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| yna@yna.co.kr 2025-08-18 09:03:21
SEOUL, Aug. 18 (Yonhap) -- “The secret behind the success of ‘K-pop Demon Hunters’? The story of the animation itself was well-structured, but the way it blended with the music in each scene was outstanding. I think that synergy made the difference.”
So said Vince, a singer-songwriter and producer known for numerous hit songs, including BigBang’s “Still Life,” Taeyang’s “In My Heart” and “Vibe,” Blackpink’s “Shut Down” and Lisa’s “Money.”
Even for him, the explosive response to the soundtrack of the Netflix animated film “K-pop Demon Hunters,” in which he participated as a composer, has been unusual. His songs “Soda Pop” and “Your Idol” not only topped domestic charts but also soared to the upper ranks of the Billboard Hot 100, often called the “dream chart.”
In a recent interview at a cafe in Seoul, Vince confessed, “If it had been No. 1 on Melon, I would have simply been happy about being No. 1 on Melon. But Billboard doesn’t even feel real — I keep wondering, ‘Is this really happening?’”
He recalled being surprised when he saw a video of people singing along to “Soda Pop” at a plaza in Argentina. “But the moment it really hit me was when I was interviewed on a TV news program. I thought, ‘Wow, is this really newsworthy?’” he said with a laugh.
Co-written with fellow producers from The Black Label, “Soda Pop” and “Your Idol” are songs performed by the fictional boy group “Lion Boys” in the film. While “Soda Pop” is a bubbly, addictive track, “Your Idol” carries a darker, grander mood, each appealing to audiences in different ways.
The production team gave Vince a brief: the group name Lion Boys, described as “villains who gain strength by capturing the public’s hearts.” He also received 2D sketches of the characters wearing traditional Korean hats.
“The sketches I got were in black and white, so I didn’t know the costumes for ‘Soda Pop’ would be so colorful,” he said. “I initially wrote it in a fairly bright tone, but the production team asked for something even brighter. So I revised both the melody and lyrics to be much lighter, and completed it with a playful mindset.”
By contrast, “‘Your Idol’ had to be grand and could afford to be darker, so I tried to scale it up. We even brought in a large orchestral session,” he explained. “Because of its heavy and serious atmosphere, I worked on it as if I were writing for a real-life artist.”
Vince completed the songs one to two years before the film’s release and had mostly forgotten about them. When “K-pop Demon Hunters” dropped on Netflix this summer, he was stunned by the overwhelming response.
He described the project as “a gift-like work” in the long yet short span of his music career.
One area he focused on most for the soundtrack was the lyrics. While preserving the identity of K-pop, he aimed to make the songs singable for global fans.
“Because it’s K-pop, I tried hard to include Korean lyrics and paid a lot of attention to pronunciation,” he said. “Since lyrics are often written in English first and then translated into Korean, I tried to make the sounds resemble English as much as possible. For example, the line ‘wonhae, wonhae, wonhae’ in ‘Soda Pop’ can easily be sung by foreigners as ‘want it, want it, want it.’”
He also emphasized performance. “K-pop is a genre where performance is crucial, so I made sure the flow of the songs changed dramatically even within a single track. I kept the hook easy to sing along to and added sections that would clearly highlight choreography,” he noted.
Vince majored in economics at New York University before switching to music business in his junior year. While preparing for law school, he was recruited by The Black Label head Teddy in 2016 after Teddy noticed the music he was making as a hobby.
Though he is mainly active as a composer, Vince has occasionally released songs as a singer, such as “Everyday” and “Emergency.” On Aug. 18, he is dropping his new single “Cha Cha Cha,” featuring G-Dragon. The hip-hop R&B track combines a smooth melody with an upbeat Latin cha-cha rhythm. The release date coincides with G-Dragon’s birthday.
Vince said his collaboration with G-Dragon dates back to the production of BigBang’s “Still Life.” When he proposed featuring on “Cha Cha Cha,” G-Dragon replied, “Do you want to be a star?” and readily accepted.
“G-Dragon is an artist who can create melodies, write lyrics, and even direct recording sessions himself, so I learn a lot from him,” Vince said. “He doesn’t just feature for anyone, so I have high expectations for this song. I hope it also does well on the charts.”
The Black Label, Vince’s agency, has recently dominated the Melon charts with “Golden” from the “K-pop Demon Hunters” soundtrack at No. 1, “Soda Pop” at No. 2, Blackpink’s “Run” at No. 3, and the agency’s co-ed group All Day Project’s “Famous” at No. 4, emerging as one of this summer’s most successful music companies.
Vince credited The Black Label’s strength to its pursuit of perfection. “We strive to create a finished product that satisfies everyone. Teddy continues to give feedback and make adjustments right up until release,” he said. “I think what sets us apart is our ‘attention to detail.’”
On All Day Project, which has been making waves as a co-ed group, Vince said, “Because it’s a mixed group, I felt a thrill I haven’t experienced with boy or girl groups — the alternating male and female vocals. The members are so cool that it was obvious people would love them. I never once worried about them being a co-ed group.”
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