Ejae, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami, the singing voices from KPop Demon Hunters, stopped by Jimmy Kimmel Live to perform “Golden (Glowin’ Version).”
The trio, accompanied by a group of string musicians, appeared on the late night-show’s stage in a circle of candles. They showcased a reimagined version of “Golden,” the hit song from the Netflix animated film, which dropped on streaming at midnight.
The trio performed the original version of “Golden” at Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve in New York’s Times Square on New Year’s. In October, they brought the song to The Tonight Show stage, marking their first live performance together.
In the film, Ejae, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami are the singing voices of fictional K-pop girl group Huntr/x, performing the roles of Rumi, Mira, and Zoey respectively. Arden Cho, May Hong, and Ji-young Yoo voice the characters’ spoken lines. The movie follows the K-pop sensation as they moonlight as the mystical destroyers of an invisible demon realm and are soon faced with their biggest battle yet when rival band Saja Boys turn out to be demons intent on stealing Huntr/x’s fans.
“Golden,” was a breakout hit, topping Billboard’s Hot 100 for 18 nonconsecutive weeks. It was also Number One on charts around the world. The RIAA certified it double platinum in the United States. KPop Demon Hunters also became the most-watched movie in Netflix’s history.
“I feel like I experienced all facets of K-pop,” Ejae told Rolling Stone after “Golden” became a runaway hit. “I was a trainee, I became a songwriter, I also vocal directed for K-pop idols. So I really resonated with [the KPop Demon Hunters character] Rumi. She’s such a perfectionist and trying to hide her shame, hide her flaws. And that’s a huge part of when you’re training. You’re trying to put your best foot forward. ‘Golden’ really means a lot to me, because I feel like at that time, I needed a song like that.”