EJAE On Her Decade in the K-Pop Trainee Machine, Writing *KPop Demon Hunters*’ “Golden”, and Why She Doesn’t Want to Be Famous
EJAE On Her Decade in the K-Pop Trainee Machine, Writing KPop Demon Hunters’ “Golden”, and Why She Doesn’t Want to Be Famous
EJAE, the singer-songwriter behind the viral megahit “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters, just earned platinum certification for the record.
The night before our interview, the 33-year-old artist learned that total sales from the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack had officially surged past 1 million units. None other than Jimmy Fallon broke the news, presenting her with a sparkling framed platinum plaque while she appeared on The Tonight Show alongside Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami for the first full live performance of “Golden”. The three artists together make up the singing voices of fictional girl group Huntr/x, at the core of Netflix’s animated musical that has become a bonafide global cultural phenomenon. If you have a child in your life, you likely don’t need a recap: the film follows Huntr/x members Rumi, Mira, and Zoey as they juggle A-list pop stardom with their secret side gig as demon hunters (EJAE voices purple-haired lead Rumi). Their singing voices double as weapons, shielding fans from the soul-sucking minions of underworld ruler Gwi-Ma.
That Fallon performance, and the earlier Saturday Night Live set that preceded it, marked some of the first times American audiences got to see (and hear) the real person behind the inescapable hit. The animated fantasy adventure— the directorial debut of Korean-Canadian filmmaker Maggie Kang, co-directed with Chris Appelhans—is already the most-watched film in Netflix history, racking up more than 400 million views. When Netflix released a theatrical sing-along cut of the movie, it grossed nearly $20 million and dominated the global box office. The soundtrack ranks among the highest-charting releases of the year, with over 7 billion global streams. “Golden”, which EJAE first dreamed up the core melody for during a cab ride to the dentist, held the number 1 spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 for eight straight weeks (as of this writing, it has only been overtaken by Taylor Swift, and remains in the top 10). The promotional tour for the June debut film shows no signs of wrapping up anytime soon.
When we meet at Netflix’s Manhattan offices, 5-foot-9 EJAE, wearing heels, towers over me. Her hair is styled in three braids, a subtle nod to Rumi’s iconic look. Though she checks every box for a polished K-pop star, EJAE does not consider herself famous—nor has she ever particularly craved the spotlight. That makes for a surprising turn, given she spent more than a decade as a trainee at legendary K-pop label SM Entertainment.
Much like 1990s American boy-band development factories, K-pop trainee programs start grooming future idols from childhood. Trainees follow brutal daily schedules, drilling singing, dancing, rapping, public image, and physical fitness, all in the hopes of debuting in a group and making it as an idol. For EJAE, that debut never came. She was passed over for lineup after lineup, until the label dropped her at age 23—an age she calls “grandma age for the K-pop industry.” She had long felt her voice and personality were a better fit for working behind the scenes as a songwriter. A decade later, she has been catapulted into the spotlight in the most meta twist imaginable: as the voice of a fictional K-pop star the world cannot get enough of. (She has also just released her first original solo single.) She sat down with WIRED to talk about navigating her newfound success, what it’s really like inside the grueling K-pop trainee machine, and the secret to writing an unforgettable hit.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
MANISHA KRISHNAN: How’s it going? Were you just finishing up a photo shoot upstairs?
EJAE: Oh yeah. I’ve had a nonstop schedule. We’ve been up since like 5 a.m.
You must be exhausted.
EJAE: I’m so tired. Fallon yesterday, SNL before that—it’s been a blur.
I was getting my nails done yesterday and “Golden” came on. It’s been on the Billboard Hot 100 for weeks. What does it feel like knowing every kid in America knows the words to your song?
EJAE: Oh my God, it’s like a dream come true as a songwriter. Kids are so blunt—so the fact that they love it, I just feel really proud of myself.
They really are the toughest demographic to win over.
EJAE: It is hard to get kids’ stamp of approval, so I feel like a cool person now.
The movie came out in June, it’s Netflix’s most-watched project ever, there’s Oscar buzz, you’ve done the full late-night circuit. What’s been the most dramatic part of all of this for you?
EJAE: Everything’s been quite dramatic and crazy and so surreal. But obviously SNL and Fallon were definitely the peak, especially Fallon, because that’s where he gave us the platinum plaque.
That’s amazing.
EJAE: He really surprised us. I was genuinely so stunned. We were all crying.
When you performed on SNL, were you nervous to sing live?
EJAE: I’m always nervous to sing. I’m nervous even singing in the studio, so getting up to perform live was a huge jump for me. My comfort zone, where I feel best singing, is my own little corner in my Brooklyn apartment.
What’s your relationship with fame right now? Do you consider yourself famous?
EJAE: No. I consider the song famous, which I love. Fame is a tricky thing. I was a K-pop trainee myself, and my grandpa’s an actor, so I’ve seen fame from different angles. It looks very beautiful from the front, but it can get very, very dark. I think fame is definitely not for the faint of heart, so I’m just taking it day by day as I navigate it.
I was a trainee and then I got dropped and stepped back from singing publicly. But to be honest, that was an intentional choice. I realized being a front-facing artist and performer didn’t fit my personality, so I let that dream go. So suddenly getting all this attention is very new. I can’t quite say it feels natural for me. I love being behind the scenes. But I’m trying to get used to it. I don’t even know if I should get used to it, but yeah, it’s very fascinating, and I’m always grateful.
With everything that’s happened, have you changed your mind about whether you want to be a performing artist?
EJAE: Songwriting has always been my therapy, it’s where I get away from everything. I’ve been thinking: maybe I can combine that, maybe songwriting is my artistry. As an artist, I don’t really want my personal business to be center stage in my lyrics. I want the lyrics and songs to be universal, for everyone to connect to them, the way “Golden” connected with people. I kind of want my songs to be the pop stars, not necessarily me.
Can you tell me the origin story of “Golden”? Did you know it was going to be this big of a hit right off the bat?
EJAE: I mean, in our little circle, we knew it was a hit, but definitely not this caliber at all. The melody came quite instantly. It was on my way to the dentist.
That’s such a perfect random place for inspiration to hit.
EJAE: I was getting a gold filling, by the way. So the melody came really fast, and I had a session with my co-writer Mark [Sonnenblick] right after my appointment. I told him I had this melody, he heard it and went, “Oh my God, this is amazing.” When we finished the whole song and the lyrics, we just looked at each other and said, “Wow, I think this is a smash.”
Is there a formula for making a K-pop hit, an algorithm to it, or is it different every time?
EJAE: For a K-pop hit, a US hit, and a global hit, it’s all quite different. I think for a K-pop hit, being hooky is definitely important. For a global hit, I’ve noticed it needs a concept that everyone can grasp. Everyone knows what “Golden” means, everyone has felt that desire for a little hope in their life, especially right now. That’s just as important for US audiences too. I think universally, when the concept is strong and accessible, when you have a good melody and a great message, you’ve got a hit.
Do you think the tense political atmosphere right now is part of why this movie and song have blown up so much?
EJAE: I think so. A friend of mine told me that his friend has kids, and KPop Demon Hunters is this little light they can hold onto, something to focus on to get through the dark times right now. It brings them hope. It has a really beautiful message about loving all of yourself, both your flaws and all your good parts too.
Let’s go back to your time as a trainee at SM Entertainment. How old were you when you started? Can you tell me what that world is really like?
EJAE: I had a dream of being a singer when I was 3 or 4, and I started auditioning around 10 or 11. I got in and started training right away. You learn everything: how to dance, sing, jazz dance, rap, Chinese, Japanese, the whole works. Literally all day. If we had regular school, right after class we’d go straight to training. Every couple months we’d do a showcase of what we’d learned. Every Monday, all the trainees would gather in one room, and we’d perform our song and dance in front of cameras for a weekly check-in. That was quite something, and we had to weigh ourselves every week too. It was intense, I’m not going to lie.
What was the criticism like? Was it harsh? How did you cope with that at a young age?
EJAE: Damn, I don’t think I knew what coping meant at that age. We just took it as it came, especially when you’re 11. I was going through puberty, which is such a sensitive time for girls. I feel like when we’re teenagers, we’re already sensitive to so many things. It wasn’t easy. It’s very competitive, and you’re basically doing an adult’s job when you’re still a kid, you know what I mean? All I could do was work hard and always try to put my best foot forward. I was always craving a compliment, like, “Oh, you did so good today.” I just wanted any little bit of positive feedback.
Did you get those compliments very often?
EJAE: Not really. Not much. It was very objective. Looking at it now as an adult, I understand the reasoning behind certain decisions when it comes to marketing and stuff, but at a young age it’s not easy to hear that. I’m glad fame came for me now, not when I was a kid.
Looking at where you are now, does it give you any satisfaction thinking back to people who didn’t believe in you, who didn’t give you that debut opportunity? You can be petty.
EJAE: Back then I wasn’t at the level I am now. I couldn’t sing those high notes back then, so I get where they were coming from. I think everything happens for a reason. But I do feel satisfied that I didn’t give up and I just kept going. The biggest regret I had when I got dropped was that I felt like I let down 11-year-old EJAE, who really wanted to become a singer. So in that respect, I hope I made her proud.
I listened to an interview with co-director Maggie Kang, and she said it took her years just to even get this movie pitched. What does this breakthrough mean to you, to be part of an Asian and Korean-led story like this?
EJAE: Oh my God, it means the world. It means so much as a Korean American, Asian American woman. It just feels so cool to finally be portrayed not as the tired old stereotype of Asian women—subservient and quiet and passive and always listening. Because I’m not really like that. I’m quite outspoken, I’m quite blunt. And I just feel like finally there’s a superhero movie about Korean women, and they’re so funny. They’re goofy. They’re not just solely strong and badass, they eat messy food like I do. I binge on food all the time, that’s so relatable.
What do the next few months look like for you? How are you going to build on this momentum? Fans have said they want you to go on tour, even do shows with holograms of the characters. Would you do that?
EJAE: Who knows? I mean, I’d be down, but it’s not up to me. But yeah, absolutely. KPop Demon Hunters fans are amazing. They’re so nice. So nice.
You sound surprised.
EJAE: No, no. I knew fandom can be scary, but they’re so welcoming, so understanding, so encouraging. So hell yeah, I would love to meet them too.
I actually wanted to ask you about K-pop fandom, because it seems pretty intimidating from the outside.
EJAE: It’s intimidating, absolutely. I do appreciate their passion. When I was a K-pop trainee there was a boy band called TVXQ that was huge at that time. And I still remember, the dance practice room was on the third floor, and to walk up from the first floor we had to pass this glass door. Fans were all over that door, and they would try to open it. Once they got a little crack open, and whenever female trainees would walk past, they would throw trash and call us really bad names. I just remember feeling so scared.
What do you think that was about?
EJAE: It’s tricky when you’re idolizing someone so much. It can get very dark, fast—and toxic. A lot of the fans are teenagers, and when you’re a teenager, you’re going through puberty, you feel lots of intense emotions that are hard to process.
What is your relationship to ambition right now?
EJAE: What a cool question. Toxic. I’m kidding.
Same, honestly.
EJAE: It can be, right? I swear. That’s actually what “Golden” is about. “Golden” is a bittersweet song. Technically it sounds like it’s hopeful. It is, don’t get me wrong. But in that moment with Rumi’s character, she’s so focused on the Huntr/x legacy and getting that achievement that she kind of ignores her own flaws. Even in the movie, you see her saying “no more hiding” while she’s still hiding. That’s a really important part of that song. So as much as it’s great to strive and be ambitious and go after what you want, always do it in a healthy way, always keep checking in with yourself while you’re doing it. Don’t ignore your health. Don’t ignore your mental health. A great balance, I think, is important.
Are you able to balance that, though? You did say you’ve been up since 5 a.m.
EJAE: You got me there. I’m sometimes more ambitious; sometimes I let it go. I think it’s important to be flexible.
What would mean more to you? A Grammy or an Oscar?
EJAE: Both.
You want both?
EJAE: Absolutely. The whole team worked so hard, and the soundtrack and the movie just work as one synergistic whole. It has to be both.
That’s pretty ambitious.
EJAE: It is. It’s a dream.
Updated 10/30/25 11:45pm ET. Let us know what you think about this article. Submit a letter to the editor at [email protected].
Styling by Jacquie Trevizo. Styling assistance by Lindsey Trounson. Set design by Marie-Yan Morvan. Hair by Mark Alan Esparza. Makeup by Kevin Cheah. Nails by Taku Okamura. Suit by Sergio Hudson. Shoes by Jimmy Choo. Jewelry by Grace Lee.