Latest news with #KevinWoo
Mint
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Mint
The biggest name in K-Pop isn't BTS. It's Netflix.
After nearly a decade in a K-pop boy band, Kevin Woo returned home to the U.S. four years ago, looking to expand his musical career outside South Korea. His monthly Spotify listeners, until recently, stood at about 10,000. Now, it's around 20 million. The reason? Netflix's No. 1 movie globally, 'KPop Demon Hunters," an animated film with girl-group protagonists and boy-band baddies. Two of the film's tracks have sat atop the U.S. Spotify's most-streamed songs—feats never before achieved by BTS, Blackpink or any other K-pop group, real or imagined. That's delivered a harsh reality to a genre seeking reinvention: Fictional bands have gotten popular faster in the U.S. than humans ever did. The triumph comes as the broader music industry grapples with unconventional entrants, like bogus hits created by AI claiming to be authentic. Woo provides the singing voice for Mystery, one of the five members of the film's soul-stealing Saja Boys. On a recent day, he was relaxing with a friend at a hotel pool in the Los Angeles area when a Saja Boys song started playing. Kevin Woo provides the singing voice for Mystery, one of the five members of the fictional group. Some children began dancing, prompting Woo's friend to ask: 'Do you want to meet the actual Saja Boy?" They shrieked and asked for an autograph, which Woo obliged. He signed his own name next to Mystery Saja. 'It feels very surreal because I play a fictional character," said Woo, 33. 'They don't recognize me as Kevin Woo or a K-pop artist." 'KPop Demon Hunters," produced by Sony Pictures Animation, is an American production shot in English, with a creative team and cast stocked with South Koreans and Korean diaspora. The film, which debuted June 20, has inspired fan art, handmade plushie dolls and cosplays of the main characters. Real-life K-pop stars, including several members of BTS, have praised the film. The fictional K-pop idols are appealing to tribal fanbases that often lock in support for a single group and disavow others. In K-pop lingo, a 'bias" refers to one's favorite singer, while 'akgae" identifies someone who prefers one member of the group but dislikes everyone else. 'Multi-stan" is someone capable of loving more than one group—a stigmatized notion in the K-pop universe. That has made rooting for the Saja Boys and the film's girl-group trio, HUNTR/X, a relatively guilt-free endeavor, fans say. Becoming the Switzerland of K-pop wasn't luck. The film aimed to be an amalgamism of K-pop aesthetics and sounds, with hopes of honoring 'all the fans," said Ian Eisendrath, the movie's executive music producer. 'I challenge people to not love this music," Eisendrath said. Seven of the film's songs rank among Spotify's 15 most-streamed tunes on the U.S. daily charts. The two most popular hits, HUNTR/X's 'Golden" and the Saja Boys' 'Your Idol," are also roaring up the Billboard Hot 100, placing No. 6 and No. 16 respectively. The film's companion album has achieved the biggest streaming week for a movie soundtrack since 2021's 'Encanto." Vasileios Tsagkaropoulos with his daughters, says K-pop feels different now because of the movie. The catchy tunes have created many converts like Vasileios Tsagkaropoulos, a 45-year-old dad who had never listened to K-pop. On a co-worker's suggestion, he found himself on his sofa watching 'KPop Demon Hunters," his two young daughters on each arm. Near the end, Tsagkaropoulos began to tear up. His 6-year-old glanced over as he let out a quiet whimper. He's watched the movie twice more, the soundtrack blares in their car and he's a proud owner of a purple HUNTR/X T-shirt. He said K-pop previously seemed like 'a flashy product." 'It feels different now," Tsagkaropoulos said, 'because it's something I shared with my daughters." The film's chart success carries some caveats. Several individual K-pop singers—as opposed to groups—have vaulted atop the daily Spotify charts in the U.S., the world's most-lucrative music market. BTS and Blackpink, who typically sing in Korean, have hit No. 1 on Spotify globally. BTS, whose members concluded mandatory military service last month, have six chart-toppers on the Billboard Hot 100. Despite explosive growth over the years, the K-pop industry had become top-heavy and stagnated. Two years ago, the CEO of BTS's music label put it bluntly: 'K-pop is in crisis." The success of 'KPop Demon Hunters" shows it is possible for fans to connect with nonhuman idols, said Suk-Young Kim, a professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, who has written a book about K-pop. It will likely spawn copycats. 'This is a long-running dream for K-pop companies," Prof. Kim said. 'Here we have idols who never sleep, never get sick, never age." But don't count the humans out, said Benny Char, a K-pop producer and songwriter, who has also worked with an AI singer. 'You can't manufacture the vulnerability, chemistry and unpredictability that real artists bring to the table," he said. Benny Char, a K-pop producer and songwriter, said there are some elements of real-life groups you can't manufacture. Woo, the Saja Boy singer, said he doesn't mind if his work as Mystery overshadows his prior time with the K-pop group, U-KISS, his Broadway performances or his acting roles. 'For me, in a sense, it's like a reinvention of my artistry," he said. Sky Blaw, who supports the K-pop boy band Vanner, gives high marks to the film's authenticity, from the intense bond between the fans and stars to the glossy stage outfits. But the 27-year-old, who works at an engraving shop in Salem, Ore., was puzzled about one thing: The Saja Boys crashing HUNTR/X's meet-and-greet with fans. 'That," Blaw said, 'would never happen." Write to Timothy W. Martin at
Wall Street Journal
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Wall Street Journal
The Biggest Name in K-Pop Isn't BTS. It's Netflix.
SEOUL—After nearly a decade in a K-pop boy band, Kevin Woo returned home to the U.S. four years ago, looking to expand his musical career outside South Korea. His monthly Spotify listeners, until recently, stood at about 10,000. Now, it's around 20 million.
Hype Malaysia
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Hype Malaysia
From Kevin Woo To TWICE: 13 K-pop Idols Who Took Part In 'K-pop Demon Hunter' Challenges
'K-pop Demon Hunters' has become a global sensation and is possibly one of the most successful animated films in recent years. Both K-pop fans and idols have shown their support for the film, and its soundtrack even managed to top major names such as BTS and BLACKPINK on the US music charts. One reason for the film's success is that K-pop idols themselves have taken part in dance and singing challenges to some of the songs from the film. So, for this listicle, we're not going to do any explaining and instead, let these superstars showcase their dance and singing skills to the 'K-pop Demon Hunters' soundtrack. Let's check them out! 1. UKISS Kevin Woo (Saja Boy's Mystery's singing voice) – 'Soda Pop' 2. TWICE – 'Takedown' 3. Ahn Hyo Seop (Jinu voice actor) – 'Free' 4. ENHYPEN Jay – 'Your Idol' 5. NMIXX Lily – 'Golden' 6. ZEROBASEONE – 'Soda Pop' 7. CRAXY Swan – 'Golden' 8. WONHO – 'Soda Pop' & 'Your Idol' 9. A.C.E Junhee – 'Your Idol' 10. MONSTA X – 'Your Idol' 11. PLAVE – 'Soda Pop' 12. ITZY Yeji – 'Golden' 13. STAY C – 'Soda Pop'
Forbes
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
17 Songs If You Love Saja Boys' 'Your Idol' From 'K-Pop Demon Hunters'
'Kpop Demon Hunters' and Saja Boys singer Kevin Woo attends the KPop Demon Hunters Special Screening ... More at Netflix Tudum Theater on June 16, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo byfor Netflix) Getty Images for Netflix KPop Demon Hunters has not only taken over Netflix as the Number One movie but has sent its soundtrack soaring up the charts as it reigns as the third-biggest album in America this week. On July 7, Billboard reported that the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack is the highest-charting soundtrack of 2025 so far and is the highest-charting soundtrack to an animated film since Encanto hit Number One in 2022. In the past week, the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack earned 77.42 million streams for its songs, marking the largest streaming week for a soundtrack since the Barbie soundtrack claimed just over 79 million in August 2023. Leading the initial charge among the Kpop Demon Hunters' songs is 'Your Idol,' performed by the demons-in-disguise boy band Saja Boys. The track was the soundtrack's breakout hit, entering the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart at Number 77 as the original highest-ranking hit from the OST and leading the way for more songs to break through in a big way like HUNTR/X's 'Golden.' The singing on 'Your Idol' was handled by Andrew Choi, Neckwav, Danny Chung, Kevin Woo and samUIL Lee. Notably, Kevin Woo is a former K-pop idol himself (as a member of the boy band U-KISS from 2008 until 2017), while Andrew Choi, Neckwav, Danny Chung, and samUIL Lee have all written songs for major K-pop acts, including SHINee, MIN, BLACKPINK, SEVENTEEN and many more. Performed during one of the movie's more harrowing moments, 'Your Idol' taps into the dark side of K-pop, a concept many artists use to showcase a new aspect of their artistry and creativity. As new fans dive deep into the twists and turns of the film's storyline and look into the different styles heard throughout the soundtrack, now is the perfect time to dive deeper into the world of K‑pop if you are still to make the leap. Maybe you'll love some dark K-pop concepts? So, if you love Saja Boys' here are 17 similar tracks from established K-pop legends BTS and Max Changmin of TVXQ! alongside newer and rising stars like ENHYPEN and KINGDOM to add to your playlists and expand your K-pop education. Forbes 10 Song Recommendations If You Love HUNTR/X's 'Golden' From 'KPop Demon Hunters' By Jeff Benjamin Since their debut, ENHYPEN has been developing a dark, vampire-inspired storyline to complement their music and visuals. The group's 2023 single 'Bite Me' takes the mysterious pop sound utilized by Saja Boys in 'Your Idol' with a modern twist, with production by Top 40 hitmakers Cirkut (whose credits include Number One hits by The Weeknd, Sam Smith and Katy Perry) and Jason Evigan (Demi Lovato, Maroon 5, Benson Boone). When EXO hit the K-pop scene in 2012, the boy band instantly drew curious listeners in with the ominous choir motif in their single 'MAMA' that many fans instantly drew parallels to 'Your Idol.' While 'MAMA' is certainly more experimental than the Saja Boys' single, you have to hand it to both groups; they know how to pull off the sinister sound. The knocking hip-hop-inspired single from 2021 features a modern sound with a subtle dose of dark mystery, incorporating eerie vocal samples, twisting drill beats, and intense vocal performance. One of K-pop's most ambitious uses of choirs, Jimin set the stage for his history-making solo album, Face , with its regal pre-release single, 'Set Me Free Pt. 2,' which showcased an entirely new side of the BTS superstar. Before he even turned 30, Taemin was considered a living K-pop legend with the SHINee singer able to match any musical concept, dance or style. Released a day before Halloween in 2023, 'Guilty' lets the superstar utilize his bone-chilling falsetto to deliver lines like, 'Poison apple…you wanna take a bite / Hands outstretched, in danger, sinking deeper.' An oft-overlooked BTS single, 'Black Swan' is one of their most raw performances where the international superstars share anxieties about burning out of their passions. Released ahead of the group's record-breaking Map of the Soul: 7 album, 'Black Swan' helped the world recognize BTS as the deep, introspective artists their fans had known them to be from the beginning. Another K-pop legend with more than two decades in the industry, Max Changmin reinvented himself once again with the title track from his 2022 EP. While Max had showcased smooth R&B and ballads in his previous solo work, 'Devil' delivered something quite sinister, with its minimal, hymn-like humming and a cinematically evil music video. If the song title wasn't obvious enough, KINGDOM used the 2021 single 'Black Crown' to share the latest chapter in their medieval-inspired concept, complete with ominous choirs and range-defying vocals. While Saja Boys evoke the image of a jeoseung saja (the Korean equivalent of the grim reaper) for 'Your Idol,' KINGDOM reference other villainous characters in the 'Black Crown' video like a ghastly king, warriors on horseback and a crow. As one of the biggest K-pop solo stars of his generation, Kang Daniel has never been afraid to embrace his dark side and let fans get to know him better through music. Not just in its sound, 'PARANOIA' lets Daniel directly address his tormentors as well as his inner demons. 'The theme in itself is heavy and distant, but since I'm resolving feelings I've personally felt, I wanted to express them honestly,' Kang said of the song. 'The reason I put focus on such a dark aspect is because the majority of people are reluctant to bring this up. I wanted to confess my inner concerns and communicate them.' Kim Woo Seok was first introduced to fans through the boy band UP10TION but quickly reached even greater heights with his solo career. Showing his versatility, Woo Seok's four solo albums released so far see him take on a range of concepts. 'Dawn,' off his 2023 Blank Page, delivers an alluring R&B sound that he perfectly matches with a vocal performance that ranges from spine-tingling falsetto belts to breathy purrs. Another truly versatile K-pop act, PENTAGON chose the intensely dark 'Dr. BeBe' as the lead single for their first full-length album, Universe: The Black Hall , which helped the group hit new heights in their career. While VICTON waited several years for their breakout success, the boy band brought out the slinky, sinister summer single 'Mayday' in 2020 to keep their upward trajectory. Just like 'Your Idol' did for Saja Boys, 'Mayday' allowed the group to share a new side of their artistry with fans. As further proof of how well VICTON performed when embracing darker concepts, eldest member Han Seung Woo released his debut solo single, 'Sacrifice,' featuring an otherworldly vocal performance that hit notes that sounded like he had made a deal with the devil to achieve them. During NU'EST's decade together, the group established itself as a true shape-shifter, able to do anything from bright pop gems to dark tracks like 'I'm in Trouble' in 2020. A dark bassline backs the guys' spine-tingling single styles to declare, ' Ooh! I'm in trouble.' The standout track from EXO's second full-length album EXODUS , the cinematic cut sounds like it could soundtrack a horror-action blockbuster film about a quest to find the mythical city of gold. Another example of Kim Woo Seok's versatility as a performer, 'Red Moon' allows him to showcase his ability to embrace another dark concept with a slinkier, lighter production, anchored around a slightly creepy sing-along hook. A signature song for ENHYPEN's ongoing vampire lore, 'Moonstruck' is the opening track for the group's mega-selling ROMANCE : UNTOLD album from 2024. The track's producer, Slow Rabbit, told Rolling Stone that he thinks 'Moonstruck' is particularly special for the group. 'The song highlights each member's voice, and the lyrics perfectly reflect the group's distinct storyline,' the hitmaker shared. 'I'm sure that [ENHYPEN's fan army] ENGENEs have probably heard this song at concerts or year-end stages, but I think it's a hidden gem.' Another example of Kim Woo Seok's versatility as a performer, 'Red Moon' lets him take on another dark concept but with a slinkier, lighter production centered around a sing-along While Demon Hunters proves the universal appeal of K-pop hallmarks, the dark boy band concept isn't limited to South Korea. Filipino boy band SB19 has achieved international success while increasingly embracing more mature music releases. While K-pop idols from top groups like Super Junior, 2NE1, ATEEZ, THE BOYZ, Kep1er, ZEROBASEONE and many more have recreated SB19 choreography through different viral challenges, the group's 2025 single 'DAM' feels like a perfect type of track to pair alongside Saja Boys' 'Your Idol.' Co-written and composed by member Pablo, 'DAM' is all the more impressive for coming straight from the group members themselves and having a global appeal. As Kpop Demon Hunters ' popularity looks to keep growing, the movie's influence could inspire even more dark-pop hits, so it's best to get listening now .
Forbes
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Kevin Woo: From K-Pop Star To ‘K-Pop: Demon Hunter' Star
Kevin Woo voices the demon k-pop idol Mystery Saja in 'K-pop: Demon Hunters.' K-Pop: Demon Hunters film tells the story of two very different k-pop groups. Huntr/x is a girl group that fights demons and Saja Boys is a boy group whose singers really are demons. The animated film debuted in June and quickly reached the number one spot on the Netflix global movie charts. Songs performed by the film's fictional idol groups ascended the music charts, outpacing songs by actual k-pop groups. Yet despite the film's focus on k-pop idols there's only one actual k-pop idol singing on the film's soundtrack. Kevin Woo, who voices the cute-but-demonic Mystery Saja, performed with the k-pop band U-Kiss for almost a decade. The American singer-songwriter and actor is known to his fans simply as Kevin. He grew up in California and he was only 15 when he moved to South Korea to pursue his dream. 'Growing up there as an Asian American boy I didn't see myself in the media,' said Kevin. 'I've always had a huge dream of becoming a singer, a performer. I thought about going to Korea and I was deeply obsessed with Korean music. It wasn't even titled k-pop then, it was just Korean music. Because of my love for the music, I had this yearning to go to my motherland and start my career there. For a little kid at the age of 15, it was a huge step for me to go from the U.S. to Korea, where mostly Korean music was dominated by Korean people.' Kevin Woo attends an Academy Awards viewing party in 2022. (Photo by Rodin Eckenroth/WireImage) Kevin joined the band XING, before signing on with the six-member boy band U-Kiss, which debuted in 2008. He performed with U-Kiss until 2017 and also hosted the interactive music talk show After School Club. 'I did my whole run in my boy band U-Kiss, which was an amazing journey," said Kevin. "It was one of the most thrilling journeys of my career to be a part of this k-pop international idol group. After I departed from the group I really wanted to expand my horizons. I've always had the dream to perform in my home country, the U.S. That's what brought me to LA.' Since his return to the U.S. he's taken part in several k-pop-related projects. Before voicing Mystery Saja, he made his Broadway debut in the musical KPOP, the 'first ever Korean story to be told on Broadway,' and acted in Anderson .Paak's soon-to-be-released film K-POPS. Representing k-pop and Korean culture as part of KPOP made him proud to be Korean American. More proud moments would follow as he watched k-pop grow into a global phenomenon and saw Korean content succeed in film, on TV and in musicals. Another career and cultural milestone was performing in the Tony award-winning musical Maybe Happy Ending when it opened in Tokyo. "That too was a huge milestone for Korean productions,' said Kevin. 'Maybe Happy Ending is a Korean story. It was written by a Korean writer and it was a Korean production. And now to see that on Broadway is so incredible.' Kevin also plays a pop star in KPOPS, the directorial debut of singer, songwriter and record producer Anderson .Paak. 'KPOPS premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2024,' said Kevin. 'It made its U.S. premiere in Tribeca. This movie will hit theaters in January and, yeah, Anderson .Paak made a film kind of about his life. It's a fictional story, but a lot of the events that happened in the movie mirror his life story and his real life son acts alongside him.' In KPOPS his character participates in a competition show. Anderson .Paak's character is a drummer in the same competition. 'It's a family friendly comedy movie that's about bridging cultures,' said Kevin. 'This one is cross-cultural about bridging black culture and Korean culture with music. The whole theme is about love and family and really finding your journey as an individual. So, even if you're not a k-pop fan, there's so many different themes that audiences can resonate with. It was a big hit at both TIFF and Tribeca.' He was very surprised when Ian Eisendrath, the executive music producer of K-Pop: Demon Hunters, reached out to him for his musical input. 'I was beyond thrilled that Ian reached out," said Kevin. "He said, do you want to be one of the members as a singing voice for this fictional boy band called Saja Boys? I didn't know too much about the script. I hadn't had the chance to read the screenplay, but I immediately knew this was the right fit for me. I was like 'demon boy band and k-pop,' I'm in. He sent over the songs 'Soda Pop' and 'Your Idol.' Ian wanted to hear my feedback on what I felt about it as a k-pop idol.' On hearing the songs Kevin knew he wanted to perform them. The music has every element of what he loves about k-pop. 'It was so nostalgic too because it brought back a lot of the memories that I had in U-Kiss,' he said. 'All the little nuances that I have firsthand experience with, it was all incorporated into these two songs. It really perfectly portrayed why k-pop is so beloved around the world. You got a little bit of the sweetness, the innocent, pure boy band with 'Soda Pop' and then you have 'Your Idol,' where it's like a 180-degree drastically different energy and vibe. That brought me back to the idols that I grew up listening to,' It was a unique experience watching himself as an animated character. It was also his first time working as a voice actor, except for a short stint where he played a boy band member in the Apple TV series Central Park. 'This was a different take on the process of recording because I got to see the characters and I had to really get into character for Mystery Saja,' he said. "But seeing the sketch of the characters, I was like, oh my God, this is so incredibly cute. Also, I just love how each member had their own unique characteristics.' As part of the fictional Saja Boys his visibility rose dramatically. 'Once I saw my name on the Hot 100 Billboard chart this week, I had chills all over my body. I couldn't believe it when I woke up, because first of all, before the song hit the charts on Billboard, Spotify, iTunes, across all boards of every chart, not even in the US, but globally, I saw my Spotify monthly listeners grow from 10,000 to one million overnight.' The Spotify alert was hard to process. He double checked the screen to make sure it was the right number. 'I got an alert saying your growth is a thousand percent. I'm like, what does that even mean? I looked into my artist page and saw one million followers overnight, and I was like, what is happening? Because I believed in this soundtrack, I already knew this was going to be a hit, but I didn't know it was going to be instant, viral.' Saja Boys recently made music history by becoming the first male k-pop group to hit number one on U.S. Spotify. 'I've been hearing from my friends and my family just constantly notifying me that my songs Soda Pop and Your Idol are rising on the charts,' he said. It's just been an incredible wild ride. I can't really explain in words how I feel. It's quite surreal.' He's happy to play a part in the success of Korean culture. 'It's an honor and a privilege for me to represent k-pop in the western world.' What's next? Kevin's short film Seoul Switch about a dork and a k-pop idol who trade places is currently being developed into a full-length film. He recently released a selection of new music and also plays the male lead role in the horror film Death Name, set to come out later this year. Given the success of K-Pop: Demon Hunters, anything is possible. K-Pop: Demon Hunters airs on Netflix.
