Songwriter Spotlight - EJAE: Her Voice Reaches The World
- Monica Soriano
- 5 hours ago
- 3 min read
After the release of KPop Demon Hunters, Ejae became internationally known as a songwriter and singer but there are many years of hard work and dedication behind her success.
Article Contributed by Monica Soriano
Step One: Training
These days Ejae is seen walking red carpets and attending talk shows, a completely different life than she had even a year ago. For those who are unaware of her journey, it may seem as though she propelled to stardom overnight. In reality, her journey is one of many years of hard work, perseverance and redirections. Ejae has been exceptionally open about her journey within the music industry thus increasing her charisma with every interview she does.
Her journey in music began at just 11 years old when she became a KPop trainee with SM Entertainment. Something to note is that the Idol training system is known to be extremely demanding and competitive. She spent almost 10 years working towards a debut but was ultimately dropped. Luckily Ejae had taken a step to further her knowledge and studied music in New York University Tisch School of the Arts. She had a strong foundation to create music - so she did.
A KPop Resume Filled With Hits
Ejae directed all of her talents and feelings towards producing and writing songs. She has created many beloved KPop tracks, some of which include “Drama” and “Armageddon” by Aespa, “Psycho” by Red Velvet and “Daisy” by Kep1er. Other artists she has penned for include girl groups Twice, Fifty Fifty and Nmixx as well as co-ed KPop group Kard. Many fans were surprised to learn that Ejae was the person behind some of their favorite songs and thus making her journey even more endearing to follow.
Enter Rumi from KPop Demon Hunters
KPop Demon Hunters was an unexpected phenomenon that took over the world last year. An animated film about a KPop girl group that fights demons can sound crazy at first, but in reality, the heart that went into this movie, the perfectly crafted songs and the story of Rumi created fans everywhere. Suddenly non KPop listeners were singing along to the sound track and many were in search of a purple braid for their halloween costume. This film was years in the making before its release. Ejae was brought on as a songwriter but through the many Demos for the film, she was asked to stay as the singing voice of Rumi, the lead character. The success of the film was something no one predicted, there were no costumes ready to be sold for Halloween, no toys produced in time for Christmas and no theatrical release. Eventually, the film received a special theatrical release for the sing-along but only after the many viral videos of kids and adults appreciating the film.
It was through the love from the audiences that Ejae gained her mainstream popularity. “Golden” was and still is everywhere. Ejae along with Rae Ami and Audrey Nuna were suddenly performing on talk shows, parades and walking red carpets. Ejae not only wrote the mega hit “Golden”, she wrote several other tracks for KPop Demon Hunters including “How It’s Done” “Your Idol” and “What It Sounds Like”. In an interview with WIRED, Ejae explained that “Your Idol” was inspired by the dark side of the KPop industry.
Ejae’s Voice Reaches Hearts Internationally
It’s painful to imagine the feeling of not being good enough or not being picked over and over at such a young age but it does happen daily to many people. This is part of what makes Ejae such an easy person to root for. Her ability to share her journey and continuous perseverance in a down to earth and mature way creates a relatability factor that resonates with many.
Her voice, along with the songs she wrote and Rumi’s own self acceptance journey in the film is pure gold. Ejae has reached many people of all ages and backgrounds through her music, her story and her voice. All the training and accumulation of failures and wins has led to this moment.
The year is just beginning but Ejae continues to show up for her well deserved nominations. “Golden” recently won a Golden Globe for Best Original Song - Motion Picture and is also nominated for Song of the Year at the upcoming Grammys and Best Original Song at the 2026 Oscars. Her voice truly reaches far and wide.
With her new found visibility, Ejae released “In Another World” last year as her introduction to the world. It’s a beautiful track and we can only hope she continues to release solo music. There are also many fans wanting her, Audrey Nuna and Rae Ami to go on tour together. We’ll keep an eye out for all the exciting things happening for Ejae and we will continue to root for her as an artist, songwriter and person!
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