The Rumi Song You Won’t Hear in Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters Was the Star’s Most Personal
Botched rollout, blistering rebuke: insiders say the move flouted protocol, rattled allies, and raised urgent questions about judgment at the top — a stark reminder this is not how it’s done.
Turns out KPop Demon Hunters left a power ballad on the cutting room floor. And not just any song — one that digs into Rumi in a way the movie never quite does. The twist: the singer behind Rumi is hoping it gets a second life in the sequel.
The song that did not make it
EJAE — the voice behind Huntr/x leader Rumi’s vocals — told Collider there was a track she loved that was cut from the final version. It was apparently the raw, let-it-all-out moment for Rumi that never made it to our ears.
"I think there was a song that was very personal to Rumi, and it’s like her breaking down."
"It was a strong, ballad sort of song; dark but still powerful, it had a little bit of sorrow to it. It was powerful and that was something that I love to sing. But, who knows, maybe in the next one?"
Inside baseball note: songs get dropped late in the game all the time, even on music-heavy projects. But hearing that this was a big emotional swing for Rumi? That stings a little. At least there is hope it lands in part two.
Meanwhile, the soundtrack is already everywhere
Even without the ballad, the movie is stacked with bangers. The kind of tracks that feel designed to live on your Spotify Wrapped — and honestly, a few probably will by December. The signature hit, Golden, has been sitting at No. 1 on the Billboard charts for five straight weeks. That is not a fluke.
The movie is a monster hit, period
No shocker given those numbers, but the film itself is also crushing on Netflix. KPop Demon Hunters is now the streamer’s most successful release ever, pulling in 325.1 million views in its first 91 days. That is a wild stat, however you slice it.
What’s next
- A full sequel is in the works, where that lost Rumi ballad could finally surface.
- There is also a short film on the way — sounds like it might be a prequel.
- Golden remains on top of the Billboard charts, five weeks and counting.
- The movie has logged 325.1 million views in 91 days, making it Netflix’s biggest release to date.
Bottom line: the franchise is exploding, the music is already taking over, and there is a cut ballad just waiting in the wings. If they are smart, they will find a way to make that Rumi moment hit hard in the sequel.