
âGoldenâ is living up to its name: The âKPop Demon Huntersâ track has nabbed four Grammy nominations, including a coveted nod song of the year. âGoldenâ â performed by Huntr/x (EJAE, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami) and written by EJAE, Mark Sonnenblick, DO, 24 and Teddy â also appears in the best pop duo/group performance, best song written for visual media and best remixed recording categories.
EJAE, Nuna and Ami spoke with Variety on Friday morning shortly after the nominations were revealed.
âIâm not able to digest this time. Iâm still in shock,â EJAE said with emotion in her voice. Ami was also visibly tearful, admitting she hadnât stopped crying: âIt feels out of this world.â
Nuna said the nominations were an honor, but it was the representation that was important: âYouâre going to see three Korean faces. To think about the kids who are going to see that, and hopefully for that to shape their understanding of what they can do in this world, is the stuff that is giving me chills up my spine.â
EJAE, who made history as the first Korean-American female songwriter to be nominated for song of the year, admitted she felt some âimposter syndrome.â Ami added: âAs Korean women, we were often told we have to work twice as hard, we have to show up earlier, we have to show out more than our average counterparts in order for us to receive the same accolade or even recognition.â
A David Guetta remix of âGoldenâ is also nominated for best remixed recording (the award would go to Guetta as the remixer), and the full âKPop Demon Huntersâ soundtrack is up for best compilation soundtrack for visual media.
The song of the year category is wide in range as âGoldenâ competes with âAbracadabraâ by Lady Gaga, âAnxietyâ by Doechii, âAPT.â by RosĂ© and Bruno Mars, âDtMFâ by Bad Bunny, âLutherâ by Kendrick Lamar with SZA, âManchildâ by Sabrina Carpenter, and âWildflowerâ by Billie Eilish.
âGoldenâ also competes with âDefying Gravityâ (Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande), âGabrielaâ (Katseye), âApt.â (RosĂ©, Bruno Mars) and â30 For 30âł (SZA with Kendrick Lamar)â for best pop duo/group performance. In the visual media category, âGoldenâ is up against âAs Alive As You Need Me To Beâ (Nine Inch Nails), âI Lied to Youâ (Miles Caton), âNever Too Lateâ (Elton John, Brandi Carlile), âPale, Pale Moonâ (Jayme Lawson) and âSinnersâ (Leonard Denisenko, Rodarius Green, Travis).
As for whom Huntr/x is looking forward to seeing at the show next year, their response was âall of the above,â to their fellow song of the year nominees. âAnd Sabrina Carpenter. I love Sabrina Carpenter,â added Ami.
However, despite industry expectations and heavy awards buzz, the track missed a nod for record of the year, a category many believed it would secure. A nom there would have made history, marking Huntr/x as the first K-pop group ever recognized in that field.
Since its debut on Netflix in June, the film became the streamerâs most popular movie of all time. Meanwhile, three of its original songs â âGolden,â âYour Idolâ and âSoda Popâ â have been mainstays on Billboardâs Hot 100 chart.
âKPop Demon Huntersâ has been such a phenomenon that the theatrical-averse Netflix decided to bring a sing-along version of the film to theaters for fan events in August and October. During the first go-around, âKPop Demon Huntersâ topped the box office with roughly $18 million over two days. Then around Halloween, the movie collected $5 million to $6 million, which is noteworthy considering itâs been widely available on streaming for months.
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