🧨 K-pop OST Takes Over Billboard — With BTS Right Behind!
The soundtrack for Netflix’s original animated film K-pop Demon Hunters is making waves again. Climbing back up the Billboard 200, the OST now holds the #3 spot, reclaiming its position among the most popular albums in the U.S.
This rise marks a 2-step climb from last week, according to Billboard’s chart preview released on July 27 (local time). Previously peaking at No. 2, the OST had slipped slightly but has rebounded thanks to continued fan support and streaming strength.
🔥 89,000 Album Units in a Week — What’s Driving the Surge?
The K-pop Demon Hunters OST earned 89,000 equivalent album units this week — a 5% increase from the previous chart cycle. That figure includes:
- Traditional album sales
- Streaming Equivalent Albums (SEA)
- Track Equivalent Albums (TEA)
The continued success highlights the global reach of both the film and its music, powered by a fictional girl group, HUNTRIX, and top-tier K-pop production.
💜 BTS Strikes Again: ‘Permission to Dance’ Live Album Debuts at #10
While Demon Hunters hits Top 3, BTS joins the party too. Their live album “Permission to Dance On Stage – Live” just debuted at #10 on the same Billboard 200 chart.
Captured from their 2021–2022 world tour, this album marks BTS’s 8th Top 10 entry on Billboard 200 — further proof of the group’s enduring global dominance.
📊 Breakdown of BTS’s Chart Performance This Week:
- Total album units: 43,000
- Pure album sales: 36,000
- SEA: 5,000
- TEA: 2,000
ARMYs worldwide celebrated the comeback, proving once again that even a live album from BTS is an event in itself.
🌍 Why This Matters: K-pop’s Global Firepower
The simultaneous success of a fictional K-pop OST and a live BTS album reveals something powerful: K-pop is no longer just a music genre — it’s a global storytelling force. From anime-style adventures to stadium-sized memories, fans are tuning in, streaming, and showing up.
Article Source: Go Seung-hee, “케이팝 데몬 헌터스’, 美 빌보드 앨범 차트 다시 톱3…BTS도 10위,” Herald Economy, July 28, 2025.
Alt Text: Poster image of the animated trio from K‑Pop Demon Hunters in dramatic pose, used for promotional release.
Caption: Official poster featuring the HUNTR/X trio from K‑Pop Demon Hunters. Image embedded from @vitrina.ai
Image Source Credit: Image via Vitrina.ai, used for editorial purposes.
