‘KPop Demon Hunters’ lead vocalists say they learned a lot from Kendrick Lamar

Audrey Nuna, from left, Ejae, and Rei Ami from "KPop Demon Hunters" appear at the MTV Video Music Awards in Elmont, N.Y., on Sept. 7, 2025. (Evan Agostini / Invision / AP)

LOS ANGELES - While the lead vocalists in animated film “KPop Demon Hunters” are largely inspired by the work of other K-Pop artists, EJAE, Rei Ami and Audrey Nuna said they also admire Black American hip-hop stars like Kendrick Lamar, Missy Elliott and Doechii.

“I think I discovered West Coast rap in high school, and I learned a lot about storytelling, lyricism and rhythm,” Korean American rapper and singer Rei Ami said.

All three vocalists told Reuters that rapper and record producer Lamar’s music had particularly impacted their musical styles.

“His (Lamar’s) flow is insane, cadence, his way of writing, his way of vocal producing, I learned a lot from that,” Korean American singer and songwriter EJAE said.

“KPop Demon Hunters,” directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans and available on Netflix, is trending around the world. Its soundtrack has dominated the charts this summer, boasting more than three billion global streams to date, and breakout hit “Golden” reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, Netflix reported in August.

The streaming platform reported on Tuesday that the movie was currently its most popular English-language film.

A sing-along version of “KPop Demon Hunters” topped the domestic box office during its opening weekend on August 23 and 24, in what appeared to be a historic first for Netflix.

The action-packed movie received 2.1 billion on-demand audio and video streams in the U.S. across all platforms and earned a total of 5.4 billion minutes watched on Netflix in the U.S. by late September, according to Luminate.

Luminate added it was the most-consumed soundtrack in the U.S. so far this year when looking at album sales and streaming equivalents.

First live performance will be on ‘The Tonight Show’

On Oct. 7, the singers will perform “Golden” on “The Tonight Show,” marking their first-ever live performance together.

“It’s official,” the singers said in unison, confirming their upcoming live performance debut.

“These girls, it’s an honor being on stage with them,” Rei Ami said, noting that for her, this history-making moment is “overdue.”

The movie, which came out on June 20, follows a K-pop girl group called HUNTR/X, comprised of Rumi, Mira, and Zoey, who are also a trio of demon hunters that perform K-pop music to impress fans and combat demons.

EJAE, provides the singing voice for the lead singer Rumi and cowrote “Golden,” which she performs with Rei Ami, who sings as Zoey, and Audrey Nuna, who’s the vocalist for Mira.

The film was produced by Sony Pictures Animation.

With the musical movie continuing to trend, directors Kang and Appelhans said they are considering what the future may hold.

Both said they are thinking about a potential sequel, but right now, they are just trying to take their busy schedules day by day.

They are also appreciative of the Oscar and Grammy awards buzz they have received.

“It’s an honor to be even recognized, to be potential nominees,” Kang said.

(Reporting by Danielle Broadway and Jane Ross; Editing by Mary Milliken and Jamie Freed)

Danielle Broadway, Reuters