How It's Done: Comparing the Songwriting of K-Pop Demon Hunters to the Design Process

It is a mild understatement that K-Pop Demon Hunters has overwhelmed the animation and musical landscape for the past few months. It was my kids who actually introduced the whole thing to me, with my eldest kid humming Golden after going home from school and her insistence on listening to it again and again over the past few months.

While I actually prefer Free over Golden, there is no doubt that as a song, Golden is really something else, with it basically living in the Billboard 100’s top 10 for the past four months or so. (It is at Number 2 at the moment, only beaten by Taylor Swift’s The Fate of Ophelia.)

With all this interest in the song, I recently watched an interview of EJAE and Mark Sonnenblick, the two songwriters of Golden. It was actually less an interview and more of a short documentary on how the song was created from its initial stages all the way to the final version of the song that we hear in the movie. Watching the two songwriters discuss how the song was created was a fascinating look into the world of professional songwriting and the collaborative process, and what struck me was how much their creative process mirrors the design process for the architectural profession.

The design process

For architects like me, the formal design process for architectural projects is drilled from the start (i.e. design school) as this is a foundational portion of the work that architects do for their projects. While it varies from one country to another, the generally accepted process for architecture is divided into five phases. Here, I explain the five phases while comparing them to the creative process of the songwriters who made Golden.

1. Pre Design Phase. The work begins with consultations with the client to obtain the initial design parameters and data of the project. This portion of the design process involves site visits, interviews, and surveys with the client and other collaborators in the project so that the architect has a proper understanding of the design intent before any actual design begins.

In terms of songwriting, this matches the portion in which the songwriters receive a detailed explanation and background on the target audience of the song, what its message is, the type of song it will be, etc. For Golden, the aspects presented to the songwriters are the general tempo and instrumentals of the song (about 104 BPM), how it fits within the context of the movie (that this is the song that completes the Honmoon) and specifically, that it needs to have the word “golden” somewhere in the song. You can see that even at the earliest stages, the need for collaboration between the songwriters and their “client” (i.e. the director, the producers, and the music labels) is paramount to the success of the song.

2. Schematic Design Phase. In architecture, this is the phase in which consultations with the client are done to define the needs of the project and begin the initial architectural design process. The schematic design documents are in the form of drawing studies to answer the needs of the project—this includes floor plans presenting its relation to the site (Site Development Plan) and the interior layout of the project (Architectural Floor Plans).

In comparison to writing Golden, this phase is the point in which EJAE and Mark begin to create schemes of the initial melodies. Much like architecture, multiple variations of the same design are done in this part of the process, trying to feel out which one will be best. EJAE mentions in the video that she created the base melody of Golden when she received the instrumentals while on her way to the dentist (hence if you listen to her audio memo played in the interview, it sounds like she is in a car). Once a final scheme is chosen, the songwriters proceed to the next phase.

3. Design Development Phase. This is the step in which the design is further refined, focusing on the aesthetic and spatial elements of the project. Reflected ceiling plans, elevations, and sections are included at this point of the project—you have a “whole design,” but without the details and specifics.

Much like in architecture, Golden at this point only has the base melodies and “scratch lyrics” (i.e. words and phrases that give the general feel of the lyrics but not the final yet) which are to be completed and refined by adding more Korean to the lyrics and creating a bridge at the two-minute point due to how the song is used in the movie. As mentioned by the songwriters in the interview, the first lines of the song are completed at this stage as well. The first eight lines are intended to be an introduction to the motivations of Rumi, Mira, and Zoey; as such, the writers settle on a 4-2-2 structure, with Rumi having four lines and Mira and Zoey two each. Golden plays early in the movie, so much like How it’s Done, it serves as a further set up for the characters and plot. The song also specifically is, in a way, Rumi’s song—hence the reason she gets more lines than the other two.

4. Construction Document Phase. This is the stage in which the design is finalized to be plans fit for construction. The previous Design Development Plans are detailed even further, and other design details such as door design, window design, surface finishings, exterior signages, toilet details, built-in fixture details, and other such elements are included in the documents. Detailed specifications are also provided, presenting to the client the material finishes and other construction variables that are needed for the project to be constructed.

Similarly, after the last stage, Golden has reached a form that can be recognized as the one we hear in the movie. All the revisions, comments, and adjustments have been implemented, and the song is now “road tested” in how it fits into the screenplay of the final version of K-Pop Demon Hunters.

5. Construction Supervision Phase. The implementation of the plan (depending on the specific contract obligations negotiated with the client) is periodically monitored by the architect to see if any adjustments are needed to complete the design.

This portion of the design process perhaps has the least similarities with songwriting—because in architecture, this is the point in which the architect will be involved (depending on the project) in the construction. So, for the song Golden, what probably happens at this stage is putting in the minor adjustments to the song in case of any editing and cuts that the directors make in the movie before its theatrical release.

A fun comparison

Don’t you agree that it was a fun exercise to compare music and architecture this way? I realize that design—be it in architecture, the musical arts, or other creative ventures—follows similar rhythms and patterns during the process of creation. I think fellow creatives can recognize the same behind-the-scenes pattern, even if the end products (and the fields) are vastly different.

If you like to read more about architectural design, feel free to look around the blog! I would recommend that you read this one about Master Planning since it also involves design rhythms with architecture and music.

"Here, I explain the five phases of the architectural design process while comparing them to the creative process of the songwriters who made Golden."