EJAE, who provides the singing voice for heroine Rumi and composed marquee tracks including “Golden” for Netflix’s "KPop Demon Hunters", opened up about her years as a K-pop trainee―and how setbacks shaped her.
Speaking at a press conference in Seoul’s CGV Yongsan I’Park Mall, EJAE said, “It still hasn’t sunk in. My schedule is insane, but I’m just thrilled and grateful.”
With "KPop Demon Hunters" taking off globally, fans have zeroed in on EJAE’s backstory. She trained at SM Entertainment for a decade but never debuted as an idol―an experience she says ultimately fueled her growth.
“These days I really feel everything happens for a reason,” she shared. “I spent my youth as a trainee, and when debut fell through, it hurt a lot. But what matters is how you work through that pain.”
“I didn’t take the rejection personally,” she continued. “It was SM’s call, and there’s a time for everything. The important thing was that I kept growing. My mom always told me, ‘Words become reality.’ If you say ‘I can’t,’ then you can’t. I kept telling myself I could―and I convinced myself.”
“Music saved me,” EJAE added. “There are so many paths in ther field besides being a singer―songwriters, producers, you name it. Even after my debut fell through, I made beats 12 hours a day. That’s how I found my voice. Even when I felt defeated, I was ready to go 100% the moment an opportunity came. And when it got hard, I talked to the people I love―my mom, my brother. That’s what 'KPop Demon Hunters' is about, too: you can’t do it alone.”
"KPop Demon Hunters" is an action-fantasy animation following K-pop girl group HUNTR/X―Rumi, Mira, and Zoey―who moonlight as secret heroes protecting the world behind the glittering stage. The film became Netflix’s most-watched movie ever, the streamer’s first to surpass 300 million views, while breakout anthem “Golden” spent eight consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kim Ji-hye)