KPop Demon Hunters' McDonald's performance underwhelms fans

They are not Lovin' It

When the singing voices behind KPop Demon Hunters' demon-slaying band Huntr/x performed live for the first time, fans of Sony Animation and Netflix’s dazzling animated sensation lost their minds. After many live performances of "Golden", fans have been eager for Ejae (Rumi), Audrey Nuna (Mira), and Rei Ami (Zoey) to perform a new song. Now they have: a powerful performance of "How It’s Done" for the KPop Demon Hunters x McDonald's collaboration. However, the reception by fans hasn’t been all that golden.

McDonald's teased the performance earlier in the month with a post on the official account hinting that something big was coming on April 26. Now we know exactly what it is: a live performance on the McDonald's app, released shortly after the announcement that Huntr/x won the Battle for the Fans, which saw Rumi, Mira, and Zoey go up against the demon heartthrobs known as the Saja Boys in McDonald's latest commercial stunt.

The live performance was the reward fans earned for their victory. While I personally appreciated hearing a new song performed by someone other than Kelly Clarkson, some fans on social media found it completely disappointing.

“I feel like something is missing in my life: like Heels, Nails, Blade, Mascara,” Reddit user spoofer56 commented. “But it’s so awesome to see a piece of ‘How It’s Done’.”

Other users also lamented that the performance was missing some of the song’s best lyrics, feeling as though, instead of the entire happy meal, McDonald’s served them a burger with no patty.

Several commenters pointed out that they understood why "Golden" was shortened, but didn’t see why "How It’s Done" had to go through the same process, since it was an online video on a fast-food app. Others were disappointed that, after so long of asking, the performance wasn’t quite the show they were after due to the trio assumingly lip-syncing.

Still, it isn’t all negative. Fans were quick to praise Ejae, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami’s performance as cool and stylish, which is fairly typical for a Huntr/x show.

KPop Demon Hunters won the hearts and minds of fans everywhere with its zany animation and earworm-worthy songs when it debuted on Netflix last year. At the time of writing, it has remained in Netflix's Top 10 charts for just under a year. With how passionate fans still seem to be — and with a global tour rumored to be on the way — we wouldn’t be surprised if Huntr/x will still be on the top spot by the time its sequel gets an official release date.