15 Boy Band Songs If You Love KPop Demon Hunters Saja Boys ‘Soda Pop’


KPop Demon Hunters has not only become a breakout, Number One movie on Netflix, but has sent its soundtrack soaring up the charts around the world. HitsDailyDouble reports that the OST earned about 75,000 units from July 4-10, up 23 percent from last week’s total of nearly 61,000, marking the soundtrack’s biggest week in America yet.

Beyond the U.S., the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack hit Number One on the official album charts in Australia, New Zealand and Germany while reaching the Top 5 in Canada, Austria, Portugal, Lithuania, Switzerland, Norway and more.

While the soundtrack songs “Golden” and “Your Idol” made an initial dent on the charts, even more songs from the film are surging, such as “Soda Pop,” the debut single by the demons-in-disguise boy band Saja Boys. Its effervescent bubblegum-pop melody, combined with the group’s charming good looks, quickly turns everyone into a fan — including the movie’s starring girl group, HUNTR/X, before they discover the Boys’ evil identities.

The vocals on “Soda Pop” are handled by Kevin Woo, Andrew Choi, Danny Chung, samUIL Lee and Neckwav. Remarkably, Woo is a former K-pop boy band member (performing in U-KISS from 2008 until 2017), while Choi, Chung, Lee and Neckwav have written songs for major K-pop acts including, respectively, TWICE, BLACKPINK, RIIZE, miss A’s MIN, plus many more.

“Soda Pop” taps into the bright and bubbly side of K-pop boy bands — a concept many acts utilize in their musical journey, typically at the start of their careers when the group is at its youngest, but sometimes to change up or refresh their sound. As new fans continue to explore the movie and its soundtrack, now is the perfect time to dive deeper into the world of K‑pop if you are still holding out.

So, if you love the Saja Boys’ sweet side, here are 15 similar tracks from chart-topping K-pop groups like SHINee, NCT DREAM and ZEROBASEONE, as well as groups from elsewhere around the world like BGYO from the Philippines, to expand your musical world and playlists.

Forbes10 Song Recommendations If You Love HUNTR/X’s ‘Golden’ From ‘KPop Demon Hunters’

1. NCT DREAM, “Chewing Gum”

Originally conceived as a group for teenage K-pop stars before “graduating” into other NCT units like 127, WayV, or WISH, NCT DREAM’s overwhelming popularity cemented them in fans’ hearts to force their record label to turn the seven members into a fixed group. No doubt their delicious debut single, “Chewing Gum,” began generating fan support early with such a catchy track and was likely a significant inspiration for why the movie introduces Saja Boys with the equally effervescent “Soda Pop.”

2. ZEROBASEONE, “Feel the POP”

Created through millions of fan votes through a singing competition series, ZEROBASEONE represents the ideal modern-day boy band. The ninesome’s refreshing “Feel the POP” has the same swoony, bubbly sensation that made millions in the movie — and, increasingly, in real life — fall for the Saja Boys and this song.

3. AB6IX, “Cherry”

Since AB6IX’s 2019 debut, the outfit has tried out a range of different sounds and styles, from slinky R&B to military-like marches, but 2021’s “Cherry” was the guys’ sweetest release, written by members Park Woo Jin and Lee Dae Hwi the latter of whom also co-composed the track.

Mix this AB6IX hit with Saja Boys’ first single and you get “Cherry Soda Pop.” Yum!

4. SHINee, “Dream Girl”

With more than 15 years of K-pop hits, SHINee’s “Dream Girl” ranks as one of their biggest, reaching Number One on South Korea’s singles chart and selling nearly one million downloads to date. The song also reached No. 3 on Billboard’s U.S. World Digital Songs chart, marking one of the group’s highest-charting singles ever. After one listens to this bright, soulful pop gem, it will be obvious why this song remains a sparkling jewel in SHINee’s pristine discography.

5. Kim Woo Seok, “Sugar”

Throughout his music career, Kim Woo Seok has proven his versatility as a soloist, able to embrace darker concepts, such as those displayed by Saja Boys in “Your Idol,” as well as brighter ones, a la “Soda Pop.” The February 2021 release of “Sugar” came right in time for Valentine’s Day, with Woo Seok showcasing a sweet and soft side of himself with candy-colored hair colors, whimsical face stickers, and bright lip glosses as he sang on top of a giant frosted bundt cake.

Forbes17 Song Recommendations Like Saja Boys’ ‘Your Idol’ From ‘KPop Demon Hunters’

6. RIIZE, “Get a Guitar”

Ushering in the latest generation of K-pop boy bands, RIIZE made an immediate impact on the scene with their sweetly smooth debut single, “Get a Guitar.” Earning comparisons to One Direction’s early work, RIIZE brought around a sweeter side of boy bands at a time when most were embracing intense and hard-hitting concepts.

7. Golden Child, “Pump It Up”

Golden Child debuted in 2017 with 11 members, following the success of groups like SEVENTEEN, WJSN, LOONA, and I.O.I, who all had 11 members or more. The group began its career with a fresh, innocent image, as singles like “Pump It Up” from 2020 allowed a boyish-like charm to shine.

8. CRAVITY, “Groovy”

Nine-member boy band CRAVITY entered the K-pop industry with a rebellious debut single, “Break All the Rules,” but 2023’s “Groovy” is a bubblegum-pop treasure of a track that became one of their first chart hits in Korea.

9. THE BOYZ, “Bloom Bloom”

Initially a 12-member group, THE BOYZ have experimented with various styles and sounds since their late-2017 debut, with their first breakout hit arriving with “Bloom Bloom” in 2019. The track bursts with a childlike charm and endearing lyrics, written in part by members Sunwoo and Eric.

10. BGYO, “Tumitigil Ang Mundo”

As the Philippines is growing its music influence globally, its artists are showcasing a range of styles and colors. Five-member boy band BGYO embraced an energetic, feel-good vibe on “Tumitigil Ang Mundo” (which translates to “The World Stops”) as the first single from their sophomore album Be Us from 2022.

Check out the official music video below and look out for the BGYO guys performing on a neighborhood street that’s reminiscent of when we first met Saja Boys performing “Soda Pop.”

11. Wonho, “BLUE”

The irresistible summer tune “BLUE” sounds like it could fit perfectly into any boy band discography, but instead solo superstar Wonho handles it all on his own.

While you’re encouraged to get into “BLUE” below, make sure also to check out Wonho covering “Soda Pop” as well as Saja Boys’ other hit, “Your Idol,” in this special video from his YouTube channel, which already has over a million views, below.

12. DRIPPIN, “Free Pass”

A younger brother group to Golden Child under the same label of Woollim Entertainment, DRIPPIN released “Free Pass” in June 2021 to deliver a refreshing blast of feel-good pop for the scorching summertime.

13. TOO, “Count 1, 2”

Created similarly to ZEROBASEONE on a singing competition series, TOO was an extremely promising boy band that left K-pop too early, disbanding after three years while undergoing several member changes and a name change to TO1. But toward the start of their career, the guys had a standout summer single with “Count 1, 2,” which embodied the bubbly feelings of a summer romance told with a classic, feel-good pop chorus.

Even after the group’s disbandment, several of the members continue their careers in entertainment: leader Jaeyun is a soloist who goes by Jayn Lee, Woonggi landed in the group AHOF, Yeojeong re-debuted in NEWBEAT, and Donggeon is an actor.

14. In Real Life, “Tattoo (How ‘Bout You)”

While western boy bands don’t typically embrace the saccharine, ABC’s reality competition series Boy Band saw celebrity judges Nick Carter, Emma Bunton and Timbaland create In Real Life, whose debut single “Tattoo (How ‘Bout You)” was a true bubblegum-pop treat and reached the top half of the U.S. Top 40 radio charts.

15. NCT DREAM, “Yogurt Shake”

With NCT DREAM’s concept aligning perfectly with the Saja Boys’ “Soda Pop” style, we’d be remiss not to include one of their sweetest and best snack songs in “Yogurt Shake.” The track’s addictive “yogurt shake, yogurt shake, yogurt shake for me” hook gets instantly stuck in your head. Plus, the guys always look like they are having the best time when performing it.

16. THE BOYZ, “Lip Gloss”

Another sweet summer single from the versatile act, THE BOYZ’s “Lip Gloss” feels like it could have actually been a Saja Boys single with heaps of easily accessible hooks.

As the popularity of Kpop Demon Hunters shows no signs of slowing down, the movie’s influence could deliver more refreshing pop hits to slay the charts this summer — get listening now!



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