HUNTR/X Makes Daytime Debut at 2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

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The vocal group HUNTR/X, featuring singers EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami, performed on TV for the first time at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. They sang their song “Golden” from the Netflix animated movie KPop Demon Hunters, entertaining both the parade crowd and viewers across the country.

Performance and Presentation

Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, and Al Roker, the hosts of the parade, wore knitted hats designed to look like the long, purple braid of Rumi. Ken Jeong, who voiced their producer in a movie, also introduced the song and seemed to be filming the performance as it happened.

Huntr/X took the stage at the parade, dressed in black. Ejae started the performance, sporting a purple headband and two small braids – a nod to her character Rumi’s signature purple braid.

The performance began with the three artists on the street among the dancers, then they moved onto a uniquely shaped stage resembling a Huntr/X. The song was highlighted by two bursts of fireworks, which were a rare sight in the parade. As the song reached its climax, a shower of gold confetti rained down on everyone.

A large balloon shaped like Derpy, a blue tiger, floated along behind them, followed by a smaller float depicting Sussy, the three-eyed pigeon who accompanies Jinu from the spirit world.

“Golden” Success

I was so thrilled when “Golden” hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100! It’s amazing to see it achieve such huge success, and it’s especially meaningful because it’s the first K-pop song by female artists to ever reach the top of that chart. It’s a really historic moment!

The song topped both the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts, proving its popularity around the world.

In South Korea, the song “Golden” achieved a “perfect all-kill,” which means it reached number one on the daily, realtime, and weekly music charts at the same time – a very uncommon and impressive feat.

“Golden”’s continued success on music charts and popularity on streaming services made it one of the biggest singles connected to a movie soundtrack in 2025. Its performance at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade that same year showed how much the film had captured the public’s imagination.

Previous Appearances Earlier in 2025

In early 2025, HUNTR/X appeared on television several times. They first performed their song “Golden” as part of a sketch on the October 4th premiere of Saturday Night Live’s 51st season. Then, just a few days later on October 7th, they played the full song live for the first time on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

Although they’ve been on TV before, this is the first time the group has performed live during the daytime as part of a festive holiday event like the Macy’s Parade.

HUNTR/X’s performance of “Golden” at the Thanksgiving parade was a big step for the group, marking their move from voice actors for cartoons to visible performers on a national stage. By featuring a song from a Netflix animated series in such a prominent U.S. event, they highlighted the increasing blend of global pop music – particularly sounds influenced by K-pop – animation, and mainstream entertainment.

This change shows growing openness to performers who blend different cultures and media – not just in movies and streaming, but also in public events that were once reserved for mainstream artists and familiar types of entertainment.

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2025-11-30 18:57