If you haven't had a neon-pink-haired boy band screaming about being your "little soda pop" stuck in your head for the last six months, honestly, where have you been?
The Netflix film K-Pop Demon Hunters didn't just drop; it basically detonated. It's now officially the most-watched animated movie in the platform's history, hitting over 266 million views and counting. But while the main group, HUNTR/X, gets the hero edit, it’s the villainous Saja Boys and their infectious track "Soda Pop" that have completely hijacked the internet.
People are obsessed. Like, "rewatching the scene forty times to catch the frame-by-frame animation of Jinu's smirk" obsessed. But there is a ton of misinformation floating around about this song, the lore, and how it actually got made.
The Saja Boys: Why Everyone is Simping for the Villains
Let’s be real for a second. The Saja Boys are objectively terrible people—well, terrible demons. In the movie, they aren't just a rival group; they’re soul-sucking entities from the Demon Realm using catchy hooks to harvest the life force of their fans.
The group consists of five members: Jinu, Romance, Mystery, Abby, and Baby.
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- Jinu is the one everyone is fighting over on TikTok. He’s the "bad boy" leader voiced by Andrew Choi.
- Baby Saja is the one who usually gets the most hate—shoutout to Danny Chung for making a character intentionally "annoyingly infectious."
- Romance, Mystery, and Abby (voiced by samUIL Lee, Kevin Woo, and Neckwav) round out the group as the ultimate "pretty boy" traps.
The genius of "Soda Pop" in the film’s narrative is that it’s designed to be a "toxic bop." Producer Ian Eisendrath explicitly stated that they wanted to create something that sounded like a "super bubblegum-y K-pop boy band song," citing BTS's "Butter" as a stylistic reference point. But if you actually listen to the lyrics, the metaphor is pretty dark. When they sing "every drop I drink up," they aren't talking about a refreshing beverage. They’re talking about consuming you.
The "My Little Soda Pop" AI Controversy: What Really Happened?
You might have seen the headlines screaming that "Soda Pop" was written by ChatGPT. This nearly caused a full-blown fan riot, especially with the film being a frontrunner for the 2026 awards season.
Here’s the truth: It’s a massive mistranslation.
The drama started when producer Vince (the mastermind behind the track) was interviewed by Korea JoongAng Daily. An English translation suggested he used ChatGPT to write the lyrics. In reality, the original Korean interview was much more nuanced. Vince mentioned he sometimes uses AI tools for broad inspiration or to brainstorm "bubbly" concepts, but the official credits for the song are 100% human.
The track actually started as a guitar demo called "Ice Cream" that Vince had sitting in a folder for seven years. It was only when 24 and Danny Chung got involved for the K-Pop Demon Hunters project that it morphed into the retro, 90s-inspired earworm we know today.
Why the Song is Currently Topping the Charts
It’s rare for a fictional movie band to compete with real-world idols, but the Saja Boys managed to hit #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. They even became the first male K-pop group to reach #1 on US Spotify (even if they are 2D).
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The "Soda Pop" dance challenge is everywhere. You’ve probably seen LE SSERAFIM or ZB1 doing the "flip the top" move on your FYP. It works because it taps into that specific 2025/2026 craving for "retro-cheese." It’s intentionally "cringey" in a way that makes it impossible to stop humming.
How to Lean Into the Obsession
If you’re looking to dive deeper into the world of K-Pop Demon Hunters, there’s more than just the movie.
- Check out the "Playground" App: There’s an official (though slightly ad-heavy) mobile game called K-Pop Demon Hunters: Playground where you can customize characters and fight demons.
- The Webtoon: A fan-made Webtoon series has been gaining traction, offering a "what-if" look at Rumi and Jinu’s relationship (the "Rujinu" ship is very real in the fandom).
- The Deluxe Soundtrack: If you only know "Soda Pop," you’re missing out on "Golden" by HUNTR/X. That’s the song that spent seven weeks at #1 and handles the more emotional side of the story—dealing with Rumi’s secret demon heritage and generational trauma.
Basically, the movie is a lot deeper than the "K-pop girls fighting monsters" premise suggests. It deals with vulnerability and self-acceptance, wrapped in a glittery, high-octane package.
If you want to support the real artists behind the voices, definitely look up Andrew Choi and Kevin Woo (who was a member of U-KISS in real life!). Knowing that real K-pop veterans are the ones bringing the Saja Boys to life makes the whole project feel way more authentic than your average animated musical.
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Start by listening to the full deluxe soundtrack on Spotify. Pay close attention to the lyrics of "Soda Pop" now that you know the "soul-eating" context—it makes the whole "refreshing" vibe feel a lot more sinister. Then, check out the live performance of "Golden" from the A Year in TIME concert to see how the music translates to a "real" stage environment.