To say that KPop Demon Hunters “is popular” remains the understatement of the year. Since June 20, the animated film from Sony Animation and Netflix has overtaken every type of top-10 chart from Netflix’s own most-watched lists to the Billboard Hot 100, where the fictional girl-group HUNTR/X hit number one.
And where fandom goes, YouTubers follow. Not only are cover and dance videos immensely popular – one of my favorite “Your Idol” videos is ranking high at 7.6 million views, whew – but they’re also incredibly polished. The level of quality is immaculate, and more like a professional music video with a $100 million budget than your average backyard TikTok video.
From metal covers to immaculately designed music videos, here’s Polygon’s favorite YouTubers putting in the work to give a unique spin to KPop Demon Hunters music and characters.
Our Last Night’s “Your Idol” rock cover
As far as covers go, rock is usually a genre that is hit or miss for me. But American rock band Our Last Night’s covers have always been pretty damn great, with vocals and heavy instrumentals inspired by combining both rock, pop, and even metal.
It’s this combination that makes their cover of “Your Idol” so damn cool. The guttural growling and snarls really fit the idea presented by the original song: a domineering god-like figure worthy of being worshipped. It does it so well, it would be a disservice not to include it here.
SAYCREW DC “Soda Pop” dance cover
There are so many incredible vocal covers out there, but it isn’t the only format squeezing juice out of KPop Demon Hunters. There are some show-stopping dance covers out there, showing off some phenomenal choreography.
My personal favorite has to be SAYCREW DC’s cover of SAJA BOYS “Soda Pop.” Not only is it fluid and eye-catching, but the dance crew from Indonesia have added its own spin to the dance as well, making it its own unique experience. Also, that cosplay? To die for.
And if you’re more of a HUNTR/X fan, you’re in luck: they’ve also got a fabulous “Golden” dance cover too.
Caleb Hyles “Golden” male cover
I do love a good opposite-sex cover song, just to see the difference that it brings to the vocal ranges of the original. Can “Golden” work with a low tone of voice? Does it become a different song entirely?
Caleb Hyles, a vocal artist and content creator, cover of “Golden” is easily my favorite. For one, it doesn’t change the pronouns of the lyrics (a personal pet peeve of mine) and for the other, it captures the energy and high notes of the song with such ease I was left flabbergasted. I will never, ever, reach notes that high and that’s something I’ve just got to live with. Doesn’t mean I’m not jealous of Hyles range, though.
Annapantsu’s “What It Sounds Like” epic cover
People usually associate an Epic with poems and stories of great bravery, ones that inevitably build into an epic climax. It’s like a call to fight, almost, something that gets the blood pumping.
This is why Annapantsu’s version of “What It Sounds Like” works so well as an epic cover – because it conveys the theme of the original piece so well. Rumi is shedding all of her insecurities and calling out to Zoey and Mira to help her fight against the demons and restore the Honmoon. And it works because, like an Epic music cover is meant to be, it evokes a feeling of heroism that brings the girls (and the audience) together.
B-Wild Official’s “How It’s Done” dance cover
The choreography of B-Wild’s “How It’s Done”, a dance group from Vietnam, is second to none. It feels electric from the very start, both in visuals and the personality that the group brings to their performance.
The group has also done several other dance covers, including HUNTR/X’s “Takedown.” While I’m not a huge fan of the idea of a live-action KPop Demon Hunters, this group absolutely embodies HUNTR/X in such a way that I wouldn’t mind watching them perform in a live musical if that idea ever comes to fruition.
JUNHEE x AleXa’s “Free” music video cover
Korean artists JUNHEE and AleXa have gone one step further, physically embodying the role of characters Jinu and Rumi to not just vocally cover the song “Free,” but to create their very own music video as well.
It’s a bittersweet and moving performance that really captures the poignancy of the song through their personalities and facial expressions. Just beautiful.
And these are just a select few of the best KPop Demon Hunters covers we’ve seen. From ASMR to tier rankings, if you’re a fan of Sony Animation’s K-pop sensation, other fans are all popping off on YouTube.
