EJAE took to her social media to express her gratitude, saying, "I have no words… Just tears. Thank you to everyone for the love." She added in Korean, "Thank you so much for the love in Korea as well. I will work even harder in the future."
'Golden' is performed by the fictional girl group Huntrix in the film and features Korean-American artists EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami. EJAE and Rei Ami were born in Seoul, while Audrey Nuna hails from New Jersey. Notably, EJAE spent a significant amount of time as a trainee at SM Entertainment, aspiring to become a K-pop star.
The track entered the Hot 100 at number 81 last month and steadily climbed the ranks, reaching 23, 6, 4, 2, and 2 before finally claiming the top spot in its seventh week.
Other K-pop artists who have topped the Hot 100 include BTS (with six songs) and BTS members Jimin and Jungkook (with one song each).
During the chart's tracking period, 'Golden' saw a 9% increase in streaming, reaching 31.7 million streams. Its radio airplay score rose by 71% to 8.4 million, and sales increased by 35% to 7,000. The Hot 100 ranks songs based on U.S. streaming data, radio airplay, and sales.
Additionally, 'Golden' also claimed the top spot on the UK Official Singles Chart 'Top 100,' achieving a rare feat of topping both the U.S. and UK charts. Amidst a summer lacking standout K-pop hits, 'Golden' has established itself as a major hit with its catchy melody and powerful vocals.
The song's high notes have become a new benchmark for vocal prowess, inspiring numerous K-pop artists like Bada, Lee Haeri, Solar, Lily, An Yujin, Sohyang, Ailee, and Kwon Jinah to participate in the 'Golden Challenge,' which has taken social media by storm.