The 98th Academy Awards turned into an unexpected K-Pop concert after EJAE, Rei Ami and Audrey Nuna’s jaw-dropping rendition of ‘Golden’ by the ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ trio. The singers had the audience waving their light sticks to the beats of the hit song and squirming in their seats as they performed a short 2-minute version of the song, immersing themselves in Korean culture and tradition. After changing the beat, the girls performed at the Dolby Theater in what fans described as a “K-pop concert.” Hollywood stars dazzle in “Golden”Videos circulating online quickly went viral, showing several Hollywood A-listers enthusiastically joining in on the fun. Clips, for example, caught the stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Steven Spielberg, Emma StoneTeyana Taylor, Chloe Zhao and many others enthusiastically wave their light sticks to the beats of the song. “Gotta give it to the crowd, they’re all going for ‘Golden,'” said one fan, sharing a shocking clip from the stands that wasn’t caught on camera. Fans react to Hollywood’s Oscars turning into a K-Pop concertEven though the stars were sitting out the performance, fans on social media couldn’t get enough of watching Hollywood’s biggest stars catch the K-Pop fever. “#Oscars KPopification is REAAALLL why did they give everyone light sticks for the ‘Golden’ screening,” one user wrote. Another joked: “Girls, they turned the Oscars into a K-pop concert,” while a third pictured veteran actor Stellan Skarsgard in the audience holding a light stick.‘KPop Demon Hunters’ has won two OscarsIt was a night of celebration for the group as ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ continued their stellar awards season. The animated fantasy film won Best Animated Film and Best Original Song at the event. Its soundtrack has also been highly acclaimed, with “Golden” making history as the first K-pop song to win a Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media.Before the Oscar win, the makers announced a sequel in the near future.See more: Full list of Oscars 2026 winners update: Michael B. Jordan wins best actor for “Sinners,” Jessie Buckley wins best actress for “Hamnet,” “One Battle After Another” wins best picture.
