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KPop Demon Hunters' music producer, Ian Eisendrath, recently broke down the deeper meanings behind the film’s catchy tracks. In an interview with Variety, he revealed that songs by the fictional Saja Boys were crafted to feel “adorable” and “light” on the surface but with darker intentions hidden beneath. The goal was to “innocently and naively seduce the fans,” while subtly delivering lines that say, “I’m gonna prey on you.”
The Netflix animated musical, which follows a demon-hunting girl group, has become a streaming hit. Its original songs, despite being performed by fictional idols, have resonated with fans around the world. From the deceptively sweet “Soda Pop” to the hauntingly possessive “Your Idol,” their songs are laced with double meanings, folklore references, and a sharp critique of parasocial fandom. Talking about the deeper meanings behind the Saja Boys' performances, Eisendrath said,
“The idea was to innocently and naively seduce the fans. To show up and be the most adorable, sexy in some ways, light, fun. It’s actually saying, ‘I’m gonna prey on you.’ That’s what these demons do. They suck your souls. But you would never know it!”
More details on KPop Demon Hunters
KPop Demon Hunters is a groundbreaking animated musical that blends high-octane K-pop with supernatural storytelling, and it’s taken Netflix by storm since its release on June 20, 2025. Co-produced by Sony Pictures Animation, the film follows Huntr/x, a fictional girl group who live double lives: global pop stars by day and demon hunters by night. The voice cast includes Arden Cho, Ahn Hyo-seop, May Hong, Daniel Dae Kim, Ji-young Yoo, Yunjin Kim, Ken Jeong, and Lee Byung-hun.
The film is a product of Kang’s own desire to tell a story rooted in her Korean heritage, blending mythology, folklore, and the high-gloss world of K-pop. From the beginning, it was envisioned as something visually unique drawing inspiration from anime, Korean dramas, editorial photography, and the lighting of live concerts. The result is a high-energy, stylized narrative that celebrates identity, friendship, and power. The soundtrack, with original songs and a score by Marcelo Zarvos, plays a key role in bringing that vision to life.
Following its release, KPop Demon Hunters sparked a merch frenzy. A limited-edition drop on Netflix’s online store led to a 400% spike in new customers. Now, the collection includes apparel, accessories, and home goods, with a band tee and a mystical tiger plushie already becoming two of Netflix’s top-selling items of the year.
While KPop Demon Hunters centers on Rumi, Kang hopes to explore more of two more characters, Zoey and Mira’s backstories in a potential sequel.
“We’ve set up so much for potential backstory. Obviously, there’s a lot of questions that are left unanswered and areas that are not explored," she shared, adding that there's still so much to say.”
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For Kang, the bigger goal is clear. She opened up on hw she hopes the film will open up a gateway for these kinds of stories to reach fans. She adds that she hopes this lights a fire under the people who hold the power to make those decisions. Even if it's a little scary.
KPop Demon Hunters is available to stream on Netflix.
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