The songwriting team behind KPop Demon Hunters’ megahit “Golden” claimed a little more gold for themselves on Sunday night when they won an Oscar for the song.
“Growing up, people made fun of me for liking K-pop, but now everyone’s singing our song in all the Korean lyrics,” singer-songwriter Ejae, who recorded the song as part of Huntrix in the movie, told the audience. “I’m so proud. And I realized this award is not about success it’s about resilience, and I’m just so grateful to our team.”
When Yu-Han Lee took the microphone, though, the orchestra immediately struck up, and his mic was muted. The songwriting team looked devastated, and Ejae called out to let him speak. But instead of turning down the music, the spotlight went off as well, tarnishing their moment.
A rep for the Academy Awards did not immediately respond to Rolling Stone‘s request for comment.
The award for “Golden” was one of two that the film was up for at the Academy Awards. KPop Demon Hunters itself, the most-streamed film in Netflix history, was also up for Best Animated Feature, which it won.
“Golden” was up against several formidable contenders. Those included “Dear Me,” a song by the ultranominated Diane Warren, Sinners’ “I Lied to You,” the operatic “Sweet Dreams of Joy” from Viva Verdi!, and Nick Cave’s Train Dreams song “Train Dreams.”
Earlier in the night, the film also took home the awardsfor Best Animated Feature.
The recognition for “Golden” is a continuation of a seemingly endless winning streak for the songwriters. The track topped Billboard’s Hot 100 for 18 nonconsecutive weeks last year and earned the Number One spot in many countries. The RIAA has since certified the song double platinum.
The team, which includes Ejae, Joong Gyu-kwak, 24, Nam Hee-dong, Yu-han, Teddy Park, and Mark Sonnenblick, claimed a Golden Globe for the song in January. A month later, the song won a Grammy in the Best Song Written for Visual Media category. Now, if they can claim an Emmy and write a Broadway adaptation of the film for Tony consideration, the team could attain EGOT status relatively easily.
Ejae and Sonnenblick spoke with Rolling Stone last year about how they wrote the song, and Ejae, who sang the song as a member of the movie’s Huntrix trio, explained how the experience affected her on a deeply personal level. “I don’t know if Mark knows this, but when I wrote ‘Golden,’ I was going through a hard time,” she said. “I actually cried singing the demo, because it resonated with me so much. Maybe that’s why ‘Golden’ is ‘going up up up.’ Because everyone’s going through a hard time. And they want to feel hope.”
The Academy Awards, hosted by Conan O’Brien, took place at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood.
There’s no immediate resolution in any of this. There’s no surrender either — and a lot of great escape. White’s slide guitar in “Dollar Bill” sounds like a National Steel on steroids until the solo, when it turns into what seems like a theremin gone postal. “I Can’t Believe What I’m Hearing” has a great pop-wise chorus closer to the Pretty Things than Son House. And don’t miss White’s wry aside to the White Stripes’ old creation myth in the second verse of “G.O.D.,” on the way to the real business at hand. “Well, it’s the beginning of the world now,” he declares at the song’s end. “Let’s do it all over again.”
