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Making a movie like KPop Demon Hunters is a careful balancing act. There are clearly two parts to that title – the music and the action. While the animation is impressive in the Netflix movie, it is the music that really shines. If you’ve ever identified as KPop curious, KPop Demon Hunters is the gateway drug you’ve been waiting for. It has a soundtrack that plays up the tropes of the genre in the best ways.

KPop Demon Hunters follows Huntrix, a three-piece KPop girl band who, as the title suggests, are also tasked with keeping demons at bay. They do this the old-fashioned way, by cutting them down in impressively animated fight scenes, but also by bringing joy to their legions of fans. As their music inspires their fans, it fuels a protective barrier called Honmoon, which keeps the worst of the demons at bay.

With the fate of the world hanging on their music being great, so much of the success of KPop Demon Hunters is riding on the music being believably great. Fortunately, the soundtrack starts strong with How It’s Done, which is a great introduction to KPop. Producer Ian Eisendrath cited Blackpink, one of the most popular bands in Kpop, as the inspiration here and it shows. This song would absolutely be at home on a Blackpink album.

From there, you have Saja Boys, the demonic counterparts to Huntrix, who perform the bubblegum pop song Soda Pop. This is the band that is meant to take the spotlight from Huntrix and doom the world to a demon invasion, and this song is how they do it. It feels very much like BTS, another iconic Korean pop band. It is sweet and cheerful and irresistible, which is kind of a plot point – Saja Boys are trying to tempt Huntrix’s fans away from them. It is a plot that only works because the song works.

Sometimes the inspiration for the music in KPop Demon Hunters is more obvious. One of the big songs, Takedown, is even sung by members of TWICE, another KPop girl band, during the end credits. The fast, aggressive song leans heavily on the hip-hop influences that permeate through KPop and wouldn’t feel out of place on a TWICE record itself.

That is probably the highest praise I can give the music in KPop Demon Hunters – it feels like a great KPop album. From start to finish, it is filled with great songs and showcases why Korea has become a focal point for pop music in recent years. While I’ve got some complaints about parts of the movie – I would have liked them to lean into the over-the-top animation a bit more throughout and there are some narrative inconsistencies in the film – one thing you will never hear me complain about is the music. The soundtrack has been playing in my house non-stop since the credits rolled at the end.

If you want a distilled KPop experience with some fun action and solid animation mixed in, KPop Demon Hunters is your best bet. Netflix has created the perfect gateway drug to your new favorite music genre.

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