KPop Demon Hunters has its own Elsa

As Rumi strides forward with her arms wide and her long braid swinging, it feels as if she is about to sing the lyrics of “Let It Go” from Disney’s Frozen. The K-pop queen commands the stage like Elsa commands her ice castle while performing “Golden,” a song on the soundtrack of a Netflix’s animated musical film KPop Demon Hunters. 

“Golden” became a global hit this summer with its catchy melody and high-pitch chorus. The official music video exceeded 160 million views on YouTube by August 11, less than two months after the film’s release. Many lead vocalists from K-pop idol groups, including Ryeowook (Super Junior), Eunji (Apink) and Solar (MAMAMOO), joined the song cover challenge on social media.

KPop Demon Hunters is expected to hit another fever pitch this weekend as sing-along events are slated for movie theaters across the country including Regal Cinemas at Destiny USA in Syracuse, Movie Tavern in Camillus and Manlius Art Cinema.

The viral spread of “Golden” online isn’t surprising, given its strong production team, including EJAE, who wrote for Red Velvet and Aespa, and Teddy, the man behind BLACKPINK. Fans can resonate by recognizing their idols’ musical styles in this song.

As a female anthem, “Golden’s” lyrics, vocal style and popularity may remind listeners of the famous track “Let It Go” from Frozen, another animated musical film. Both songs are about no longer hiding, embracing one’s true self and releasing one’s power.

The chorus of “Let It Go” flows smoothly into the pre-chorus of “Golden,” through lyrics and melody. With a proper remix, there could be a seamless transition between “I’m done hiding, now I’m shining like I’m born to be. We dreamin’ hard, we came so far, now I believe” from “Golden” and “Let it go, let it go. Can’t hold it back anymore” from “Let It Go.”

Rumi, the main character of KPop Demon Hunters who leads the vocals in “Golden,” also shares many similarities with Elsa, the protagonist of Frozen, who solos in “Let It Go.” Both have a half-blood identity, powers that can harm others, secrets they can’t share with the closest ones and even braided hairstyles and elaborate, shimmering costumes.

While Elsa, the ice queen, has beautiful yet dangerous freezing powers, K-pop star and demon hunter Rumi conceals an even darker secret — she has patterns of her enemies, the demons, which are inherited from her father. In KPop Demon Hunters, demons prey on humans for their souls and the hunters protect humans using their singing voices to maintain a magical barrier called Honmoon.   

Both singing about no longer hiding, in “Let It Go,” Elsa embraces her real self by saying goodbye to the perfect girl she used to be, and in “Golden,” Rumi has an eagerness to live like the girl that other people see her as by erasing her demon patterns.

Like “Let It Go,” “Golden” appears in the first half of the movie. But KPop Demon Hunters has a climax song, “What it Sounds Like,” which leads to the final battle between demon hunters and Gwi-Ma, the antagonist and boss of demons. When Rumi sings the first verse, walking out of the dark with her demon patterns glowing on her skin, it shows her determination to reveal and embrace her true self. The scene evokes a memory of when Elsa arrives at Ahtohallan, singing “Show Yourself” in Frozen 2.

In both plots, the heroines’ makeup and costume changes highlight their success — whether in self-identification, like Elsa, or in self-acceptance, like Rumi. In “Show Yourself,” the lullaby sung by Elsa’s mother leads to Elsa singing “I am found.” In “What it Sounds Like,” it takes more courage and support for Rumi to accept herself and her demon patterns as part of who she is to find harmony with darkness.

While Frozen 2 focuses on “I,” KPop Demon Hunters lands at “we.” Starting from the second part, “What it Sounds Like” changes the grammatical person into we — “So we’re not heroes, we’re still survivors.” Rumi’s teammates in HUNTR/X, the K-pop girl group, and fans all sing together in the chorus and the bridge.

Though we are not perfect and have shame and guilt, we can still see the beauty in who we are. This is what it sounds like to the audience.

Twelve years after Frozen made history in animated musicals, KPop Demon Hunters brings a new chapter to the genre, incorporating Asian music and culture. Apart from “Golden” and “What it Sounds Like,” the other soundtracks are also well-produced, featuring iconic K-pop elements. Although this is not an innovative story and some scenes resemble K-pop music videos, it provides insight into what Asian popular music could look like in a film musical scene.

Just as many kids go to Disneyland dressed as Elsa, we might see more Rumi cosplay at K-pop festivals in the future.