In a landmark moment for pop music and chart history, the animated girl group phenomenon HUNTR/X has officially broken a decades-old UK chart record. Their track “Golden” has reclaimed the top spot on the UK Official Singles Chart for a ninth non-consecutive week, surpassing the previous benchmark of eight weeks at Number 1—a record set back in 1969 by The Archies and their bubble-gum pop classic “Sugar, Sugar”.
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A Record 56 Years in the Making
When “Sugar, Sugar” topped the charts for eight consecutive weeks in 1969, few could have predicted that it would take more than half a century for another animated act to challenge its dominance. The Archies—a fictional pop band created from the Archie Comics universe—became a cultural phenomenon, bridging television animation and radio airwaves in a way no one had seen before.
Fast-forward to 2025, and “Golden” by HUNTR/X have now eclipsed that long-standing record. The track first reached Number 1 earlier in the summer and enjoyed a dominant run, but its reign wasn’t entirely unbroken. On August 8, 2025, “Golden” was knocked off the top spot by Chappell Roan with her viral hit “The Subway”. HUNTR/X soon reclaimed their crown before losing it again on October 3, 2025, to Olivia Dean with her soulful single “Man I Need”.
The following week, on October 10, 2025, Taylor Swift’s “The Fate of Ophelia” rose to Number 1, where it held firm for two consecutive weeks. Yet, in a remarkable comeback story, HUNTR/X’s “Golden” once again ascended to the summit—earning its ninth non-consecutive week at Number 1 and officially breaking The Archies’ 1969 record.
The Official Charts Company confirmed on September 26, 2025, that “Golden” had matched The Archies’ eight-week record for an animated act. Then, with their triumphant return to Number 1 in late October, HUNTR/X set a brand-new benchmark—not just for virtual performers, but for pop history as a whole.
Who Are HUNTR/X?
HUNTR/X are the fictional stars of the hit animated feature film KPop Demon Hunters, but their success has crossed the boundary between fiction and reality. The trio—composed of characters Rumi, Mira, and Zoey—double as K-pop idols and secret demon hunters. The film blends fantasy, action and the fast-paced world of Korean pop music, with themes of ambition, fame and female empowerment running throughout.
Each character is voiced by Arden Cho, May Hong, and Ji-young Yoo, while the singing voices come courtesy of EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami. The soundtrack features a fusion of English and Korean lyrics, slick production, and addictive pop hooks that rival those of major live-action artists.
“Golden”, the standout single, became an instant viral hit—inspiring dance trends, karaoke challenges, and millions of fan edits across TikTok and YouTube. It’s proof that in 2025, a group doesn’t have to physically exist to connect with millions of listeners.
About KPop Demon Hunters
Produced by Sony Pictures Animation and released worldwide by Netflix, KPop Demon Hunters premiered earlier this year and quickly found a devoted global audience. The film follows HUNTR/X as they juggle chart-topping fame with their secret lives, battling dark supernatural forces threatening their world.
The movie’s vibrant visual style, dynamic choreography, and catchy pop soundtrack have earned critical praise and fan devotion alike. At the heart of the film’s appeal is its layered approach: it’s both a fantasy adventure and a heartfelt look at ambition, identity, friendship, and unity in a hyper-competitive pop world.
Enter the Saja Boys
Every great hero needs a rival—and in KPop Demon Hunters, that role belongs to the fictional boy-band rival, the Saja Boys.
This mysterious and charismatic group’s smooth vocals and magnetic performances mask their darker nature as demonic entities seeking control over both the music industry and the mortal world.
Within the soundtrack, songs by the Saja Boys, including “Soda Pop” and “Your Idol”, have also drawn significant streaming numbers, with fans divided over which fictional band reigns supreme. The five-piece boy band’s vocals come from Andrew Choi, Neckwav, Danny Chung, Kevin Woo, and samUIL Lee. They too have conquered charts worldwide, claiming two UK Top 5s on the Official Singles Chart for their songs “Soda Pop” and “Your Idol”, with the former peaking at Number 3 and the latter peaking at Number 5.
The rivalry between HUNTR/X and the Saja Boys has become a core part of the fandom experience, sparking debates, fan art, and countless streaming parties online.
Spotlight on EJAE: Solo Ambitions Beyond HUNTR/X
One of the driving forces behind HUNTR/X’s success is EJAE—known off-screen as Kim Eun-jae, a South Korean-American singer-songwriter who has written and performed for many top K-pop acts.
In October 2025, EJAE signed with global talent agency WME for worldwide representation across all areas of her career, marking the start of a major new chapter. Shortly afterwards, she released her debut solo single “In Another World” on October 24, 2025.
The track charted in multiple territories—peaking at Number 34 on the New Zealand Hot Singles Chart, Number 24 on the South Korea Circle Chart, and Number 62 on the UK Singles Sales Chart. The song explores themes of self-acceptance and transformation—mirroring the dual-life concept of her role in HUNTR/X.
Her rapid ascent from songwriter-behind-the-scenes to front-facing solo artist highlights how the HUNTR/X project has amplified her visibility—and how the boundaries of pop stardom continue to evolve in the streaming age.
Why This Record Matters
HUNTR/X’s ninth week at Number 1 isn’t just a quirky statistic—it’s a reflection of how music, media and technology continue to evolve.
- Blurring reality and fiction: The success of a virtual K-pop group demonstrates how storytelling, animation, and pop music are converging in the streaming era.
- The global K-pop effect: “Golden” draws heavily from the modern K-pop sound—polished vocals, striking visuals and emotional storytelling—showcasing the genre’s continued international influence.
- Fan power: The group’s fandom has propelled streams, downloads, and social-media trends, proving that engagement is as vital as radio play in chart success.
- Historic continuity: Both The Archies in 1969 and HUNTR/X in 2025 highlight how fictional acts can reflect real cultural moments—first through bubble-gum pop TV, now through global digital fandom.
While the Official Charts Company has not yet explicitly confirmed that the 1969 record has been surpassed, their latest chart announcement lists “Golden” at Number 1 for a ninth non-consecutive week—one more than The Archies’ eight-week reign with “Sugar, Sugar”. The Official Charts Company previously revealed on September 26, 2025, that HUNTR/X had matched that historic record, making this latest chart week a clear indication that the animated group has now moved beyond it. This effectively establishes HUNTR/X as the longest-running animated act to ever top the UK Official Singles Chart, breaking a record that has stood unchallenged for 56 years.
Additional Records Set by KPop Demon Hunters and HUNTR/X
The success of HUNTR/X and their single “Golden” has not been a one-off moment. The animated soundtrack from KPop Demon Hunters has racked up a series of impressive chart milestones.
- “Golden” became the first K-pop track in 13 years to top the UK Official Singles Chart—the previous one being “Gangnam Style” by PSY in 2012.
- By claiming a second non-consecutive week at the top spot on August 15, 2025, HUNTR/X broke PSY’s record to become the longest-running K‑pop single at Number 1 on the UK Official Singles Chart.
- When “Golden” achieved its fourth non‑consecutive week at Number 1, the Official Charts Company noted that the UK now had a record‑breaking seven K‑pop tracks in the Top 40 that week—led by HUNTR/X.
- On September 19, 2025, the Official Charts Company reported that three tracks from the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack (HUNTR/X’s “Golden”, plus “Soda Pop” and “Your Idol” by Saja Boys) were in the Top 5 simultaneously—marking the first time ever that a K‑pop soundtrack placed three tracks in the Top 5 of the UK chart.
- On August 15, 2025, the soundtrack album “KPop Demon Hunters” set a new record for the most UK album streams in a single week for a soundtrack, with 18,631 streaming‑equivalent sales, surpassing “Barbie: The Album”, which had previously held the record with 17,681 streaming-equivalent sales.
Each of these facts reinforces how the HUNTR/X project isn’t just about one song hitting Number 1—it’s a full-scale multimedia and music phenomenon that is rewriting expectations for virtual bands, animation-linked soundtracks, and K-pop blends in the chart space.
The Legacy of The Archies
For context, The Archies were created for the animated TV series The Archie Show, which premiered in 1968. The band’s members—Archie Andrews, Veronica Lodge, Betty Cooper, Jughead Jones, and Reggie Mantle—performed upbeat bubble-gum pop tunes that mirrored real-world teen culture of the era. The characters have appeared in a variety of media over the years, the latest being The CW’s Riverdale, which debuted in 2017 and ran for seven seasons, ending in 2023.
Their song “Sugar, Sugar” became a global smash, hitting Number 1 in both the US and the UK and remaining on top for eight weeks in Britain. Even after their TV run ended, the song endured as one of the defining pop hits of the late 1960s.
The fact that it took another fictional group—this time from an animated K-pop adventure—to surpass that milestone adds a poetic twist to pop history and just goes to show how various forms of media collide into the music world, from TV to films to streaming.
Looking Ahead
With the record now officially broken, the question remains: can HUNTR/X extend their streak even further? The mid-weeks have them continuing to stay strong at the top of the UK chart, but will that still be the case come Friday? Each additional week at Number 1 pushes their achievement deeper into the record books.
Beyond “Golden”, KPop Demon Hunters has already proven its musical reach on the UK charts. During the week of August 8, 2025, “Golden” by HUNTR/X reached Number 2, joined by the Saja Boys’ “Soda Pop” at Number 6 and “Your Idol” at Number 8—marking the first time three K-pop tracks from one soundtrack simultaneously entered the UK Top 10. Then, on September 9, they took it further when all three tracks entered the Top 5.
TWICE also appear on the album with “Takedown”, which climbed to Number 24 on the UK Top 40, while their other track from the album—“Strategy”—reached Number 32. The soundtrack itself debuted at Number 1 on the UK Compilations Albums Chart and the UK Soundtrack Albums Chart, underscoring its wide-ranging appeal.
The combination of bold storytelling, addictive pop production and K-pop’s ever-expanding global influence could make HUNTR/X one of the most successful virtual acts in modern music history.
A Golden Moment for Pop
For fans, “Golden” is more than just a catchy song—it’s a statement about where pop music is heading. Animated acts, virtual idols, and digital fandoms are now part of the same ecosystem as traditional artists, and HUNTR/X have proven that their influence is undeniable.
With “Golden” marking its ninth week—and possibly tenth week come Friday—atop the UK Official Singles Chart, the message is clear: the boundaries of pop are becoming more fluid than ever—and the next great musical revolution might come not from the stage, but from the screen.
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