night debut of Huntr/X blurs the line between animation and reality. Ejae, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami—who provided the characters’ singing voices—are expected to bring the energy and choreography that defined the on-screen trio.
The Fallon appearance is not just a musical showcase but also a cultural landmark. Following their performance, the trio will join Jimmy Fallon on the couch for an interview, offering fans the first chance to hear directly from the voices behind Huntr/X about the whirlwind success of the project.
This transition from screen to stage mirrors the evolution of K-pop itself, which has long emphasized spectacle, choreography, and immersive storytelling. For many, Huntr/X is more than an animated group; it is a creative experiment proving that virtual idols can thrive in mainstream entertainment.
Riding the Global K-pop Wave
The success of KPop Demon Hunters reflects the surging popularity of Korean pop music worldwide. Once considered a niche genre outside Asia, K-pop has exploded into a global phenomenon, with groups like BTS, Blackpink, and NewJeans dominating charts and selling out stadiums across the United States and Europe.
Streaming services have accelerated this cultural exchange, removing barriers that once limited listeners to their local markets. Genres like reggaeton, Afrobeats, and now K-pop have flourished in an increasingly borderless digital ecosystem.
Huntr/X’s crossover into late-night television underscores the genre’s staying power and its ability to reinvent itself for new audiences. By merging anime-style visuals, fantasy storytelling, and contemporary K-pop aesthetics, KPop Demon Hunters taps into multiple fan cultures simultaneously—K-pop stans, anime enthusiasts, and casual pop listeners alike.
A Brief Theatrical Run, a Lasting Impact
The film’s journey to this moment has been unconventional. Following its Netflix debut, KPop Demon Hunters enjoyed a limited theatrical release in select cities. Fans clamored for more, treating screenings like concert events, complete with cosplay, sing-alongs, and fan chants usually reserved for live K-pop shows.
That groundswell of excitement has now carried over to late-night TV, giving Huntr/X a new stage and cementing the project as more than just a movie. It is now a multimedia franchise in the making.
What Comes Next
While Netflix has not confirmed a sequel, industry speculation suggests that the overwhelming success of KPop Demon Hunters makes follow-up projects inevitable. Whether that means a second film, a spin-off series, or even a full-fledged Huntr/X album remains to be seen.
For now, all eyes are on October 7. Huntr/X’s performance of “Golden” on The Tonight Show represents both a celebration of K-pop’s mainstream rise and a glimpse into the future of how music, animation, and fandom can converge into something entirely new.
