The hit animated movie KPop Demon Hunters‘ soundtrack climbs steadily on the Billboard’s Hot 100, cementing its place in the hearts of netizens everywhere. With a soundtrack full of rich, varied tracks, there’s no doubt that KPop Demon Hunters showcases vast musical talent. Many may argue that all KPop Demon Hunters tracks are created equal — while every track is a masterpiece in itself, there are definitely standouts, with two contenders for the winner (spoiler alert: neither of them are Golden).

• Your Idol. This track easily secures a place in the top two — if not the very best. Opening with a haunting Latin-inspired introduction, it transitions seamlessly into a K-pop song with a perfect mix of English and Korean lyrics. Your Idol is reminiscent of popular boy bands like ENHYPEN and Stray Kids. Given that the artists of Your Idol, the Saja Boys, are demons masquerading as singers in a boy band, this track was likely the best possible song to signal the finale of the Saja Boys, where they finally unmask who they are — dark demons, a far cry from the bright and “boy crush” singers they previously embodied. Outside the significance of this song, Your Idol is overall an extremely catchy song, with engaging variation in the voices and verses. Your Idol thrives in a minor key, which fits the mood of the movie to a T as well — and nothing is better than a catchy song with orchestral buildups, opera undertones, well-designed outfits, a brainwashed crowd, and lyrics that hint at the malicious nature of the singers, fitting directly with the plotline.

• Takedown. Few things hit harder than songs in minor keys, and Takedown is no different. This song is commonly criticized for its disturbing role in the plot, where Rumi is harmed by demons disguised as her closest friends. The demons unveiled her true identity as a half-demon onstage in front of thousands. Despite this role in the plot, this song is incredibly catchy, and the minor key is done beautifully. The song is unpredictable while still remaining cohesive, and it is entertaining to listen to. Takedown singers Audrey Nuna, REI AMI, and EJAE displayed their emotions incredibly well through this song, and though the lyrics are dark, they are entertaining and mesmerizing — much like Your Idol. The only reason it falls just short of the top spot is that it lacks the variation and layered complexity of Your Idol.

• How It’s Done. For viewers new to K-pop, How It’s Done — the opening track that plays within the first three minutes — serves as the perfect introduction to the movie. This song sucks viewers into the movie, and rightfully so. It’s catchy, bouncy, and the perfect “girl crush” vibe HUNTR/X went for throughout the movie. There’s not much to say about this song — it’s a well-made song. It’s nothing outstanding, but it’s very catchy and has no glaring problems. It is a standard “girl crush” song, but what sets it apart from other similar songs in the K-pop industry is its unpredictability, hard-hitting beats, and variation in tune. The creators truly knew what they were doing, putting one of the best songs at the beginning. It’s the perfect way to show viewers what K-pop is while introducing them to HUNTR/X, everyone’s favorite girl group — in the movie’s world, at least. 

• Golden. Though HUNTR/X may claim they’re “going up, up, up,” they aren’t going up on this ranking. Rather, they’re descending — this song is okay. On the first listen, this song was amazing. In the movie, it delivers the exact effect the song is hoping for as the Honmoon flickers golden. With repeated listens, however, Golden loses its shine. The song starts to blend together, and every verse sounds the same. The main redeeming factor of this song — and what attracted most fans — is its vocals. The singers hit mind-blowingly high notes on Golden, but ultimately, the song falls short of stardom due to its uniform and uninteresting musicality. For the first listen, like in the movie, when viewers don’t have the option to loop the song on Spotify or YouTube, it’s the perfect fit as it has that “wow” factor sure to impress audiences.

• What It Sounds Like. Following Your Idol, What It Sounds Like, was disappointingly underwhelming for the final song of the movie. With a track as orchestral, Stray Kids-esque, and deliciously evil as Your Idol, viewers definitely expected something of even higher caliber to follow the penultimate song. This track, however, focused more on plot rather than musicality, serving to advance the battle between the Saja Boys and HUNTR/X. This put the musicality, catchiness, and uniqueness on the backburner, which is evident through the lack of range in the song. The singers found comfort in their tessitura as they fought demons — which is completely okay — but it detracted from the quality of the song heavily. Not only were the vocals underwhelming, but the lyricism was vague at best. What does “This is what it sounds like” mean? Most likely, even Rumi could not answer that question. What It Sounds Like was, overall, underwhelming in every aspect. However, compared to the final two songs in this ranking, it has its moments, especially when it comes to how it helps the plot.

• Free. This song is a standard ballad, and anyone acquainted with the K-pop industry knows there are thousands of songs just like this. There’s no variation — it’s not a terrible song, but it’s boring and lacks depth. The love story in KPop Demon Hunters is cliche in terms of typical enemies-to-lovers emotions, and this song attempts to portray that. The problem, however, is that this trope is so overdone that viewers know exactly what to expect from the lyricism and vibe. Free doesn’t deserve last place, however — the bridge is its only redeeming factor, when Rumi sings “Take my hand, it’s open (free, free) / What if we heal what’s broken.” This lyric is the sole noticeable variation in tune and vocals throughout the song, incorporating an element of surprise that deviates from the rest of the song’s banal predictability.

• Soda Pop. With love, this might be one of the worst songs ever. Soda Pop is incredibly boring. Whether it’s the bland tune, repetitive lyrics, or sickeningly sweet musicality, this track is a skip for sure. When watching KPop Demon Hunters on Netflix, this song warrants rapid clicking of the forward arrow. Honestly, this song may sound better on 10x speed, rather than its normal speed. Soda Pop is catchy in a way that fits social media trends, but it is highly unlikely that anyone truly enjoys this song.

Overall, this ranking accurately sums up the movie’s soundtracks. The first couple of songs (songs ranked 1-4) can be swapped around, but Free and Soda Pop must remain at the bottom. There’s no comeback or takedown for either of the songs.