Ejae, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami went up, up, up for their “golden” moment on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.”
The trio, who provide singing vocals for “KPop Demon Hunters” animated core girl group Huntr/x, arrived on the late-night TV show on Tuesday to perform the Netflix film’s signature song. It's their first time taking the stage together for a full live performance of “Golden,” and even Fallon couldn't contain his excitement.
The first female K-pop song number one in Billboard Hot 100 history, “Golden,” has helped propel the “KPop Demon Hunters” soundtrack to its new accolade. Fallon informed Ejae, Nuna and Ami during the show that the album had gone platinum.
When asked about their experiences surrounding the massive popularity of “KPop Demon Hunters,” the trio offered words including “surreal,” “delicious,” “delicious,” “awesome,” and “crazy.”
“We try to find new adjectives every time,” said Nuna, who is the singing voice of Mira.
His appearance on the “Tonight Show” follows his brief cameo on the season 51 premiere of “Saturday Night Live.” During their interview with Fallon, both Nuna and Ami (Zoey's singing voice) recounted real-life encounters with “Golden” that highlighted the magnitude of “KPop Demon Hunters’” impact.
For Nuna, this happened on a trip to Korea when she saw an elderly street performer playing “Golden” on a traditional Korean instrument.
“I had to think twice because in Korean culture, it's especially impressive if an older person is impressed with you,” said Nuna, who explained that older Koreans rarely focus on accomplishments like attending an Ivy League university or graduating at the top of their class. “It's really difficult [to impress them]. They have high standards. So for the older generation to adopt it, it's something different.”
Ami's encounter was with a much younger fan. He recalled a trip to an H Mart where he saw a child singing “Golden” at the top of his lungs while holding his mother's hand.
“I think it's one thing to hear our song on the radio, but to hear it come out of a child's mouth, live?” Ami said. “At H Mart, my favorite place?… I just cried at HMart.”
Meanwhile, Ejae offered an anecdote suggesting that the success of “Golden” may have been preordained.
Prompted by Fallon, the “Golden” co-writer shared that while recording her part of the song in the studio, she briefly saw “a grunge ghost.”
He was “a tall guy in a flannel…and blue jeans,” Ejae said. And this brief encounter may have been auspicious.
“My mom later reminded me [that] There is a myth in Korea in music. [business]“If you see a ghost or any paranormal activity while recording a song, it’s a hit,” he said.
