Vocal trio HUNTR/X — the singing voices EJAE, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami from the KPop franchise KPop Demon Hunters — performed their single “Golden” at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City on November 27, 2025. The appearance, part of the parade’s annual live broadcast, followed the song’s live debut on The Tonight Show earlier in 2025 and a guest turn on Saturday Night Live with Bad Bunny. The performance coincides with HUNTR/X’s high profile year: a 2026 Grammy nomination (including Song of the Year) and Netflix’s announcement that a sequel, KPop Demon Hunters 2, is targeting a 2029 release. Fans and industry observers viewed the Macy’s slot as another mainstream milestone for the project.
Key Takeaways
- HUNTR/X — EJAE, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami — performed “Golden” at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York on November 27, 2025, during the parade’s 99th edition.
- The trio previously gave the live debut of “Golden” on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon earlier in 2025 and appeared on Saturday Night Live alongside Bad Bunny.
- HUNTR/X and the song “Golden” received a 2026 Grammy nomination earlier this month, including a nod for Song of the Year.
- Netflix announced that KPop Demon Hunters 2 is aiming for a 2029 release, keeping the franchise active across music and streaming platforms.
- Audrey Nuna recently discussed her role as Mira and the project’s rapid rise on the Consequence podcast “Kyle Meredith With…,” highlighting the crossover between soundtrack and character performance.
Background
KPop Demon Hunters began as a multimedia project combining animated storytelling with pop music, creating characters whose singing is performed by contemporary artists. The franchise rapidly crossed into mainstream U.S. media during 2025 as its soundtrack singles gained streaming traction and the characters’ music received widespread airplay. Producers and the label positioned HUNTR/X as the sonic front for a key narrative arc, blending K-pop production aesthetics with English-language promotion strategies aimed at global markets.
Across 2025, the project prioritized high-visibility television slots to reach mass U.S. audiences: a guest appearance on Saturday Night Live with Bad Bunny, followed by a live TV debut on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Those bookings reflected an industry push to translate streaming momentum into traditional broadcast exposure ahead of awards season. The Grammy nominations announced in late 2025 — including Song of the Year for “Golden” — further amplified the franchise’s cultural footprint.
Main Event
On November 27, 2025, HUNTR/X took the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade stage in New York City to perform “Golden” as part of the live broadcast. The set was brief and staged to fit the parade’s format, featuring the trio’s vocals over a production calibrated for the outdoor route and television mix. Visuals referenced the KPop Demon Hunters aesthetic, marrying character motifs with parade-friendly choreography and staging.
Attendees and millions of viewers on the broadcast saw EJAE, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami delivering a tight, radio-ready rendition of the song rather than an extended concert set. Producers emphasized clear vocal lines for television clarity, and the performance was intercut with parade shots and floats, following the standard parade telecast pattern. Social clips and audience-shot video circulated rapidly on social platforms within minutes of the segment.
Organizers and music supervisors had previously coordinated the trio’s parade slot as part of the show’s mix of music, pop culture and family entertainment. The appearance was widely framed by outlets as another mainstream validation for the cross-platform strategy that launched HUNTR/X: translating animated-character music into real-world promotional moments and broadcast showcases.
Analysis & Implications
The Macy’s parade performance illustrates how modern entertainment franchises convert streaming success into broadcast-era visibility. By placing HUNTR/X on a major televised event, the franchise accessed a multi-generational audience that still tunes into legacy holiday programming, broadening reach beyond digital-native listeners. That cross-channel exposure can raise catalog streaming, soundtrack sales and downstream licensing opportunities tied to the franchise.
Commercially, the timing is strategic: the parade falls late in the calendar when industry attention turns toward awards season and year-end charts. The group’s earlier Tonight Show and SNL slots show a deliberate escalation of exposure across high-profile platforms, increasing the likelihood of playlist placement and radio adds. A Grammy nomination for Song of the Year further legitimizes the single in awards-season coverage and can drive renewed streaming interest.
From a cultural standpoint, the success of HUNTR/X signals continued mainstream receptivity to hybrid media projects that fuse fictional narratives with real-world performers. If Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters 2 reaches production on schedule, cross-promotion between the series and its musical releases will likely intensify, creating recurring cycles of content and music releases designed to sustain long-term fandom and commercial returns.
Comparison & Data
| Platform | When | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday Night Live | 2025 (guest spot) | Appearance alongside Bad Bunny; character-music crossover |
| The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon | 2025 (live debut) | Televised live debut of “Golden” earlier in 2025 |
| Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade | Nov 27, 2025 | Performance of “Golden” during the parade’s live broadcast (99th edition) |
| Grammy Nominations | Nov 2025 (announced) | 2026 nominations including Song of the Year for “Golden” |
The table above compares HUNTR/X’s major broadcast and awards milestones in 2025. Each appearance served a distinct promotional role: late-night TV for performance credibility, parade exposure for mass reach, and awards nominations for industry recognition. Together they form a coordinated campaign that spans earned media, broadcast slots and institutional validation.
Reactions & Quotes
Immediate reactions ranged from fan celebration to industry commentary noting the franchise’s cross-platform trajectory. Social posts amplified clips of the parade slot within minutes, and entertainment outlets framed the appearance as part of a wider push into mainstream American media.
“HUNTR/X performing ‘Golden’ at the 99th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York”
EJAE Updates (fan account on X)
Audrey Nuna’s recent podcast appearance provided context for the trio’s rapid rise: she reflected on adapting to the character role and the unusual blend of acting and music that the franchise requires.
“The whirlwind success of KPop Demon Hunters”
Kyle Meredith With… (Consequence podcast)
Industry notices have also pointed to studio plans that keep the franchise active, with streaming partners setting multi-year targets for sequels and ancillary content.
“Targeting a 2029 release”
Netflix (official announcement)
Unconfirmed
- Exact release date for KPop Demon Hunters 2 beyond Netflix’s 2029 target has not been set publicly; production timelines may shift.
- Whether “Golden” will win at the 2026 Grammys remains undecided; nomination is confirmed but outcome is pending.
- Plans for a HUNTR/X headlining tour or stadium shows tied to the franchise have not been announced and remain speculative.
Bottom Line
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade performance represents another mainstream milestone in HUNTR/X’s breakout year, consolidating television exposure, award-season recognition and streaming attention. The combination of late-night debuts, a high-profile parade slot, and a Grammy nod illustrates a coordinated strategy to translate a fictional-musical IP into a commercially viable music act.
Looking ahead, the franchise’s trajectory will depend on the execution of cross-platform plans — most notably the development schedule for KPop Demon Hunters 2 and any additional promotional cycles. For observers, the case of HUNTR/X underscores how contemporary entertainment blends narrative IP and pop music promotion to reach broad audiences quickly.
Sources
- Consequence of Sound — original coverage (entertainment news)
- Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade — official parade site (event organizer)
- The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon — show page (broadcaster)
- Saturday Night Live — show page (broadcaster)
- The Recording Academy — Grammy nominations (official)
- Netflix Media Center — announcement hub (official)