ED What comes next after 'Golden' Grammy?
From left, Jeong Hoon-seo, Mark Sonnenblick, EJAE, Lee Yu-han, Park Hong-jun (Teddy) and Nam Hee-dong, winners of Best Song Written for Visual Media for “Golden” from "KPop Demon Hunters," pose with their award during the 68th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, Feb. 1. (REUTERS/Mike Blake)
A Grammy win signals the start of K-pop's golden age
Korean popular music has reached a decisive turning point. “Golden,” the breakout hit song from the Netflix animated film “KPop Demon Hunters,” has won Best Song Written for Visual Media at the 68th Grammy Awards. The achievement, credited to songwriters and producers EJAE, Teddy, 24 and IDO, marks the first Grammy win for a work linked to the K-pop genre. It is more than a trophy. It is a declaration that K-pop has secured a place at the very center of the global music industry.
The Grammys have long been regarded as the most conservative and insular of the world’s major music awards. Even BTS, whose global impact reshaped pop culture and commerce alike, walked away empty-handed despite multiple nominations. Against that backdrop, the selection of a song from an animated film featuring both English and Korean is striking. It signals not a token acknowledgment, but a fundamental shift in how K-pop is perceived, no longer as a regional phenomenon with global fans, but a mainstream genre judged by the industry’s highest standards.
The nature of the award itself makes the victory even more significant. The award for Best Song Written for Visual Media honors musical excellence in service of storytelling, evaluating how effectively a song enhances the artistic vision of a film or television work. That K-pop creators claimed this prize underscores the genre’s evolution beyond performance-driven spectacle into a sophisticated storytelling medium. “Golden” succeeds not merely as a chart-topping track, but as an integral narrative element that fuses music, character and imagination.
"KPop Demon Hunters" demonstrates the power of such convergence. By marrying K-pop’s polished musical identity with the boundless creative possibilities of animation, the film reveals how potent Korean pop culture becomes when sound, story and visuals are seamlessly aligned. This creative synthesis propelled “Golden” to unprecedented commercial success, including simultaneous No. 1 rankings on the Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Official Singles Chart, an outcome once considered unthinkable for a K-pop track, let alone one tied to an animated feature.
Cultural recognition on this scale carries tangible economic consequences. K-pop’s global fandom extends far beyond music consumption. Fans actively engage with Korean food, fashion, cosmetics and travel, transforming cultural enthusiasm into real economic momentum.
The surge is already visible: Visitor numbers to the National Museum of Korea rose nearly 13 percent last year thanks in part to renewed interest in Korean art and culture stemming from the success of “KPop Demon Hunters,” and tourism authorities are now accelerating plans to reach 30 million annual foreign visitors by 2028. K-pop has evolved into a cornerstone of Korea’s soft power, reshaping the country’s global image.
With success now firmly established, the focus must shift from celebration to sustainability. The Korean government has allocated 9.6 trillion won ($6.62 billion) to the culture and arts sector this year, but funding alone will not guarantee continued innovation. What creators need most is an environment that protects autonomy. The principle of “support without interference” must be upheld rigorously if artistic experimentation is to flourish.
Structural challenges also demand urgent attention. Chronic shortages of large-scale performance venues here continue to limit growth. Legal and financial systems must adapt to recognize K-pop intellectual property as a viable financial asset, enabling more robust policy funds and investment mechanisms. Equally essential are stronger copyright protections, fairer compensation for creators and a global distribution infrastructure that reflects the genre’s international reach.
The Grammys have finally opened their doors to K-pop. Whether this moment becomes a singular triumph or the beginning of a sustained golden era will depend not on individual talent alone, but on how Korean society chooses to value, protect and nurture its creators. “Golden” has set the standard. The responsibility now lies with all stakeholders to ensure it is not the last.