The K-pop song "Golden" by Demon Hunters spent 41 weeks on the Billboard 200, equaling the record of BTS's album "Proof," becoming one of the longest-charting K-pop albums in US history.
K-pop's Demon Hunters equals the achievement of BTS's album Proof - Photo: Netflix
According to Forbes , the 41-week milestone officially places the K-pop soundtrack of Demon Hunters among the longest-charting K-pop albums on the Billboard 200, while also opening up the possibility of further breaking existing records.
K-pop Demon Hunters equals BTS's record.
Previously, K-pop group Demon Hunters achieved a major breakthrough after their title track, "Golden," won Best Original Song at the 2026 Oscars. This victory garnered significant attention thanks to the emotional acceptance speech by co-writer and singer Ejae, as well as their live televised performance at the awards ceremony.
Thanks to that effect, the album quickly returned to the top 10 of the Billboard 200. However, just a few days later, it dropped to position 16, reflecting the familiar pattern where albums often surge after major awards before stabilizing again.
Despite fluctuating rankings, the most outstanding feature of K-pop album Demon Hunters is its longevity. With 41 weeks on the Billboard 200, the album has equaled the achievement of BTS's Proof , sharing the fourth spot on the list of K-pop albums with the longest charting history.
The song "Golden" helped K-pop group Demon Hunters break through after winning an Oscar, bringing the album back into the top 10 before dropping to number 16 - Photo: Netflix
Released in 2022, Proof is a compilation album by BTS, featuring many major hits, lesser-known songs, and some new tracks. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and maintained its popularity for a long time.
At the top of the charts, BTS continues to dominate. Their album Love Yourself: Answer currently holds the record for 100 weeks on the charts, being the only K-pop product to reach three digits.
Following closely behind is Map of the Soul: 7 with 95 weeks, while Love Yourself: Her reached 45 weeks, only slightly ahead of K-pop hits Demon Hunters and Proof .
The K-pop group BTS continues to dominate K-pop records on the Billboard 200, with many albums achieving impressive chart-topping times - Photo: NBC
These figures show that the standards for judging K-pop's success in the US market differ significantly from those for global pop stars.
According to data from Luminate , K-pop album Demon Hunters sold approximately 35,000 units in the most recent week. With this steady momentum, the album is likely to soon surpass BTS's Proof album to improve its ranking on the list of albums with the longest chart run.
If it maintains its momentum, the album is expected to catch up with, or even surpass, Love Yourself: Her . Furthermore, K-pop Demon Hunters could become one of the few K-pop albums to stay on the Billboard 200 for a full year, thus further confirming the genre's widespread appeal in the American market.