KUALA LUMPUR, June 26 — If you’re a fan of K-pop or animation, you’re bound to love the latest animated film, KPop Demon Hunters from Sony Pictures Animation, which has been making waves on Netflix since its release on June 20.
This fantasy-musical, directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, follows a fictional K-pop girl group Huntrix — stylised as HUNTR/X — who lead double lives as demon hunters.
Their biggest challenge? Facing off against their rival boy band, the Saja Boys — who, you guessed it, are secretly demons.
Beyond its fast-paced plot and witty nods to the real world of K-pop, the film has been generating major buzz on social media for its soundtrack.
Songs by Huntrix such as “What It Sounds Like”, “Golden”, “Takedown”, and “How It’s Done” and tracks by the Saja Boys — “Soda Pop” and “Your Idol” — have garnered special attention for the powerful vocals.
If you haven’t caught the film, you should. But if you already did, you may be wondering who are the impressive voices behind those tunes? Turns out the names are no stranger in the world of entertainment:
Huntrix’s main vocalist Rumi’s singing voice is EJAE. — Picture from Instagram/ejae_k
Rumi is EJAE
The singing voice of the main vocalist for Huntrix, Rumi, is EJAE, a Korean-American vocal producer and arranger based in Brooklyn, New York, who has also written several of the film’s songs.
With an impressive repertoire on her plate, having written for artists like Twice, NMixx, Red Velvet, and KARD, she is also the voice behind many popular K-Pop demo tracks, such as Aespa‘s “Armageddon”.
The singing voice of Mira, the visual and lead dancer of Huntrix, is Audrey Nuna. — Picture from Instagram/audreynuna
Mira is Audrey Nuna
The singing voice of Mira, who is the visual and the lead dancer of Huntrix, belongs to Audrey Nuna, born and raised in New Jersey.
Primarily an R&B singer, signed under Sony Music Entertainment, she is best known for her songs Damn Right and Comic Sans.
Zoey is Rei Ami
Zoey, the lyricist, and maknae of the group, got her pipes from Rei Ami, a Korean-American singer-songwriter and rapper.
She rose to prominence in 2020 with Freak, a song that became extremely popular on TikTok.
Saja Boys leader and main vocalist Jinu Saja voiced by Andrew Choi — Screengrab from YouTube/KPOPSTAR Season 2
Jinu Saja is Andrew Choi
The singing voice for Jinu, the leader and main vocalist for Saja Boys, is none other than Andrew Choi, a South Korean singer and composer signed under SM Entertainment.
He is widely known for appearing in the South Korean reality television competition show K-pop Star, having appeared in the second season, which spanned from November 2012 to April 2013.
Abs Saja is NECKWAV
Abs, the hunky vocalist and rapper, of the group, was voiced by NECKWAV, who has released several R&B and soul tracks.
Currently living in Seoul, Korea, he is known for the hit song “Withoutyou” where it has gained over 16k views since it first dropped in 2021.
Mystery Saja is Kevin Woo
Mystery, the lead vocalist, is voiced by Korean-American singer Kevin Woo, a familiar name in the world of K-pop, having been a former member of the boy group U-KISS and its sub-unit uBEAT.
He has also made waves internationally, having debuted his Japanese solo in 2018 with the single “Ride Along” and then made his official US solo debut in 2021 with “Got It”.
Romance Saja is SamUIL
The vocalist and dancer Romance, voiced by SamUIL Lee, was nothing short but impressive in the film.
Previously known as Taebot, you might recognise a hit song titled “Away”, released nine years ago, which was praised for its calm and tuning vibe.
Saja Boys maknae Baby Saja’s singing was voiced by Danny Chung. — Picture from Instagram/thedannychung
Baby Saja is Danny Chung
Lastly, the group’s maknae and rapper, Baby, is vocally performed by Danny Chung, who is not only a singer-songwriter but also a lyricist for artists in YG Entertainment.
The singer-songwriter is currently affiliated with The Black Label, an associate company of YG Entertainment, which has managed various artists, including solo singers like Jeon Somi, Rosé of Blackpink, and Taeyang of Big Bang.
Since its debut, the Netflix film has been especially popular not only in Asia but also in the United States, France, and Germany, ranking in the Top 10 streaming in 93 countries.
Its soundtrack also features K-pop stars Twice, Exo, and MeloMance.
