When KPop Demon Hunters started streaming on Netflix, audiences got exactly what the title promised: dazzling animation, pop-infused energy, and a story that balanced heartfelt friendships with demon-slaying spectacle. But according to songwriter and performer Ejae, who provides the singing voice for Rumi, one of the film’s most personal and emotional songs never made it into the final cut of the film. During an interview conducted by Collider’s Perri Nemiroff, it was noted that Ejae had written dozens of songs during the movie’s long development cycle, though only a handful made it into the final film. Some became centerpieces of the soundtrack, but one in particular — a ballad tied closely to Rumi’s emotional journey — was ultimately cut.

“I think there was one that was very personal to Rumi, and it’s like her breaking down. It was a very ballad kind of song, kind of dark but still hopeful, but had a little bit of sorrow to it. It was powerful. That was something I loved to sing, but it’s not in. But who knows? Maybe the next one.”

Could the Ballad Return in a ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Sequel?

Ejae’s description suggests the cut track was a very different kind of musical moment than the high-energy anthems that drive KPop Demon Hunters. A “dark but hopeful” ballad centered on Rumi breaking down could have shifted the tone of the film in a powerful way, spotlighting a more vulnerable side of the character while also showcasing Ejae’s vocal range. It’s the sort of song that might have been too emotionally heavy for the final cut, but it could easily become a standout if revisited in the future.

Directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans have already acknowledged they’re open to the idea of a sequel, which is currently in talks between Netflix and Sony. For Kang, the priority is making sure a follow-up feels purposeful:

“I think it’s just a story that we want to see. It’s just like this first movie. It’s a collection of all the things that we wanted to see in animation and the type of storytelling we wanted to see, and so I think the second one will also be driven by that.”

Appelhans added that a continuation would require the filmmakers to break away from the structure of the first film: “When you’re doing an original in a 90-minute feature, there’s a kind of framework that’s pretty satisfying and conventional, and this film follows that framework, even though a lot of the ingredients are unique. But the idea of adding a chapter immediately means you can’t just repeat that structure, and I think that’s really fun to play in rather than the same old thing.”

That creative mindset leaves room for new kinds of storytelling, and a character-driven ballad like the one Ejae described could be exactly the sort of fresh element a second film would embrace. If and when KPop Demon Hunters moves forward with another chapter, it wouldn’t be surprising if Ejae’s unused ballad finally got its moment in the spotlight.

KPop Demon Hunters is streaming on Netflix. Stay tuned at Collider for more, and you can watch Nemiroff’s full conversation with Ejae, Rei Ami, and Audrey Nuna.

Here you can find the original article; the photos and images used in our article also come from this source. We are not their authors; they have been used solely for informational purposes with proper attribution to their original source.[/nospin]

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