Your Idol
| "Your Idol" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Saja Boys | |
| from the album KPop Demon Hunters | |
| Released | June 20, 2025 |
| Length | 3:12 |
| Label | Republic |
| Songwriter(s) |
|
| Producer(s) |
|
"Your Idol" is a song performed by Andrew Choi, Neckwav, Danny Chung, Kevin Woo and samUIL Lee as the fictional K-pop boy group the Saja Boys in the 2025 animated musical fantasy film, KPop Demon Hunters. It was released on June 20, 2025, through Republic Records, as the seventh track from the film's soundtrack album. The song was written by Ejae, Kush, Mark Sonnenblick and Vince and produced by 24, Ido and Ian Eisendrath.
Synopsis
The song is used as the penultimate musical number in the film, where the Saja Boys perform it at the city stadium on the summit of Namsan to summon the main antagonist, Gwi-Ma, and feed him the souls of the magically entranced audience, before being interrupted by the arrival of the film's protagonist Rumi.
Background and theme
Ejae received the instrumental track of the song from The Black Label and executive music producer Ian Eisendrath with Exo references.[1] She worked on the lyrics with The Black Label songwriters Kush and Vince. Ejae took inspiration from Christian hymns in writing the song,[2] as well as Exo's songs "Mama" and "Obsession".[1] The choir portion, in particular, was inspired by the choral arrangement in the former song. For the chorus intro to "Your Idol", she reversed the audio for the song "Hunter's Mantra" and harmonized it on the demo. Ejae added harmonies and sounds to evoke a cathedral and create a "creepier" atmosphere with "a kind of old Latin vibe".[1] Ian Eisendrath brought in a Broadway vocalist to create the full choir for the track.[1] The song's opening includes "Dies irae", a Latin sequence.[3]
The song's use in the film marks a pivotal moment in the storyline, a "dramatic" shift to "sleek, jet-black silhouettes" as the boy band reveals their true form in full demon-like, all-black attire.[4] "Your Idol" is a direct contrast to the Saja Boys' film introduction song "Soda Pop" which was described as a "super bubblegum-y K-pop boy band songs" similar to BTS' "Butter".[5] The lyrics find them appealing to their fans' obsession to them, in an effort to tempt them into allowing the band to steal their souls.[1][5][6] Debashree Dutta of Rolling Stone India highlighted "a jarring contrast" between the two Saja Boys songs, noting that "Your Idol" reveals "the Saja Boys' true nature while cleverly critiquing the darker side of fame and obsessive fan culture".[7]
Baek Byung-yeul of The Korea Times stated the styling of the two fictional K-pop groups in the film connects to "the past and the present of Korea". In the film, the Saja Boys perform "Your Idol" in black hanbok and traditional horsehair hats, evoking "the image of the jeoseung saja, the Korean equivalent of the grim reaper".[8] According to co-director Maggie Kang, the idea of portraying the group as "jeoseung saja" was one of the film's earliest concepts. Kang described it as "a very iconic image" that had never been explored in animation before. The scene aimed to give the film's secondary antagonist, Jinu, a "more traditional look" during the performance while drawing the audience into the dark underworld through striking color effects.[9]
Commercial performance
For the chart dated July 3, 2025, "Your Idol" reached number one on the US Spotify chart, marking the highest placement ever for a K-pop boy band and surpassing BTS's 2020 song "Dynamite".[10] It became only the fourth K-pop track to top the chart, following Jung Kook's "Seven" (2023), Jimin's "Who" (2024) and Rosé's "Apt." (2024).[11]
Charts
| Chart (2025) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[12] | 4 |
| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[13] | 30 |
| Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[14] | 17 |
| Czech Republic (Singles Digitál Top 100)[15] | 33 |
| Germany (GfK)[16] | 20 |
| Global 200 (Billboard)[17] | 3 |
| Greece International (IFPI)[18] | 30 |
| Hong Kong (Billboard)[19] | 19 |
| Hungary (Single Top 40)[20] | 30 |
| Iceland (Tónlistinn)[21] | 31 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[22] | 24 |
| Lithuania (AGATA)[23] | 47 |
| Malaysia (IFPI)[24] | 3 |
| Malaysia International (RIM)[25] | 2 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[26] | 70 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[27] | 4 |
| Norway (IFPI Norge)[28] | 28 |
| Philippines (IFPI)[29] | 18 |
| Philippines (Philippines Hot 100)[30] | 14 |
| Poland (Polish Streaming Top 100)[31] | 28 |
| Portugal (AFP)[32][33] | 90 |
| Singapore (RIAS)[34] | 5 |
| Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100)[35] | 36 |
| South Africa (TOSAC)[36] | 42 |
| South Korea (Circle)[37] | 7 |
| Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[38] | 36 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[39] | 55 |
| Taiwan (Billboard)[40] | 5 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[41] | 14 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[42] | 14 |
References
- ^ a b c d e Kim, Eun-jae (July 1, 2025). "'KPop Demon Hunters' Songwriter Reveals Music And Song Inspirations" (Interview). Interviewed by Laura Sirikul. Forbes. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
- ^ Jung, Jowoen (July 1, 2025). "When I was young, I dreamed of Beyonce in Korea. However, I never imagined that I would debut as an .. - MK". 매일경제. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
- ^ "KPop Demon Hunters Your Idol Lyrics Meaning". Stay Free Radio. June 25, 2025. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
- ^ "How K‑pop Demon Hunters made Saja Boys' soul‑stealing 'Your Idol' performance". The Star. July 5, 2025. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
- ^ a b Hatchett, Keisha (June 20, 2025). "KPop Demon Hunters: Inside the Animated Film's Electrifying Original Songs". Tudum (Press release). Netflix. Archived from the original on June 25, 2025. Retrieved June 20, 2025.
- ^ Nguyen, Hanh (June 29, 2025). ""Keeping you obsessed": Netflix's demons vs. hunters movie captures the mystical allure of K-pop". Salon.com. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
- ^ Dutta, Debashree (July 7, 2025). "Hit Songs From 'KPop Demon Hunters' Soundtrack Ranked". Rolling Stone India. Retrieved July 9, 2025.
- ^ Baek, Byung-yeul (June 23, 2025). "'KPop Demon Hunters' takes world by storm, combining K-pop energy with Korean heritage". The Korea Times. Retrieved June 24, 2025.
- ^ Dong-hee, Hwang (July 4, 2025). "Director breaks down Saja Boys' soul-stealing performance of 'Your Idol'". The Korea Herald. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
- ^ Yasmin, Shahana (July 4, 2025). "Fictional K‑pop group Saja Boys dethrones BTS on Spotify charts". The Independent. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
- ^ Park, Ga-young (July 5, 2025). "Saja Boys top Spotify US chart with 'Your Idol'". The Korea Herald. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
- ^ "ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. July 28, 2025. Retrieved July 25, 2025.
- ^ "Saja Boys, Andrew Choi, Neckwav, Danny Chung, Kevin Woo, samUIL Lee & KPop Demon Hunters Cast – Your Idol" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved July 21, 2025.
- ^ "Billboard Canadian Hot 100: Week of July 26, 2025". Billboard. Retrieved July 22, 2025.
- ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 29. týden 2025 in the date selector. Retrieved July 21, 2025.
- ^ "Saja Boys – Your Idol" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved July 25, 2025.
- ^ "Billboard Global 200: Week of July 19, 2025". Billboard. Retrieved July 15, 2025.
- ^ "Official IFPI Charts − Digital Singles Chart (International) − Εβδομάδα: 29/2025" (in Greek). IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on July 23, 2025. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
- ^ "Hong Kong Songs: Week of July 19, 2025". Billboard. Retrieved July 15, 2025.
- ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
- ^ "Streymi, spilun og sala viku 30" [Streaming, playback, and sales week 30.] (in Icelandic). Plötutíðindi. July 26, 2025. Archived from the original on July 26, 2025. Retrieved July 26, 2025.
- ^ "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 26, 2025.
- ^ "2025 29-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. July 18, 2025. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
- ^ "The Official Southeast Asia Charts – This Week's Official Malaysia Chart Top 20 from 07/04/2025 to 07/10/2025". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved July 15, 2025. [Select 2025 Week 28]
- ^ "TOP 20 Most Streamed International Singles In Malaysia Week 27 (27/6/2025-3/7/2025)". RIM. July 14, 2025. Retrieved July 14, 2025 – via Facebook.
- ^ "Saja Boys, Andrew Choi, Neckwav, Danny Chung, Kevin Woo, samUIL Lee & KPop Demon Hunters Cast – Your Idol" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved July 26, 2025.
- ^ "NZ Top 40 Singles". Recorded Music NZ. July 18, 2025. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
- ^ "Singel 2025 uke 30". IFPI Norge. Retrieved July 26, 2025.
- ^ "The Official Southeast Asia Charts – This Week's Official Philippines Chart Top 20 from 07/04/2025 to 07/10/2025". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved July 15, 2025. [Select 2025 Week 28]
- ^ "Philippines Hot 100: Week of July 19, 2025". Billboard Philippines. Archived from the original on July 18, 2025. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
- ^ "OLiS – oficjalna lista sprzedaży – single w streamie" (Select week 11.07.2025–17.07.2025.) (in Polish). OLiS. Retrieved July 24, 2025.
- ^ "Saja Boys, Andrew Choi, Neckwav, Danny Chung, Kevin Woo, samUIL Lee & KPop Demon Hunters Cast — Your Idol". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
- ^ "Top 200 Singles Semana 28 de 2025" (PDF) (in European Portuguese). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa. p. 8. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
- ^ "The Official Singapore Charts Week 27 (27 Jun - 3 Jul 2025)". RIAS. Archived from the original on July 8, 2025. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
- ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 28. týden 2025 in the date selector. Retrieved July 14, 2025.
- ^ "Local & International Streaming Chart Top 50 Week 28-2025". The Official South African Charts. Retrieved July 25, 2025.
- ^ "Digital Chart: 2025 Weeks 29". Circle Chart. Retrieved July 24, 2025.
- ^ "Veckolista Singlar, vecka 30, 2025" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved July 26, 2025.
- ^ "Saja Boys, Andrew Choi, Neckwav, Danny Chung, Kevin Woo, samUIL Lee & KPop Demon Hunters Cast – Your Idol". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved July 14, 2025.
- ^ "Taiwan Songs: Week of July 12, 2025". Billboard. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 26, 2025.
- ^ "Billboard Hot 100: Week of July 26, 2025". Billboard. Retrieved July 22, 2025.