A few months ago, I wrote a review about the movie K-Pop Demon Hunters (hereafter abbreviated as KPDH), where I analyzed some of the different elements and themes of the movie and its story. But while listening to some of the songs, I realized that while they were indeed poppy and fun, they were a lot deeper than people gave them credit for. Even Soda-Pop, which some have described as corporate slop (very catchy slop though).
In this article, I will lyrically break down some of the songs from the movie, including Golden, Takedown, What it Sounds Like, Soda-Pop, and Your Idol. I left out How It's Done, because, honestly, while it's my fav song on the soundtrack, it serves more as a badass dynamic intro for Huntrix as a whole and doesn't have that much thematic relevance.
Oh, and I left out Free because I don't like it that much. Sorry, RuJinu fans!
Golden
What's interesting about Golden is that it's commonly seen as the ultimate positivity anthem, along with being the most popular song from the movie. But looking at the lyrics? It's actually incredibly sad.
In terms of musical lingo, Golden is an ‘I Want’ song disguised as an ‘I Am’ song. Throughout the whole song, Huntrix, especially Rumi, are expressing that they've gotten over their insecurities and are ‘shining’. But really, they're absolutely bullshitting. As we see later in the movie, none of them are really over their insecurities and are just hiding them, hoping nobody notices. This is exactly how Gwi Ma manipulates them near the end of the movie. Let's get into the lyric-by-lyric breakdown:
I was a ghost, I was alone
어두워진 앞길 속에 (hah) (Translation: In the darkened path ahead)
Given the throne, I didn't know how to believe
I was the queen that I'm meant to be
Rumi's lines here refer to the legacy that hangs above her head. Her mother was a Sunlight Sister, Huntrix's predecessors in the demon-hunting game. This is already a hefty expectation, but when you factor in that apparently Rumi's mom's baby daddy was a whole demon, it gets even more complicated. How do you believe you're the queen that you're meant to be when half of you is the thing you've been taught is the enemy?
I lived two lives, tried to play both sides
But I couldn't find my own place
Called a problem child 'cause I got too wild
But now that's how I'm getting paid 끝없이 (Translation: Endlessly Endlessly) on stage
Here, Zoey and Mira give their backstories and insecurities to the audience. They give the impression that because of their new roles, they've fully gotten over them. But even though we clearly see their sisterhood gives them a lot of comfort, the love of others can't always make these things go away.
I'm done hidin', now I'm shinin' like I'm born to be
We dreamin' hard, we came so far, now I'll believe
We're goin' up, up, up, it's our moment
You know together we're glowing
Gonna be, gonna be golden
See, everything Rumi just said now? A damn lie. None of the girls is shining, least of all Rumi, because of the sanitized versions of themselves that they're presenting to each other and the world.
I find the word ‘golden’ really interesting. It's clearly a huge reference to the Golden Honmoon they're trying to make. But it has an even deeper meaning. See, being golden is not actually a good thing, unlike what all the TikTok edits of this song would have you believe. Being ‘golden’ means not being their true selves and putting up a pretty facade. This carries to the end of the movie, where the Golden Honmoon must be destroyed for the girls to accept themselves and create the new Honmoon.
That one's rainbow, not golden.
Oh, up, up, up with our voices
영원히 깨질 수 없는 (Translation: Forever Unbreakable)
Gonna be, gonna be golden
Oh, I'm done hidin', now I'm shinin' like I'm born to be
Oh, our time, no fears, no lies
That's who we're born to be
I find it interesting that the Korean lyrics say something similar to Forever Unbreakable. Gold is, in fact, not unbreakable. Maybe Zoey was thinking of diamonds when she wrote this. We see near the end of the movie that the girls do break after the truth of Rumi's demonhood is revealed. Even the Honmoon they were trying to make golden breaks in the end. It's by accepting their brokenness that they come together again.
Waited so long to break these walls down
To wake up and feel like me
Put these patterns all in the past now
And finally live like the girl they all see
This is the only time in the song where Rumi is being honest about who she is. She wants to be the facade she portrays, unbreakable with no demon patterns on her skin, and believes she can only achieve this by being golden. The next song further explores this.
Takedown
I'm gonna be real, I don't actually like Takedown much either. I may be a full-blooded hater, but the Kendrick Lamar-level hatred in this song makes even me feel a bit uncomfortable. The song is insidious because it was written to sneak diss the Saja boys, but it also alludes to Rumi's secret identity and her own self-hatred. Let's get into it.
So sweet, so easy on the eyes, but hideous on the inside
Whole life spreadin' lies, but you can't hide, baby, nice try
I'm 'bout to switch up these vibes, I finally opened my eyes
It's time to kick you straight back into the night
'Cause I see your real face, and it's ugly as sin
Time to put you in your place 'cause you're rotten within
Wow…that's a lot. So obviously, on the surface, this refers to the Saja Boys. They have an attractive facade, but are really trying to seduce people into giving up their souls. But this also refers to Rumi. She fears that her friends will find out her secret and think she's been rotten within the whole time. And part of Rumi wonders if they're right.
I don't think you're ready for the takedown
Break you into pieces in a world of pain 'cause you're all the same
Yeah, it's the takedown
A demon with no feelings don't deserve to live, it's so obvious
Damn, this song is kinda messed up. Rumi is being forced to sing these lyrics while knowing full well she is part Demon herself. She knows logically she is not the same as all the other demons at this point, and yet part of her fears she is. If demons don't deserve to live, then she doesn't deserve to live unless she can get the demon half out of her. This gets pretty dark when you remember that Rumi essentially tells Celine to mercy kill her near the end of the movie when her powers go out of control. Her self-hatred is so deep that she doesn't even value her own life anymore.
Later on, as Rumi gets to know Jinu, she also discovers that other demons are not exactly the bloodthirsty caricature that she was taught they are. Unfortunately, because of time constraints, the movie doesn't explore this much. But I wonder if there are other demons who do have feelings just like Rumi and Jinu.
Oh, you're the master of illusion 나를 속이려 하지 마 (Translation: Don't try to decieve me)
Look at all the masses that you're foolin'
But they'll turn on you soon, so how?
How can you sleep or live with yourself?
A broken soul trapped in the nastiest shell
영혼 없는 네 목숨을 끊으러 (Translation: To end your souless life) , and watch you die-ie-ie
Obviously, the other girls think they're talking about the Saja Boys, but this is really Rumi's internal thoughts. She has been hiding her identity at Celine's request by hiding her patterns. But inside, there's a constant monologue of wondering if her friends would hate her if they knew the truth about her. Haven't we all wondered if those we love would be disgusted if they knew who we really were?
Anyway, this song is pretty rough for Rumi. Let's move on to something more positive.
What it Sounds Like
I honestly do love this song, but I don't listen to it often because it's brought me to tears an embarrassing number of times.
Something I want to note is the musical contrast between Golden and this song. I know I said this was a lyrical analysis, but I promise it's important. In Golden, for a large part of the song Rumi is in her head voice (or the highest part of her range). And when she reaches the highest note, she's just barely straining to be able to belt it. Golden is a notoriously hard song for a reason, and even the original singers performed it at a lower key when singing live.
In contrast, in What it Sounds Like, Rumi ranges from her chest to mixed voice most of the time, which sounds a lot more natural for her. Golden sounds a lot more vocally impressive, but it does not come naturally to Rumi, and she needs to strain to sing it. What it Sounds Like is a lot more natural and down to earth, and never really gets all that high. You could say without the lies, this is what Rumi's true voice sounds like.
I just love that there's so much attention to detail in the storytelling in this movie, even down to the musical composition. Even later, the song has the Golden leifmotif in the instrumental, showing that this is where Rumi truly shines. Let's analyze the lyrics.
Nothing but the truth now
Nothing but the proof of what I am
The worst of what I came from, patterns I'm ashamed of
Things that even I don't understand
I tried to fix it, I tried to fight it
My head was twisted, my heart divided
Rumi has hit rock bottom. She has tried to fix the part of herself she's ashamed of, only to lose everything, including the ones she loves. As it turns out, Mira and Zoey were more hurt that she tried to hide her demonhood from them than scared of her being a demon in itself. She's gone to her mentor for mercy and a path forward, and has just been given the same old path to tread. With nothing to lose, Rumi is finally ready to be honest about the parts of herself she finds ugly.
I don't know why I didn't trust you to be on my side
I mean, to be fair, Mira and Zoey were saying all that shit about demons being ugly as sin and rotten from within. Pretty demonphobic, not gonna lie. I can understand why she felt it wasn't exactly a safe space.
I broke into a million pieces, and I can't go back
But now I'm seeing all the beauty in the broken glass
The scars are part of me, darkness and harmony
My voice without the lies, this is what it sounds like
Rumi can't fix all her mistakes or what's happened to her. But she accepts them as part of the complex person she is, and finds beauty in them. The last line is a sort of confession. She is telling her friends that this is really who she is under the facade, and inviting them to drop theirs as well.
Why did I cover up the colors stuck inside my head?
I should've let the jagged edges meet the light instead
Show me what's underneath, I'll find your harmony
The song we couldn't write, this is what it sounds like
Zoey is talking about masking her quirkiness, which, if you believe in the theory that Zoey is neurodivergent, means a lot. The girls have all been masking parts of themselves because they're worried they won't be accepted, and thinking that the others are perfect. But finally, in admitting it, they are able to find freedom in each other. This is the song they should have written instead of Takedown.
We're shattering the silence, we're rising, defiant
Shouting in the quiet, "You're not alone"
We listened to the demons, we let them get between us
Literally referring to the Saja Boys getting between them, but also their metaphorical demons getting in the wya of them connecting. Shame thrives in silence, and admitting to theirs helps release the burden.
So we were cowards, so we were liars
So we're not heroes, we're still survivors
The dreamers, the fighters, no lying, I'm tired
But dive in the fire, and I'll be right here by your side
The girls haven't always been the best people. Even though they are technically the heroines of the story, they are rejecting this label to acknowledge their complexity.
I also wanted to acknowledge that this song has a lot of commentary on the K-pop industry itself. Often, idols have to maintain a perfect facade to maintain popularity, and are attacked when they don't fit this facade perfectly. I think sometimes we forget that another definition of idol is an object of worship. It's impossible for someone to be your idol without objectifying them, and when a real person doesn't fit into that box, people have a hard time reconciling it. KPDH gently pushes back against this, saying that idols, like everyone else, should be allowed to have the complexity that we are all afforded.
Now that we're done with the Huntrix songs, let's analyze the Saja Boys' songs.
Soda-Pop
One thing I noticed about the Saja Boys' songs is that their songs have a lot more Korean in them. Part of me wonders if this is to obscure more insidious lyrics from non-Korean listeners.
Soda-Pop, on its surface, seems like a fun, yet vapid song. Yet if you pay attention, it's a villain song that is literally advertising what the Saja Boys are here to do. I once heard somewhere that pop music is powerful because you can put anything in the lyrics and it'll go over people's heads. Perhaps this is what the Saja Boys are counting on here.
Don't want you, need you, yeah, I need you to fill me up
마시고 마셔 봐도, 성에 차지 않아 (Translation: No matter how much I drink, it never satisfies me.)
Got a feelin' that, oh, yeah (yeah), you could be everything that
That I need (need), taste so sweet (sweet), every sip makes me want more, yeah
This is an interesting opening. On its surface, this just seems like a classic male love song that uses metaphors to blur the line between romance and other, more, uh, PG-13-rated things. The object of the song, likely the listener, is constantly compared to a refreshing soda that the subject can't stop drinking. I also find the line about not being satisfied interesting. A part of me wonders if it alludes to Jinu's deal with Gwi Ma and how, due to his voice in his head, he never feels satisfied with himself.
Lookin' like snacks 'cause you got it like that (whoo)
Take a big bite, want another bite, yeah
너의 모든 걸 난 원해, 원해, 원해
너 말곤 모두 뻔해, 뻔해, 뻔해 (Translation: I want everything about you, want, want want. Everything else is predictable, predictable, predictable)
These lyrics are clever, as they can be seen as cute, but also subtly refer to consumption, which is what the Saja Boys are here to do. They want to suck up their fans' souls like it's Cranberry Sprite, essentially. The last translated lines show how they are basically trying to make the object of the song feel ‘special’ compared to others, which is an interesting manipulation tactic.
지금 당장 날 봐, 시간 없잖아
넌 내꺼야, 이미 알고 있잖아 (Translation: Look at me right now, i don't have time. You're mine, you already know that)
'Cause I need you to need me
I'm empty, you feed me, so refreshin'
My little soda pop
Something interesting is that the relationship in the song is very one-sided, which isn't exactly uncommon in love songs. The song is about what the object of the song can do for the subject, and never the other way around. This is actually a toxic dynamic presented in a subtle way, which disguises the consumption metaphor. Interestingly, this is flipped in Your Idol, where that song is more about what the subject can do for the object, but either way, the Saja Boys are in the position of power. I find it interesting that the Korean lines seem so rushed and urgent. It sounds almost coercive, like it's trying to rush the object of the song into making a decision because of their love for the subject.
As we'll see in the analysis of Your Idol, these songs can be seen both as representing the demonic nature of the Saja boys as well as parasocial and abusive relationships.
Your Idol
Oh boy, this one is a doozy. Honestly, this song has like three levels of meaning, and there's probably still some I probably missed. Let's get into this one.
Pray for me now
Pray for me now, pray for me now (dies irae illa)
Pray for me now, pray for me now (vos solve in favillam)
Pray for me now, pray for me now (maledictus erus)
Pray for me now, pray for me now (in flammas aeternum)
So there's Latin in this one. According to Tumblr user tending-the-hearth, the Latin translates to something like, ‘That day of wrath will dissolve you into ashes, cursed master, into eternal flames. ’ Dies Irae Illa is also a Latin poem that talks about the Biblical Last Judgement, where humans are either saved if they're righteous, or essentially ‘find out’ after f-ing around. I wonder if this could be Jinu putting in a sneak diss against Gwi Ma. After all, this is the only master he could be alluding to. Is this Jinu secretly showing he hopes Rumi wins and brings justice against Gwi Ma despite his betrayal?
Keeping you in check (uh), keeping you obsessed (uh)
Play me on repeat 끝없이 (Translation: Endlessly) in your head
Anytime it hurts (uh), play another verse (uh), I can be your sanctuary
Know I'm the only one right now (now)
I will love you more when it all burns down
So this is where the parasocial relationship angle comes in. The object of the song is essentially being told that instead of dealing with their shame, they should suppress it and just listen to the Saja Boys' music instead as a distraction. Using music as a distraction isn't inherently bad, but if it comes at the expense of dealing with one's problems, it can be actively harmful.
I will love you more when it all burns down
More than power (uh), more than gold (yeah)
An interesting reference to Golden. Instead of telling listeners to be golden and maintaining a facade, the Saja boys are providing relief. But instead of empowering their listeners to ‘make their own Honmoon’ and be themselves, they want people to base their worth on them. This is a problem, because really, the Saja boys are just using all these people and don't actually care about them. They actively want their lives to burn down and become worse so that these people are dependent on them. Considering that canonically thousands of people have probably gone missing, there's probably a lot of grief to go around right now.
Yeah, you gave me your heart, now I'm here for your soul
I'm thе only one who'll love your sins
Feel the way my voicе gets underneath your skin
The first line is obviously referring to the consumption of souls. But it also refers to how sometimes fans in parasocial relationships with idols will live their lives for a person who doesn't care about them. A lot of the language in this song is also reminiscent of how abusers will talk to their victims. Abusers often convince their victims that, because of their flaws, nobody else will be able to love them except the abuser, and in doing so, they get the victim to stay.
If you think about it, the relationship between Jinu and Gwi Ma is a good example of this. We see them having dialogue about this several times throughout the movie. Part of me wonders if Jinu is repeating what Gwi Ma says to him, and in this way is almost continuing the cycle of abuse.
나를 위해 넌 존재하는 아이들 (Translation: You exist for me, kids)
Don't let it show, keep it all inside
The pain and the shame, keep it outta sight
This is actually pretty similar to what it means to be golden within the narrative. The only difference is that Huntrix are putting this standard on themselves because of self-hatred, whereas the Saja Boys' are using the self-hatred of others to prey on them.
I will make you free (I will make you free)
When you're all a part of me
This alludes to how both idols, companies, and abusers will often present belonging to them as a sort of freedom, when really they're just using you. Overall, Your Idol juggles the issues of both parasocial and abusive relationships in a demonic metaphor. In the end, Jinu does indeed break the cycle of abuse by sacrificing himself to protect Rumi from Gwi Ma's wrath, and thus atones for his past sins.
And we're done! This took a lot of close reading of the song lyrics, but I believe we've uncovered a lot about how the songs tie into the themes of the narrative. The translator I used might have missed some nuance, so if there are any Korean speakers in the comments, let me know anything I missed!
Overall, the music of KPDH goes into topics such as self-esteem, shame, toxic positivity, and even abuse in a way that is still palatable for people of all ages, which is impressive. I wanted to analyze the songs because people often dismiss kids' media as frivolous when there's often a lot of meaning behind the surface. KPDH is a movie made with so much intent and care, down to the lyrics, and an accomplishment like that should be celebrated.
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