EJAE Has Had A Golden Year

The first time I heard EJAE’s voice, I was bowled over. Deep, dulcet tones practically glided over the notes of the pop song I was listening to. Her voice had depth, grit, and pain. But it wasn’t one of the hit songs from the wildly popular Netflix animated KPop Demon Hunters that I was listening to; this was 2019, and I was listening to a demo version of “Psycho,” a chart-topping song from K-pop girl group Red Velvet. I didn’t know who the singer of this demo version was, just that she was the producer of the song, and her demo was an English-language version of the K-pop song that I deeply loved.

Little did I know that six years later, the rest of the world would be having the same experience that I did listening to EJAE sing in that tinny YouTube video. But not only would they fall in love with EJAE’s voice, they would turn the animated movie for which she wrote the songs into the biggest hit of the year, and propel EJAE into the spotlight in a way that the songwriter never knew before.

“It’s kind of crazy,” EJAE tells me over a Zoom call. “I feel like it feels overnight because it happened so fast. Specifically me having exposure happened really fast. Even the film just getting so much attention was really, really fast.”

But “overnight success” isn’t how EJAE would describe her career. The 33-year-old Seoul-born singer-songwriter has been working in the music industry for two decades, starting as a K-pop idol trainee at just age 11. She trained under SM Entertainment, the South Korean record label responsible for popular idol groups like Red Velvet, EXO, and Girls Generation, for almost 10 years. But at 21, she was told she was “too old” to debut. So she switched to songwriting and record producing, and quickly amassed a string of hits for SM, which included “Psycho” for Red Velvet, and “Drama” and “Armageddon” for Aespa. It was not long before Hollywood came knocking at her door, with the offer to write the songs for Sony and Netflix’s animated fantasy film, KPop Demon Hunters. In fact, it was EJAE’s demos that director Maggie Kang credited for getting the movie greenlit. But unexpectedly, EJAE also found herself in the recording studio, singing her own songs as the singing voice for the main character, Rumi.

“I wasn't supposed to be the character,” EJAE tells Inverse. “But if I can really convey the message, and since I did co-write the songs, why not?”

It’s hard to say whether it’s EJAE’s voice that’s responsible for KPop Demon Hunters becoming the gargantuan success it is, but the record-breaking chart performance for the movie’s lead song, “Golden,” seems to suggest as much. The song has pushed EJAE to the forefront of KPop Demon Hunters’ awards campaign, with her and fellow singers Rei Ami and Audrey Nuna becoming the unlikely faces of the animated heroines, appearing on shows like SNL and The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon. Needless to say, it’s been a whirlwind year for EJAE and, as someone who is used to being behind the scenes, it has also been overwhelming.

“I’m feeling overwhelmed by all the attention, I'm not going to lie, it's kind of anxiety-inducing because I love [being] behind the scenes.”

“I wasn't prepared for any of this,” she says. “I’m feeling overwhelmed by all the attention, I'm not going to lie, it's kind of anxiety-inducing because I love [being] behind the scenes.”

Even after all her incredible achievements, EJAE still remains humble. When I tell her that I first heard and loved her voice in that “Psycho” demo song, for example, she blushes and mumbles a thank you. But at the end of the day, she’s just pleased that a song that she wrote has moved so many people.

“The fans have been wonderful,” EJAE says. “It's so cool that you can enjoy...a song that you wrote with everyone. And that's a dream come true as a songwriter too, so I feel really grateful.” Humility aside, KPop Demon Hunters is undeniably a huge success. And with an awards campaign that has real teeth, a second season on the books, and a fan base that only seems to be growing, we’re going to see a lot more EJAE — in the spotlight where the fans want her.

This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

Do you remember a moment when you realized that KPop Demon Hunters, and “Golden” in particular, was a hit?

Ooh. The thing is [I have a moment where] it's a hit for me. I can imagine it being big. I had that with “Psycho” as well, where it just sounds like a big song. And so, with “Golden,” I think the moment where I felt like it had a potential, or it was special was ... on my way to the dentist, I made the melody. And I think when you find a melody as a songwriter, that's when you're like, “Ooh, this feels different.” And when I laid it down, and Mark [Sonnenblick] and I worked on it that night, that's when we felt like, “Wait, this sounds so good.”

I wanted to ask about this story of how you wrote “Golden” on the way to the dentist because it's kind of well known at this point. It kind of reminds me of other unlikely origin stories for hit songs, like Lin-Manuel Miranda writing “Wait for It” on the subway, or Dolly Parton writing “I Will Always Love You” and “Jolene” on the same day. Do you think that that kind of unlikely origin story for songs gives them a special magic?

For me, the moment I listen to an instrumental or a track, it inspires me. Sometimes it doesn't, but it's almost a spiritual experience, it just comes to you when you feel inspired. [It’s the feeling] of “Oh, this makes sense,” and you want to express it in this creative way. I think everyone has that moment, regardless of what field you're in. And with “Golden,” [producers] 24, Teddy, and Ido just killed it with the track, and it just felt so bittersweet that it just brought it out of me. It was very magical in itself.

“As I was a K-pop trainee myself, [I was] having to try to be perfect constantly, and make sure I debuted so that my parents could be proud.”

You've talked about how writing “Golden” was a healing process for you. Can you talk about that a little further?

Absolutely. With KPop Demon Hunters in general, and with Rumi, I really connected with her as a character and as a person. Her dealing with being a perfectionist, overworking herself because of this pressure to be perfect so she can save everyone, that's so much pressure on her shoulders. And as I was a K-pop trainee myself, [I was] having to try to be perfect constantly, and make sure I debuted so that my parents could be proud, or that I can finally be this version of me that I've always wanted. You have to be good at everything: singing, dancing, especially if I want to be a solo artist. You have to look pretty too, and be good at acting, [and speaking] Chinese... I think my Chinese is pretty good.

That constant feeling of needing to put your best foot forward is exhausting, and it really makes you push down all your "demons,” the flaws that you have. And if you keep ignoring them, I notice that it just grows more, it doesn't leave, it actually exacerbates it. That's where I connected with her. And with “Golden,” it was finally a moment where I was able to express that, especially in the bridge area, of what I genuinely felt like. The whole, "Waited so long to break these walls down, to wake up and feel like me," it was such genuine line, and it was just really serendipitous that I have similarities with Rumi as a character.

And during that time, I was going through a really hard time, I'm not going to lie. I think people notice the bittersweetness in the singing, maybe my delivery, or the writing. So, as much as a song is also the desperation of wanting that hope and trying to go up, I genuinely had that same feeling during that time.

Do you think that's why KPop Demon Hunters has not only become such a big hit, but moved so many people?

Absolutely. Because it is an animation, but real people made it. [Directors] Maggie [Kang] and Chris [Appelhans] and the producers ... everybody, they are human beings who've dealt with exactly what Rumi and Zoey and Mira went through. I think this is a genuine lesson for me too, of a lot of times honesty and genuinity really comes through. Even Dolly Parton and writers I look up to, I watch their interviews, and what's the best thing to do as a writer? Being honest. And I think that's where a lot of people were able to connect with it, despite the fact that it's also an animation. It’s because where it comes from and the message that we wrote was genuine.

“Even Dolly Parton and writers I look up to, I watch their interviews, and what's the best thing to do as a writer? Being honest.

I'm curious about the process of songwriting for a movie, for a specific story and character. Are you given a story beforehand, storyboards, character designs?

Oh, 100%, that was so important. That's why it was really, really hard because this film is really unconventional. It’s a “never been done before” kind of film, and we had nothing to really reference. It's supposed to be songs that are pop songs and are standalones ... but it has to also be part of the storyline, and customized for that specifically, and that's usually musicals. It sounds like a musical, but to find that hybrid was really difficult because in pop music, it's a little bit less wordy, it's more simplified in order for it to have an earworm.

At the same time, if it's too simple, we need some words to describe what's going on. So, that constant back and forth with me and Mark, my amazing co-writer, was hard. But [it] really was great because it was all about the song, and we tried our best to find the balance. I would always police him, being like, “Hey, that's a little too musical.” It's a good thing that he's in theater and I'm not in theater, because he's biased. To him, this is not musical, this is pop. For me, it still sounds musical to me. So the fact that we all came from different backgrounds, it was the reason why we were able to have a really good middle ground.

“Golden” is also a notoriously difficult song to sing. How do you feel about it becoming this gold standard for vocal talent after K-pop idols started covering it?

I think it's so fun because I have my go-to karaoke songs that help me practice my vocal cords. I just didn't know I would be able to write one. Yeah, it's a hard song, I think it's harder than the songs I usually sing. I usually sing, “If I Got You,” by Alicia Keys. Or my warm-up song before singing “Golden” actually is “I Have Nothing,” Whitney Houston. That really opens up my vocal cords, but “Golden”’s harder. I'm sorry [it’s] so hard!

Do you have a favorite cover of “Golden,” or are you allowed to say that?

I've seen so many. I don't have favorites, I think they all killed it genuinely. They all nailed it, and it's their own version. So, my favorite is just the song.

You recently released your first solo song “In Another World.” What's the difference between writing a song for a movie like KPop Demon Hunters versus producing for other idols, or writing a song for yourself?

Writing for K-pop idols is not so different from film. We have a brief, and we have to write for that brief. Even K-pop idols, they have their brand, or what they're looking for for their next album, what kind of message they want, and choreography-wise, they want a really simple hooky chorus. They have guidelines. Then I would have to think of a concept that would fit that image of that specific idol. With the film, [it’s] the same thing with the guidelines. However, for film, the biggest thing is it's a movie, so it has to be more cinematic. Thankfully, K-pop is already such a maximalistic genre that I already was trained to vocal produce and do all the harmonies. There's a lot of harmonies in K-pop. And that translated so well into film, I just added more. But it was more creative so that the directors had more inspiration to do [a specific] sound [or] make [a specific] visual.

Like an ad-lib in “How It's Done,” I was like, "You want to mess with me? OK, I'll show you wild." That kind of thing. I was envisioning what would the characters do. That's the same with K-pop, I'm thinking in a choreography mindset. But with writing for me [as a solo artist], it’s not any different from writing for idols or artists, because writing for me is way too new right now. I never did write for myself, I'm a songwriter, that's my main priority. Even for me as an artist, I'm figuring that out right now. I don't really see myself as an artist necessarily.

But as a songwriter, I'm trying to see “EJAE” as a platform. I have so many songs. And songwriting is an art form, so why not use my voice as a vessel to sing my songs? And that's exactly what happened with “Golden” too. I wasn't supposed to be the character, but if I can really convey the message, and since I did write the songs as well, co-write the songs, why not? So, again, song is king, and if I can use my vocals to help that song come out the way it should then hell yeah, I'm down.

“I don't really see myself trying to be a pop star per se, I'm trying to write songs where my songs are pop stars, that's always been my goal.”

Do you find yourself sort of at a crossroads? Do you want to continue producing for other artists, or do you want to just pursue that solo career, since you recently signed with WME?

WME is amazing in the fact that they give me opportunities to also write for other films as well. I absolutely have never changed in my artist solo stuff, how I see it is nothing different from songwriting for other artists. I don't really see myself trying to be a pop star per se, I'm trying to write songs where my songs are pop stars, that's always been my goal. Whether it's me singing it or Dua Lipa singing it, I just want the songs to shine. And so, I think that's always going to be my focus. So, again, for me as an artist, it's not any different from writing songs for other artists. When I write for other artists, even “Psycho,” that was a personal experience. “In Another World” was never for myself, it was for a film, but I just put my personal experience into it.

So, you've had a crazy promotional tour for KPop Demon Hunters since it blew up on Netflix. You promoted in Korea, you appeared on SNL, you sang on The Tonight Show... For you personally, what was the most surreal thing?

The whole thing. I think the first interview at Variety, it was with Arden [Cho], was my first kind of interview in front of the camera, that was already surreal, I've never done that. I've been in front of the camera when I was training, but it was never for the public. That was already peak, that was enough. And then SNL. VMAs, excuse me? And then I have to perform on Jimmy Fallon, like what? So Jimmy Fallon was my first performance ever, of a song, full length. After that, I don't know, I'm just dreaming right now at this point. I hope I don't wake up.

“I'm just dreaming right now at this point. I hope I don't wake up.”

Well, how do you feel about the very real likelihood that you'll be performing at the Oscars or at the Grammys?

Again, it just keeps coming. At this point, after SNL and Jimmy Fallon, I'm numb. I'm just like, OK, I guess I'm doing it. I think the more I try to digest it, the more it freaks me out. So, I'm trying not to digest it.

Just one step at a time.

Yeah, exactly.

Your story of being in the industry for so long is really incredible. You were a trainee in SM Entertainment for 10 years, but then you didn't get to debut. In some ways, are you living your K-pop dream now?

I'm living beyond that. I think I'm living my childhood dream, which is just to sing, and also songwriting. I'm living my very brand new dream. My way of getting into limelight I think is very unique. I was a pop star, and then training, and I go viral in a song, and I signed to a record label for that... I came out from a movie, and it's an animated movie. And these songs too, we're kind of breaking records because again, “Golden” was a film song. So, the fact that we were able to do that, I think it's very unique. It kind of feels like it kills two birds with one stone, or many birds with one stone. So, yeah, I feel just grateful that I feel it became more than this dream I had as a kid.

What are you looking forward to most with this new era now that these doors have been opened for you?

I'm figuring it out along the way. I just feel right now it's more really grateful and grinding to continue just showing how amazing this movie is, like talking to you or trying to perform it as best as I can. Although, I never expected to sing this live. I think new doors allows me to work with people I've looked up to. Actually, what I'm looking forward to is just getting better at writing. And I think you get better at writing or anything when you're with people who are better than you, and I'm just excited for that part.

If you could tell your 11-year-old trainee self anything, knowing what has happened, what would you tell her?

This question is being used to make me cry, but I think I cried all my tears out! I would tell her “I love you,” and all this success, and all this attention, and things that are happening right now, I dedicate it to her. Because it was her work ethic and her determination and perseverance that kept going, and I'm just really grateful for that. She did great.

A KPop Demon Hunters sequel was recently greenlit. Have you started working on the songs at all, or is that for later?

I'm focused on the campaign, I'm focused on right now. That's for later. Like I said, this is all new to me, so I'm trying to take it one step at a time.

Well, for KPop Demon Hunters 2, is there a concept change for Huntr/x that you want to explore? Because now they're “girl crush,” but maybe there's a New Jeans-style concept change for them in the future.

That's kind of fun. That's the thing about K-pop that's so cool, you [can be] cute and then suddenly you drastically change into sexy beast. I think that's the beauty of K-pop, is these girls can wear different outfits and different sonic sounds. So maybe! That's a good one, I like that.

Is there anything more you want to say as Inverse’s Scene Stealer of the year?

I appreciate it. But yeah, I think it's just the whole team is amazing, the whole team killed it. I am just so proud of everyone as well. And the fans!