Tomorrow X Together talks new music, upcoming US tour and closing 'The Star Chapter'
From detailing the coming-of-age process to highlighting harsh realities, the group tells their own story. And on July 21, Tomorrow X Together is back to close the chapter on their latest installment, "The Star Chapter" series.
"The Star Chapter: TOGETHER" is a bookend, building upon EP "The Star Chapter: SANCTUARY", released on Nov. 4, 2024, and its themes of salvation, empathy and connection.
"This was a pretty long series," Taehyun, 23, tells USA TODAY. "Sometimes we did question ourselves, 'Are we taking it too long?' But now that we are coming to a close, I felt a little bit sad that we had to say goodbye."
"The Star Chapter: TOGETHER" marks the group's first studio album release in nearly two years, and it reveals Tomorrow X Together's artistic growth and emotional depth.
"This album is really about us and 'you' together striving toward a better tomorrow, and it means so much to us because 'together,' which is part of our very name and essence, is included in the title," Beomgyu, 24, says.
How 'togetherness' shaped TXT's new album
The ethos of Tomorrow X Together's recent release is found in the latter half of its title.
"Without togetherness, we wouldn't have come this far with the story," says Taehyun. "When we think about togetherness, it could mean the five of us, but I think it also includes MOA (the group's fans), because without MOA, this wouldn't have been possible."
"The Star Chapter: TOGETHER" accompanies the five members through a track list of transformation.
"Because we have solo tracks in this album, a lot of the members wanted to really show their true colors by participating in many aspects of the album creation," Hueningkai, 22, says. "I think this album really shows how we have grown as artists."
Tomorrow X Together talks 'minisode 3': 'Never expected' fans to show 'this much love'
TXT's inspiration for 'The Star Chapter: TOGETHER'
Tomorrow X Together's past installments were "a big inspiration to writing tracks in this album," because the storytelling and narrative continues from them, Taehyun shares.
"When I look back on the past installments that I was part of creating, I think I get inspiration from a lot of different things," says the group's leader Soobin, 24. "It could be the members, my family members, the fans ... the themes that we talk about in our songs are something that's very everyday and something that everyone can really relate to."
For this album, the guys worked on solo tracks – a first for some, but not for members Yeonjun and Beomgyu. The former released his first mixtape "GGUM" on Sept. 19, 2024, while the latter dropped his solo project "Panic" on May 15.
"My solo work 'Panic' was one of my favorite genres. I thought it was really my vibe," says Beomgyu. "(For) 'Take My Half', which is my solo track in this album, I wanted to stick with my own vibe, but add a new twist to it."
"For 'GGUM', I focus mostly on rap and dance for that track, but for 'Ghost Girl', it's more about vocals," says Yeonjun. "This time around, it's a rock genre, and YUNGBLUD produced it for me. I really wanted to live up to his vibe. It wasn't very easy, but it was a very exciting challenge I was willing to take on."
As for the album's lead single "Beautiful Strangers," Hueningkai says "it's really about conveying the message that 'I can grow thanks to the power that you gave me.'"
"I think this was the perfect song that would really convey the message of the entire album and really wrap up and seal the narrative of 'The Star Chapter'," he adds.
'Where I live my dream': Tomorrow X Together on Madison Square Garden shows, tour-day-in-the-life
TXT's fourth world tour and hopes for the future
To accompany the album, Tomorrow X Together will embark on their fourth world tour, "ACT: TOMORROW." It kicks off on Aug. 22 in Seoul, South Korea, and the guys will set out for the States starting Sept. 9.
"We're going to meet MOA in the States, as well as all across the globe," Soobin says. "We're really, really looking forward to that."
Tomorrow X Together will make stops across seven US cities, including Los Angeles, Washington D.C. and Newark, NJ.
As for Tomorrow X Together's future, the group hopes their music can continue to be a guiding light for those experiencing growing pains.
"We've been spending the past six, seven years singing about the growth of these boys and the circumstances that they face and the emotions that they experienced," says Taehyun. "There were times when I sung a song first, and then later that experience happened to me, or the other way around."
"This might be a little bit personal, but I just hope that we are seen as artists that give positive impact to people," Hueningkai adds.
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an hour ago
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38 Beauty Products That Understoof The Assignment
A super pigmented E.l.f. camo liquid blush that's apparently giving Rare Beauty a run for its money *sips tea*. This long-lasting, buildable, easy-to-blend little beauty will have you coming back to purchase more and more cuz of the gorgeous, soft, dewy finish you'll get. And that price definitely isn't bad either. A jar of Brazilian Bum Bum body cream made with a caffeine-rich guarana extract formula to help smooth and tighten skin. People are in loooove with this stuff and some reviewers even just use it as, like, a perfume. Yeah, it smells that good thanks to the gorgeous aroma of pistachio, salted caramel, and vanilla. And a jar of Bum Bum body scrub reviewers are *obsessed* with because in true Sol de Janeiro fashion, it smells AMAZING — with the same pistachio, salted caramel, and vanilla combo as the famous cream. Plus, the crushed cupuacu seeds and sugar crystals will have rough skin (think elbows, knees, and shins) feeling as soft and luxurious as ever while adding a touch of ✨sparkle. ✨ A pretty as heck hydrating lip gloss with ~multidimensional~ sparkles for a lightweight, eye-catching pout. You can also wear it on your eyelids for a perfectly intergalactic look. A pack of nose pore patches that'll banish all the gunk and excess oil as you sleep. Your nose will be smoother than you could have ever dreamed of. Mane Club One Hit Wonder — a 10-in-1 spray that LITERALLY does it all, but won't cost you the price of 10 products. It'll help detangle, condition, take care of frizz, boost shine, hydrate, soften, smooth, prevent breakage, and provide heat protection (up to 445 degrees). A serious multitasker. A so-dang-good Coco & Eve foam self-tanner that'll deliver some jaw-droppingly magical results. Thor may be the god of thunder, but you, my friend, will be the bronze-y god/goddess of the sun, without even needing any sun. A K-Beauty zero sebum drying powder to help keep oil under control, whether it's on your face or in your hair. This stuff really said *Oily skin? Take a look around. Do you see her anywhere? NEWS FLASH, you're not gonna*. An E.l.f. color corrector that'll help camouflage discoloration, dark under-eye circles, blemishes, redness, and dark spots without caking up or creasing your flawless foundation and concealer. Mielle's (TikTok-famous) Rosemary Mint strengthening oil made with biotin and moisturizing oils like jojoba, rosemary, and mint that can help stimulate and nourish your scalp while also strengthening and promoting hair growth at the root. This magical potion will help prevent damage with a dash of faith, trust, and pixie dust. A hydrating eye stick to help reduce dark circles, lines, and puffiness while delivering moisture without oils. Sensitive skin friends, this one's for us. People may start to think your goldfish are Cosmo and Wanda because these results are jaw-dropping. And an under-eye brightener because you aren't sure if you'll ever actually not be exhausted, but you can def stop looking like it. It's ~enriched~ with shea butter and hyaluronic acid to give your dark circles a more radiant look. The pinkish tint helps balance out the blueish tint under your eyes, so A+ for this because the assignment = totally understood. A fabulous lip-plumping gloss set for some seriously luscious lips. Your pout will be juicy as heck. Ooh-la-luscious. Tape-in extensions that'll turn you into Rapunzel but without the magic flower Mother Gothel needed. It'll look like it's *literally* growing out of your head, so you can be all *why, yes, my hair did magically grow overnight*. You'll be able to do SO many styles — ponytails, buns, half up, half down; these babies can do it all. Or some gorgeous clip-in extensions from Luxy Hair so you can get the length without paying a professional to install 'em. So flawlessly beautiful with such incredible quality, you'll have to clear some space on your phone for all the selfies you'll take. I have these, and holy crap, they're incredible. I've been wearing clip-ins for over 10 years now and can confidently say that these are the best quality I've ever used. They're thick as heck, the band is strong, and they feel so silky and luxurious it's almost unbelievable. My hair is a dark burgundy red, and they don't sell that shade, so I got the chestnut brown shade and dyed them... several times. I didn't wanna pay a professional to dye them, and I had a very hard time getting the extensions the exact same shade as my hair. I dyed them three times before they matched my hair (no bleach involved), and even after being dyed again and again, they still feel just as gorgeous as they did when I first opened the package (witchcraft). They come with instructions for how to take proper care of them, and they look beautiful once installed. I wore two packs of the clip-ins for a photoshoot, and whew! They looked stunning! They're perfection, and if you're gonna spend money on clip-ins, I recommend you spend your coins on these ones. I don't think any other company's clip-ins will ever be good enough for me again. I love themmmm, I'm wearing this brand them from Luxy Hair for $235+ (available in three lengths, 35 colors, and two thicknesses). A Cosrx snail mucin serum to help improve skin hydration and soothe damaged skin. Yep, snail mucin is a Korean skincare product made from snail slime. Sounds ick, but your skin will totally fall in love the second you use it. Hmm, wonder if this is why SpongeBob had Gary the pet snail — skincare benefits. A pack of 240 pimple patches because a pimple is NOT ruining our day, babe! These patches use hydrocolloid material to help absorb all the gunk and tea tree oil and salicylic acid to speed up the pimple-healing process without picking or popping. Abracadabra, psh, what pimple? Reviewers are comparing these babies to the ever-so-popular Starface patches. An E.l.f. lip balm that'll have you like *wait, are we sure that this isn't Laneige in disguise?* These hydrating, nourishing balms are packed with ingredients your lips will ~love~ like shea butter and hyaluronic acid, and they'll give you an ever-so-sheer tint. Plus, you could get all five for, like, the same price as ONE of the name-brand ones. And their Glow Reviver melting lip balm, which not only comes in the most stunning shades, but it'll slick your pout DOWN with some deliciously buttery moisture without the sticky feeling. And that shine?! To die for. 😍 Promising review: "Diva, stop letting these influencers sway you into spending your hard-earned (and scarce) beans on $20–$30 subpar lip balms — you're paying for the brand, and the quality is questionable. E.l.f. KNOCKED THEM OUTTA THE PARK WITH THIS! SO BUTTERY, SO YUMMY, SOOOOOOO MUCH PRODUCT!!!!! I wasn't expecting the tube to be so generous in size, by far the biggest amount I've seen from the market. The flavors are divine, the color payoff is even better than Summer Fridays… and it's only $9, you cannot go wrong. I just can't fathom any balm being priced above $12, E.l.f. always hits and barely misses. 🩷💋" —SONIAGet it from Amazon for $9 (available in six colors). A piercing bump solution so you can help stop that little bump on your nose piercing that's tripled in size in two weeks from growing annnnyyyy more. Before you totally ditch your new piercing, let this stuff help heal and reduce the size of your keloid! I know, I know, I get 'em too, and yes, they can be terrifying to look at. A jar of Truly Beauty boob polish made of an acai and retinol concoction that'll help smooth your skin, reduce the appearance of fine lines and stretch marks, and brighten, firm, and tighten your chest skin. Bestie, I'm sure your tatas already look *absolutely amazing*, but if you've ever been intrigued by these beautiful jars at Ulta, (🙋🏽♀️🙋🏽♀️🙋🏽♀️) give this a try! And if anyone compliments your boobs, you can be like "oh yeah, I just had 'em polished." Lottabody's super fluffy mousse — a lightweight option that'll help your curls air-dry into some super perfect hair. If you want tamed frizz, defined curls, and soft wraps, look no further, your fairy godmother has arrived, and she's surprisingly a bottle of mousse with coconut oil in it. A bottle of Meltdown acne oil for anyone with acne-prone skin. This reviewer fave helps reduce acne, redness, and inflammation, and fades acne scars, all while preventing future breakouts. It also keeps you hydrated with rosehip oil and is cruelty-free! Mix this into your moisturizer, wear it under makeup, or use it as a spot treatment — this stuff is super versatile! A pack of two tongue scrapers so your breath can be extraaaaa fresh. You won't believe how clean your tongue is or how much gunk it removes. A wart-removing gel infused with ~salicylic acid~ that'll help to dry out your lil' blemishes and get 'em outta here. This no-drip gel formula also comes with waterproof patches to keep them hidden and prevent them from spreading. People will def think you did some sort of witchcraft, but whatever, at least those annoying warts will *poof* away! An illuminating moisturizer by L'Oreal to help enhance your skin's natural summer ✨glow.✨ It's a perfect, lightweight alternative to heavy foundations that just make you feel suuuuuper hot on those lovely 95-degree days. Joesoef's sulfur soap that'll help with some of your skincare woes, like acne, blackheads, and clogged pores. Sulfur, *a key ingredient in this lil' miracle bar*, is an antibacterial and anti-fungal that'll help you say hakuna matata to all of your skincare problems. A sulfate-free biotin shampoo with tons of 5-star ratings from people swearing by its effectiveness. It works on all hair types, including dyed hair, and it can help stimulate hair growth and make your hair look thicker with regular use. An Anua heartleaf pore-clearing cleansing oil that's perfect for all skin types and will effectively get rid of makeup residue, blackheads, and sebum while also helping prevent your pores from clogging up. In fact, it works *so* well, some reviewers say you can actually see the gunk and oil leave your face. You'll be kinda grossed out by the ick seeping out of your pores while also being totally in love with the results. Blackheads, be gone! An Ogx leave-in conditioning cream to apply to your towel-dried hair for a magic trick. *Voila*, defined, bouncy curls that'll put a little extra pep in your step because of the way your curls bounce when you walk. A mattifying, waterproof On Til' Dawn One/Size setting spray that Beyoncé used at her Renaissance concert in the pouring rain at her DC show — and Queen B's face was still beat to *absolute perfection* through the downpour. Yeah, this stuff has magic in it for sure, sign me up. And a One/Size blurring setting powder, which I'm, like, 98% sure Fiona and Cordelia Goode from AHS: Coven conjured up. Silky smooth, poreless-looking, matte skin for up to 14 hours?! Where's the cauldron that this was made in? A bottle of professional-grade callus-removing gel that'll quickly get rid of all that thick, hard skin. Holy guacamole, these results! Mind-blowing and magical. Nars soft matte foundation, aka the best thing to ever happen to oily skin. This stuff is shine-, transfer-, and sweat-proof, will last up to 16 hours, contains *top notch* oil absorbing powers, I mean ~powders~, and is OXIDIZATION RESISTANT!! Dreams do come true. A lightweight, suuuper gentle Cosrx mild gel cleanser that'll help remove skin impurities while simultaneously strengthening your skin's protective barrier. Your skin has *slightly* acidic natural pH levels that this low pH cleanser will balance out better than peanut butter balances out jelly. A match made in heaven: this stuff and your gorgeous skin. A roll-on after-shave treatment because shaving seems great — ya know, the super smooth legs you can't stop touching — but you also know the razor bumps are on their way. This'll help you prevent AND get rid of those pesky suckers. Plus, it'll do the same for ingrown hairs, so you won't have to deal with the beach-day annoyance of a pus-filled bump. A nail veil concealer that'll help smooth and hide any imperfections (if you even have any, you perfect little human, you). This sheer, buildable polish will have your nails looking like you just came fresh out of a salon. A bottle of Paula's Choice Salicylic Acid Exfoliant to help unclog and diminish large pores. This leave-on, fragrance-free exfoliant is gentle enough for all skin types and exfoliates dead skin cells, leaving you looking fresh and hydrated.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
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Opinion: Top Dating Tips For the Future MAGA Faithful in D.C.
On a recent trip to Washington D.C., I had dinner back-to-back nights at a legendary Capitol Hill steakhouse. The place was packed with politicians, Hill staffers and K-Streeters, but I was amazed at how lonely the Gen-Z MAGA men and women looked: Staring at their phones, incapable of conversation and wholly unable to pick up a date. Yes, they're new to the D.C. scene but also because they had no moves. And that is where I can help! What follows is my advice for MAGA 'boys and, in some cases, gals' on how to connect and find romance—or at least a hookup. What makes me qualified to give dating and sex advice? It's been 30 years since I was a D.C. political consultant. And even longer since I had sex. But I live in Hollywood, and show business pickup lines are easily adapted to the Capitol. Case in point: Hollywood: I may have a part for you in my next movie. Come to my hotel room at 2 read the script. D.C.: I may have some district spending for you. Come to my office at 2 a.m. to read the bill. Or there's: Hollywood: Did I tell you that Steven Spielberg likes my script? D.C.: Did I tell you Steve Bannon liked my Project 2025 proposal on the best ways for bankers to foreclose on widows and orphans? See, it's perfect. So, here's some tip tips for all the power-hungry, love-lorn players out there. Like buying a house or getting a vasectomy, the three things that matter most when looking to lock down a love connection are location, location and location. You want to be at a spot where the action is, close to your office in the White House so that you can walk your new friend back for a private tour or, you know, Senate hearing room sex tape. The bar at The Willard is perfect, but also don't rule out The Mayflower—where you can take your new flame up to the Elliot Spitzer room for some 'socks on' action. When you see your 'target' across the room, remember these three basic rules: If you think Kristi Noem is smiling at you, it's just the Botox. 90% of the time a MAGA hat is worn to cover male pattern baldness. Always ask for two proofs of citizenship—you want to be the one to handcuff your date, after all, not ICE. Checked those boxes? Open the conversation. Some lines to consider: 'I'd like to storm you like the Capitol.' 'I want to do to you what the Big Beautiful Bill did to people on Medicaid.' 'Oh that? RFK Jr. told me it's just a cold sore.' Once your target is hooked—and of course they will be if you're spitting fire like the above—you need to move things along. You could talk about why the Ten Commandments should be posted in the bedroom, so you know which ones to break. You could keep things fun with an icebreaker game—like playing 'kiss, marry kill', but with 'depose, arrest, deport' categories. (First name: Rosie O'Donnell.) And make sure to use sexy euphemisms to pique their interest: 'I'm known as the majority whip,' say, or 'my package has stimulus.' At this point you have primed the pump, so to speak. Don't worry about picking up the check, you're surrounded by lobbyists. Rather, you just need to close the deal—and make it fast, because you never know when a Truth Social rant is going to upend the government and leave you pulling the wrong kind of all-nighter: 'Why don't we go somewhere it's totally empty so we can be alone? I've got tickets to a 2028 Ron DeSantis rally.' 'Into some role-play? Let me pretend to be Venezuelan and sneak across your southern border.' 'Trust me, it's just a cold sore.' So now you're back at your apartment. The deed has been done and you need to say something to ease that post-coital tension. Don't admit to losing your virginity at 27, even if you're convinced it was their first time at the rodeo too. Try these lines instead: For a woman: 'You're almost as good as President Trump.' For a man: 'You're almost as good as Lauren Boebert during the second act of Beetlejuice.' But let's be honest, no-one wants to remain either under the desk or in the same bed for more than 5 minutes with a one-night stand. I recommend any/all of these lines ahead of a graceful edit, leaving open the possibility of a sequel without making a commitment. MAGA is the party of family values and trad wives, after all, but there's no need to have a wedding registry just yet—unless you really need a crockpot. 'I have to go now and do some housework. ICE arrested my maid.' 'Wow, I'm more tired than Joe Biden walking up a flight of steps.' (Then fake a yawn, fake falling asleep and begin to snore.) 'Actually, it's not really just a cold sore.' I hope this has been enormously helpful—it sure should be. By following my advice, and using my lines, you future leaders of America will find out that you don't need to be a member of Congress to service a constituent, seal a backroom deal and press the flesh. Solve the daily Crossword
Buzz Feed
8 hours ago
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21 KPop Demon Hunters Behind The Scenes Facts
Do you love all things TV and movies? Subscribe to the Screen Time newsletter to get your weekly dose of what to watch next and what everyone is flailing over from someone who watches everything! First, director and writer Maggie Kang thought of the idea for KPop Demon Hunters because she wanted to create a movie that "was set in Korean culture" and acts as a "love letter to K-pop and [her] Korean roots." So, she researched mythology and demonology in Korean culture and thought that a story about it could make an animated movie "visually unique from what we've seen in mainstream media." She told Animation Magazine, "I've also always wanted to do a group of amazing kick-ass women. [Production designer] Helen Chen draws these amazing, beautiful female superheroes who are not overly sexualized but still very strong and feminine. I thought about a daily job that they could do, and Kpop just came to mind and became the pitching point of the movie." Maggie Kang's other main objective was to portray women in ways that she's "always wanted to see women portrayed, especially in a superhero movie." So, she wanted them to be "funny and silly and goofy and messy, as well as cool and aspirational and sexy." What made the characters of Rumi, Mira, and Zoey fun to create was that their on-stage and off-stage personas were able to be so different. While they are a polished and united group on stage, they are able to be flawed behind the scenes. It took roughly nine years to get KPop Demon Hunters made, with Maggie Kang revealing that Rumi was actually originally created for another project by her partner Radford Sechrist, who is a story artist and animator, who is best known for creating Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts. In a Reddit AMA, Kang said, "The character of Rumi was created 9yrs ago, for another project- specifically my partner Rad Sechrist's Plastic Walrus. KPop was born in June or July of 2018. When we created this KPop IP I loved the design of Rumi so I plucked her out and made her the MC of KPop." The film also drew inspiration from Bong Joon Ho films, with Maggie Kang telling Animation Magazine, "Another thing I wanted to pull off is similar to how Bong Joon Ho juggles so many different tones in his films to where they feel very animated. They're very comical but they're very dark, and so we try to do that in our film." Music videos, Korean photography, concert lighting, anime, and K-dramas were also inspirations for KPop Demon Hunters. For HUNTR/X, early inspiration for their character designs and music came from 2NE1, BLACKPINK, ITZY, TWICE, and more. The film worked with THEBLACKLABEL, a South Korean record label founded by Teddy Park and Kush on the music, so naturally their recording artists, like BLACKPINK, were big influences for HUNTR/X's look and sound. Maggie Kang told Mashable, "Teddy and the team really wanted to create something new, with its own sound and identity. I knew I wanted the girls to be tough. They're not just idols, they're warriors. That alone gives them a different energy." As for the Saja Boys, the team drew inspiration from Tomorrow X Together, BTS, Stray Kids, ATEEZ, BIGBANG, Monsta X, and more for both the look and sound of the band, but also the fans who become infatuated with the group. Speaking to Forbes, Maggie Kang said, "There are many more that served as inspiration – both in and out of K-pop, but they all follow the same archetype. There's always a muscular one who shows off their abs, one who was the romantic type, and the baby of the group." For the Saja Boys, while they all have their own distinct styles, they actually "all share the same CG body, except for Abby Saja, because he's a little bit bigger," according to Maggie Kang. She added, "We bulked him up like 20%." Jinu does have his own distinct look from the rest of the Saja Boys, and it was inspired by K-drama actors Cha Eun-woo and Nam Joo-hyuk. The goal was to have Jinu have a very classic Korean look, which was why they gave him dark hair. Jinu was voiced by Ahn Hyo-seop, who is also a popular actor and singer. Meanwhile, Korean model Ahn So Yeon was the inspiration for Mira, who is the more fashion-forward character of the trio. Unlike with the Saja Boys, where they all look relatively the same, Maggie Kang's objective for HUNTR/X was that they all have very different looks from each other. Kang told Forbes, "Even with the way we animated them [they are distinct]. With their smile, you'll notice Zoey has more of a heart-shaped mouth when she expresses herself. We wanted Mira to be long and lean because I love that look on a woman. I think that's so beautiful. With Rumi, we leaned into a very classic, beautiful Korean look." Early inspiration for how the demon hunters used music throughout generations came from Maggie Kang and co-director and co-writer Chris Appelhans being inspired by traditional Korean mudang dancers, who were women who performed protective rituals. Appelhans recalled thinking, "Isn't that kind of like the first concert?" He added, "That idea clicked: music as a way to connect people and push away darkness." "From there, everything opened up. It gave us a foundation for the girls' identities, their costumes, the mythology, even the stage visuals. And with the Saja Boys, we had fun playing with the idea of a dark, seductive boy band, literally demons in disguise," Appelhans explained to Mashable. The design for Jinu's tiger, who has affectionately been named "derpy tiger," was based on minhwa, according to Maggie Kang. Minhwa is a traditional Korean folk art, which was big during the 17th to 19th centuries, during the Joseon era. The paintings were a symbol of "hope, prosperity, and well-being," which often used bright colors. The Hojak-do genre notably specialized in images of tigers and more. "It's very goofy, and that is the reason why we call him Derpy Tiger. Those drawings are very derpy. He's always wally-eyed and weird-looking," Kang told husband, Radford Sechrist, was the lead animator for Jinu's tiger. He also told Salon, "I would say 90% based on the minhwa artwork, which was incredible to reference and 10% is our cat" There are a few TWICE Easter eggs hidden throughout the film. First, you can spot TWICE listed on the charts when Bobby pulls out his phone. You can also see TWICE (and Meovv) posters in the hallway backstage at the Idol Awards. While writing and creating the songs for the Saja Boys, Chris Appelhans told Mashable they purposefully wrote songs that were "super catchy, but slightly hollow," to emphasize that they are the demons in the story. He added, "There's no real soul underneath." Appelhans also told Mashable, "The idea was that the surface-level part of your heart might be obsessed with the boys, but the deeper part is moved by the girls."Danny Chung, who is part of THEBLACKLABEL and wrote "Soda Pop" voices Baby Saja, too. HUNTR/X's lyrics and songs were written with the intention of having deep meanings behind the words. Chris Appelhans told Mashable, "It's that feeling when an artist shares something raw, like 'drivers license' or Lemonade, and you're stunned they went there, but you feel it so deeply. That's the space we wanted HUNTR/X to live in." Maggie Kang added to Mashable, "The boys' lyrics are all 'give me, give me,' and the girls' final song is about giving themselves to the audience." Arden Cho initially auditioned for the role of Celine, but was then encouraged to read for the role of Rumi. Speaking about booking the role, she told Navar, via AllKPop, "I was overjoyed beyond words. Even after 20 years of acting, I wondered, 'Is it okay for me to want this role so badly?'" She continued, saying, "Director Maggie Kang, I, and all the HUNTR/X members share Korean heritage. K-Pop Demon Hunters is about more than K-pop: it showcases Korean warmth, unity, and how that helps overcome crises. I really wanted to help spread that message of 'us'." EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and REI AMI provide the singing voices for Rumi, Mira, and Zoey, respectively. Meanwhile, Lea Salonga, who is best known for her theater work and for being the singing voice for Mulan and Princess Jasmine, provided the singing voice for Celine. Arden Cho, May Hong, Ji-young Yoo, and Yunkin Kim voiced the characters, respectively. Due to the fact that HUNTR/X performs on stage, hunts demons, and we see them in their everyday lives too, the movie actually consists of the most costume looks ever for an animated movie. "When it comes to demon hunting and music making, they all have their own role and it comes together in a magical way," Maggie Kang added during an interview with Netflix. The team took musical inspirations from various artists when it came to writing and producing the songs. For example, "What It Sounds Like" was inspired by Lorde's "Green Light," with Chris Appelhans saying in a Reddit AMA, "Green Light (Lorde), is both vulnerable + anthemic and helped us believe we could achieve both in our finale." He also referenced Imogen Heap for Rumi's part of the song, writing, "The vocoder vocals in Hide and Seek (Imogen Heap) inspired us for Rumi trying to reconcile both parts of herself and find her 'true voice'." Originally, the movie included a final standoff song between Rumi and Celine. However, it was cut because it "didn't fit the arc of the story," according to music supervisor Ian Eisendrath. In a Reddit AMA, Eisendrath described the song as "really cool." Also speaking about writing the songs, he said, "First thing we did was determine when the story/characters need to sing, then hired an amazing group of Kpop hitmakers, and spent years developing these song (often 3-6 songs were written for each slot before we settled)!" Due to how expensive it can be to animate an entire movie, the full choreography for all the performances doesn't actually exist. The only parts that are choreographed are what is shown in the final film. In a Reddit AMA, Maggie Kang explained, "We do not have full choreography! We only have it for the sections that are see on screen. Again, budgetary reasons-- what we don't see, we do not pay for lol." And finally, the soundtrack has led to seven hits on Billboard's Hot 100, with "Golden" reaching a peak of No. 6 on the chart as of July 21. HUNTR/X also hit No. 2 on the US Spotify charts, surpassing BLACKPINK as the highest-charting female K-pop group. And the Saja Boys' "Your Idol" topped the US Spotify charts, surpassing BTS as the highest-charting male K-pop group. Subsequently, "Golden" will reportedly be submitted for Best Orignal Song consideration a the 2026 Oscars. What do you LOVE about KPop Demon Hunters? Share all your thoughts below! Want to find out which KPop Demon Hunters character you're most like? Click here to take the quiz! Do you love all things TV and movies? Subscribe to the Screen Time newsletter to get your weekly dose of what to watch next and what everyone is flailing over from someone who watches everything!
