A well–written pop song can become inescapable once it leaves its mark across platforms, saturating TikTok feeds, dominating streaming charts, and echoing from car radios. Some of the most persistent earworms of the modern era have come not from traditional pop stars, but from beloved fictional characters. And yet, even when a trio of superhero K–pop idols can conquer the internet, the charts, and the cultural conversation, the biggest award stages remain far harder to claim.
Ranked number three among the most–streamed songs of 2025 on Spotify and Apple Music, with 1.9 million TikToks using the audio and becoming one of the top–performing YouTube videos of 2025, reaching 1 billion views in just 199 days—I know, that's a lot—“Golden” by HUNTR/X from KPop Demon Hunters is arguably one of the most influential, popular, and beloved songs of 2025.
In many critics’ eyes, “Golden” was the song that defined the year, pushing the boundaries of what music targeted toward kids and made for film can achieve, resulting in five Grammy nominations. One of these—a major televised category—was Song of the Year. While the song achieved massive streaming numbers and media attention, its Grammy dreams failed to materialize on the special day, and it was only awarded Best Song Written for Visual Media—the current trend among songs written for animated films aimed at children.
Some notable songs, among others, snubbed from major category nominations include “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” from Encanto, a cultural phenomenon that topped the Billboard Hot 100 for multiple weeks, and “Let It Go” from Frozen, which peaked at No. 5 and sat on the Billboard Hot 100 for 33 weeks, becoming one of the most iconic anthems of the 2010s. Despite their mass appeal and cultural impact, neither broke into the Grammys’ major categories; however, like “Golden,” some have broken into additional categories.
A recent film giving hope to musicians tied to animated films to this rule was “Sunflower” from Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse by Swae Lee and Post Malone, which was nominated for Record of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, making it the first song from an animated soundtrack to break into these major categories beyond Best Song Written for Visual Media. The song, however, did not take home any awards, yet it proved that the barrier was not impenetrable. Seven years later, “Golden” pushed the barrier further, becoming the first animated film song in over 30 years to earn a Song of the Year nomination. This original song was “A Whole New World” from Aladdin (1992), which remains the only song from an animated film to win in a major category outside of visual media at the Grammys. Like “Let It Go” or “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” decades later (yes, it's been over a decade since “Frozen”), these songs linger on school playgrounds, in living rooms, at talent shows, and across generations. They are sung by kids and adults, quoted in everyday conversation, and embedded in cultural memory. Most casual listeners could still sing nearly every word—especially “Do you want to build a snowman?” So why are such iconic tracks so often excluded from succeeding in the Grammys’ most prestigious categories? Part of the answer lies in shifting industry tastes.
In the 1990s, theatrical pop ballads—think “My Heart Will Go On” or “I Will Always Love You”—were widely embraced as mainstream hits, loved by audiences of all ages, and more frequently celebrated at the Grammys. As critical taste has evolved, these pop–musical songs are seen as less serious contenders compared with contemporary pop tracks. “Golden” and “Sunflower,” however, blur that distinction. Unlike the more theatrical pop ballads typical of animated Disney films, both songs function as mainstream pop hits in their composition, becoming more widely embraced by general audiences and by the Grammys as notable nominees.
“Sunflower” is a melodic pop hip–hop track, built on a minimalist beat, with smooth vocal interplay, creating a feel–good groove that holds emotional softness alongside mainstream radio polish. Opposingly, “Golden” draws inspiration from the animated “I Want” Songs of the past, while adding a contemporary pop spin. Blending a synth–pop, K–pop–style backtrack with harmonious layered vocals and a tuned gospel chorus in the vein of modern artists like Ariana Grande or Chappell Roan.
The song’s widespread popularity and emphasis on melody and lyric may help explain its SOTY nomination, a category that often reflects broad cultural resonance. Yet despite praise for EJAE's performance and the track’s layered production, it did not secure a Record of the Year nomination or ultimately win. One likely factor is the song’s association with animation, a medium still often treated as less prestigious within industry circles.
While animation is not inherently a barrier to critical success, the film industry labels animated films, notably those targeted towards children, as a separate tier of filmmaking, celebrated within their own category but rarely invited into the broader prestige conversation. Animated features are praised for innovation and box–office success, yet when awards season arrives, they are typically discussed in their own lane, almost as if competing in a parallel industry. In 96 years, only three animated features have ever been nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars, with just one winner, Beauty and the Beast (1991). Notably, Spider–Verse, an extremely influential and successful film from which “Sunflower” hails, is considered a stylistic revolution in superhero cinema, yet was confined only to the Best Animated Feature Film category, functioning almost like the Oscars’ equivalent of the Best Song Written for Visual Media category at the Grammys. Yet this hierarchy of recognition is not universal.
Outside the United States, the divide in recognition as a “soundtrack cut” and a “mainstream hit” is far less rigid. Most notably in Japan, anime and animation are not treated as niche genres aimed primarily at younger audiences, but as central pillars of pop culture consumed across age groups. Theme songs often serve as primary promotional vehicles for a series, similar to the U.S. However, they are more embraced as standalone pop releases rather than just accompanying the show. Artists like YOASOBI and LiSA are widely recognized for their music—especially when it appears on an anime soundtrack—because anime itself represents some of the country’s most culturally dominant franchises.
Theme songs premiere alongside episodes, trend on social media, receive heavy radio rotation, and are performed at major concerts—much like in the U.S.—but they are treated as mainstream pop hits. In this ecosystem, the association with animation does not diminish artistic credibility; it often enhances visibility. Songs linked to anime are understood first as pop releases and only second as soundtrack material, allowing them to compete for the highest award recognition rather than being confined to media-specific categories.
“Idol” by YOASOBI (from Oshi No Ko), which topped the Billboard Japan Hot 100 for 22 non–consecutive weeks at No. 1, won SOTY at the 38th Japan Gold Disc Awards, as well as Top Global Hit From Japan and Best Domestic Anime Song, among others, at Music Awards Japan 2025. Additionally, “Homura” (Demon Slayer) by LiSA received the Grand Prix at the Japan Record Awards, one of Japan’s biggest music honors. Like U.S. songs written for animation, these songs regularly dominate the Billboard Hot 100. However, the main difference in how these songs are received may come down to cultural appreciation in Japan versus the U.S., compelling radio play, playlist placement, and promotional performance, something the teams that pushed “Golden” and “Sunflower” may have understood.
However, “Sunflower” proved that visibility alone does not guarantee award recognition. It was released as a standalone single, heavily serviced to radio, and later folded into Post Malone’s album, circulating as a mainstream pop hit rather than merely a film theme song. Yet even with that positioning, it did not convert its momentum into a general–field win.
This suggests the barrier may not lie in popular reception or promotional strategy, but in how awards institutions categorize cultural legitimacy. Songs associated with animation, even when commercially indistinguishable from other hits, may still be subconsciously evaluated as secondary to film rather than as primary artistic statements, as they are in Japan, and like “Sunflower,” “Golden” may have had the same hindrance.
“Golden” followed a similar strategy, releasing as a standalone single, and not just as part of the soundtrack. However, “Golden” positions itself as a product of the film rather than an addition, claiming that the artists behind the single are the fictional band HUNTR/X from the film, as opposed to the singers EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami. This boundary–breaking approach makes the band HUNTR/X feel almost real and tangible, being exciting for kids and intriguing to adults. The trio appeared on major U.S. TV shows, including The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel Live!, treating the song like a mainstream pop release and HUNTR/X as a new major artist force rather than a fictional children’s act like The Cheetah Girls or Hannah Montana. Additionally, “Golden” was publicized as a culturally significant track promoting its connection to a film that celebrates Korean culture, and as one of the first songs by a Korean artist to receive such widespread critical recognition. Framing the song as an integral and important moment in music, cinema, and pop culture, however, this still begs the question of why “Golden” did not win. All these reasons may offer clues, but at the core of this case is voter behavior, which is structural and cultural, not just a matter of taste.
The Recording Academy emphasizes peer voting and a defined nominating and final voting process. Meaning, round members vote to decide which entries become nominees in each category, and final voting, where round members vote again to choose the winners from the nominees, which may be where the stigma regarding songs like “Golden” comes into play. General–field voters are most likely relying on cultural cues like artist prestige, radio footprint, and “seriousness” when considering a winner. However, what “seriousness” means is definitely changing, and the HUNTR/X track is an example of this.
If “Golden’s” recognition shows anything about critical acclaim, it’s that critical opinion is always evolving. As more artists creating music for animated media gain recognition, musicians from diverse genres and backgrounds are increasingly likely to enter major categories and perhaps one day win them. “Golden” is not just a song for children’s media, but a catchy glimpse into a future of genre-bending and broader acceptance of unique, exciting artists. The future of music feels limitless, as creativity and innovation seem to be only “goin’ up, up, up.”
