Kevin Woo is officially having that moment — and honestly? We love to see it.
Celeb Secrets caught up with the multi-hyphenate star backstage at iHeartRadio Z100’s Jingle Ball 2025 presented by Capital One at Madison Square Garden on Friday, December 12, and the energy was just as electric behind the scenes as it was inside the iconic venue. From voicing one of the Saja Boys in Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters to teasing brand-new solo music and an upcoming film with Anderson .Paak, Kevin is stepping into a powerful new era — one rooted in confidence, creativity, and full-circle moments.
And where better to celebrate than MSG?
“Madison Square Garden is my dream stage,” Kevin told Celeb Secrets with a smile that said it all. “It’s my first time ever performing at the Jingle Ball, and the energy in this venue tonight was just so electric. Everybody stood up and sang ‘Soda Pop’ and ‘Golden’ with me. They knew every lyric more than I did… and I know every lyric!”
Yes, Kevin Woo performing at Jingle Ball — and leading a special K-Pop Demon Hunters sing-along — is exactly the pop culture crossover moment we didn’t know we needed until it happened.
The fifth stop of the national iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour featured performances by Alex Warren, Conan Gray, Ed Sheeran, Jessie Murph, Laufey, MONSTA X, Myles Smith, Nelly, Ravyn Lenae, Reneé Rapp, Zara Larsson, and more, with Kevin also pulling double duty as a celebrity presenter alongside names like Darren Criss, Eli Manning, Melanie C of the Spice Girls, and Elvis Duran.
Having joined multiple dates on the Jingle Ball tour, Kevin says the experience has been nothing short of surreal.
“The Jingle Ball family — the iHeartRadio family — they’ve been so welcoming,” he shared. “They’ve been nothing but supportive of my journey, and with this whole KPop Demon Hunters momentum, they’ve really been pushing our music on the radio. I truly believe they played a huge role in getting us to where we are right now.”
And yes — it definitely feels like Kevin (and the KPop Demon Hunters universe) is everywhere right now.
“I mean… our year,” he corrected us with a laugh when we said 2025 felt like his moment. “It was all thanks to the fans who really made this a pop culture moment.”
Despite the massive success of KPop Demon Hunters, Kevin admits he never expected the project to turn into a worldwide phenomenon.
“Not at all. No,” he said honestly. “I’ve done a lot of K-pop–related projects — Broadway’s KPOP, a movie with Anderson .Paak coming out in February — so this was just another passion project of mine. Coming from the world of Kpop, I’m so connected to it. But I did not expect this to be a global moment.”
Still, the impact has been deeply personal.
“The biggest takeaway has gotta be embracing myself and my identity, and finding my voice through this movie,” Kevin shared. “I could really relate to Rumi in that sense.”
Looking ahead to 2026, Kevin is not slowing down.
“Definitely new music,” he confirmed. “I’m working on my new EP, new singles. I hope to go on tour next year — and hopefully be back on the main stage at Jingle Ball.”
He also teased collaborations with producers and artists he’s admired for years, calling the process “surreal” and hinting that fans should expect something special.
And then there’s the upcoming feature film, directed by and starring Anderson .Paak, set to release in February.
“He’s a musical genius,” Kevin said. “He understands the Kpop world and Korean culture so deeply, and he blends Western pop culture with Korean culture so seamlessly. This movie has so much heart — it’s a family film everyone can enjoy.”
Working alongside .Paak left a lasting impression.
“It was my first feature film and his first feature film as a director,” Kevin shared. “He really allowed us to play with the characters. It felt like a family building something special together.”
If you missed Wednesday night’s (December 17) iHeartRadio Jingle Ball broadcast on ABC, don’t stress. The entire lineup of performances dropped on Hulu on December 18, meaning you can relive Kevin Woo’s MSG moment — and the rest of the tour’s best performances — anytime as we ring in the final days of 2025.
For more on Kevin Woo, make sure to watch our full interview below.
For more coverage from the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball tour, click here.
