Audrey Nuna, EJAE and Rei Ami, the singing voices behind the animated group HUNTR/X in KPop Demon Hunters on Netflix, are excited to perform the hit songs from the film on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

The three singers talked with Blavity/Shadow and Act Managing Editor Trey Mangum about the upcoming Oct. 7 performance as well as what it’s been like to experience the astronomical success of the film.

EJAE has been a mainstay in the K-pop producing scene for her singing and songwriting. The film has put her on a different pedestal now, since she not only performs Rumi’s singing voice but has songwriting credits in the film, saying that it was “definitely different” to write for film music rather than writing for real like K-pop singing groups.

EJAE on writing for the film being different than her prior credits

“It was my [first time] writing for a film, and an animated film. So it was like with K-pop, you have a concept and you’re writing for like a girl group and you’re trying to fit their concept and lyrically we’re trying to find the catchiest and coolest verse,” she said. “Sometimes the hook doesn’t have many words, but that’s kind of hard to do with a film, because you need the storyline in the lyrics. And that’s where [Mark Sonnenblick] came in. And [Ian Eisendrath] also, our music director. He helped us a lot to make sure the lyrics are fitting the storyline and what the character’s trying to say. So that was really important to find that balance. And so Mark, my co-writer, he comes from theater and so we would police each other being like, ‘Mark, that’s too musical.’ And he’d be like, ‘No, we need to get it back to the storyline. Let’s get it back to the storyline.’ So, that’s kind of like finding that balance was really hard, but it worked.”

Rei Ami and Audrey Nuna on ‘Golden’ setting records

Rei Ami, who sings for Zoey in the film, reacted to the fact that HUNTR/X is the first girl group in 24 years to reach one of the Billboard Hot 100 since Destiny’s Child’s “Bootylicious.”

“We all grew up on Destiny’s Child, so…I’m like, ‘Can we do that?’ [Do] we have the audacity? It’s almost like, ‘How dare [us]!’ Destiny’s Child raised us, you know. It’s crazy,” she said.

“It’s truly such an honor,” Nuna, who is Mira’s singing voice, added. “There’s really no other way to describe it. [It’s] just such an honor. It’s very humbling in a sense, just to be a part of something like this. Destiny’s Child, culturally, what they pushed and how they were in their own way [was] just very trailblazing. I feel like we are so honored to be walking that line as well and to follow in those footsteps with this film. To be a part of something that is that culturally relevant.”

The Jimmy Fallon performance marks the first time they will be singing together on stage, which they couldn’t do while recording their parts for the film. EJAE described the process of practicing together as “so much fun.”

“That was the most exciting part,” she said.

“It’s just crazy to hear all of us, because we didn’t get to record together for the film,” added Rei Ami. “So, finally being in the same room and hearing our harmonies and feeding off each other’s energy and being on stage together, it’s been overdue.”

Watch the full interview above. Nuna, EJAE and Rei Ami’s performance on Jimmy Fallon takes place Oct. 7 at 11:35 p.m. ET / 10:35 p.m. CT on NBC.

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