Ejae
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From Seoul to the global stage, Ejae is a name that’s rapidly becoming synonymous with musical excellence. Born Kim Eun-jae on December 6, 1991, this South Korean and American powerhouse is not just a singer, but a gifted songwriter and producer whose influence is felt across the K-pop landscape. She's the creative force behind hits for Red Velvet, Aespa, Twice, and Le Sserafim, to name just a few.
But it was in 2025 that Ejae truly captured the world’s attention. She lent her breathtaking vocals to Rumi in the Netflix sensation, KPop Demon Hunters, and penned several unforgettable tracks for its soundtrack. Her co-written and performed song, "Golden," didn't just chart; it soared, topping the Billboard Hot 100 and dominating charts worldwide.
Ejae’s journey began as a trainee at SM Entertainment, where she honed her craft for nearly a decade. However, destiny had other plans, and after leaving SM, she moved to the US, immersing herself in the vibrant arts scene at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts.
Upon graduation, Ejae transitioned seamlessly into songwriting and production, finding a crucial mentor in Andrew Choi. Her passion ignited in 2017 at an SM Entertainment songwriting camp, leading to her breakthrough co-writing the iconic topline for Red Velvet's "Psycho," a song that would go on to achieve gold certification in the US and open more doors within SM Entertainment. By 2019, her voice graced the soundtrack of the K-drama, Woman of 9.9 Billion.
The COVID-19 pandemic saw Ejae’s creativity flourish. She co-wrote Aespa's hit "Drama" and contributed to the production of the "Girl Crush K-pop Vocals" sample pack. In 2022, she reunited with Red Velvet for their lead single, "Birthday."
The year 2025 proved monumental. Ejae signed with the independent music publisher Prescription Songs. That April, the announcement came: she would be featured on the soundtrack of the highly anticipated Netflix film, KPop Demon Hunters, also writing multiple songs for the project. Director Maggie Kang credits Ejae's demo recordings as instrumental in the film's greenlighting. Ejae herself revealed she had co-written and recorded "most of the demos" before being asked to be the official singing voice for Rumi. The film’s soundtrack garnered critical acclaim, peaking at number two on the Billboard 200. And "Golden," a song she co-wrote and performed, shattered records by hitting number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
Critics raved about "Golden." Ars Technica marveled at its impressive three-octave range, noting Ejae’s A-5 chorus note, typically reserved for opera singers, and how her performance "has impressed a lot of YouTube vocal coaches." The Korea Herald echoed this sentiment, highlighting the "technically impressive and emotionally resonant" quality of her performance, a combination that has captivated audiences globally. By August 18, 2025, Billboard reported that songs from the film's soundtrack held four of the top five spots on the Billboard Global 200 chart – a feat matched only by a handful of elite albums. Ejae’s contributions were central, credited on "Golden," "How It's Done," and "Your Idol," the latter two showcasing her incredible vocal range, including a D6 in the ad-libs of "How It's Done."
Further demonstrating her commitment to meaningful projects, in July 2025, Ejae announced her participation in the "Another Day of Debut Training" project, with all proceeds going to descendants of Korean independence activists. On August 14, 2025, the web series group TDYA debuted with "Keep the Light," a song composed by Ejae, performing it live the next day in Seoul to celebrate Korea's 80th National Liberation Day.
The excitement continued on October 4, 2025, with Ejae’s announcement of her debut solo single, "In Another World," set for release on October 24. That same day, she, along with KPop Demon Hunters co-stars Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami, made a memorable cameo on Saturday Night Live, reprising their roles in a film-inspired sketch. The triumphant celebration of "Golden" culminated on October 7, 2025, with Ejae, Nuna, and Rei Ami delivering a live performance of the hit song on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
Beyond the stage, Ejae is the granddaughter of esteemed actor and arts patron Shin Young-kyun, and currently calls Brooklyn home.
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Kim Eun-jae (Korean: 김은재; born December 6, 1991), known professionally as Ejae (stylized in all caps), is a South Korean and American singer, songwriter, and record producer. She is known for her work with Red Velvet, Aespa, Twice, Le Sserafim, and other South Korean artists. In 2025, Ejae garnered global recognition for providing the singing voice for Rumi in the Netflix film KPop Demon Hunters, as well as writing several of the songs on its soundtrack. "Golden", one of the songs she performed and co-wrote for the film, topped the Billboard Hot 100 as well as charts in several other countries.
== Career ==
Born in Seoul, Kim started out as a trainee for SM Entertainment for almost 10 years. However, approval for her debut did not happen, either with a group or as a soloist, as she was considered to be too old. In 2011, she left SM Entertainment. She moved to the US full-time, and studied at the New York University Tisch School of the Arts.
After graduating, Kim transitioned to songwriting and producing. She met Andrew Choi, who became her mentor. Kim's songwriting "passion crystallized in 2017 when she attended her first SM Entertainment songwriting camp". Her first big break came when she co-wrote the topline for "Psycho" for Red Velvet, which went on to be certified gold in the US. It led to more opportunities to work with SM Entertainment. In 2019, she was featured on the soundtrack of the K-drama Woman of 9.9 Billion.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Kim co-wrote "Drama" for Aespa. She also helped co-produce the Girl Crush K-pop Vocals sample pack for producing k-pop songs. In 2022, she worked with Red Velvet again on the lead single "Birthday".
In 2025, Kim signed with Prescription Songs, an independent music publisher. In April of that year, it was announced that she would be featured on the soundtrack of the Netflix film KPop Demon Hunters. She also wrote several of the songs on the soundtrack. Director Maggie Kang attributed Kim's demos as one of the reasons the film was greenlit; Kim explained she had co-written and recorded "most of the demos" for the film when the directors then asked her to be the official singing voice for the character Rumi. The film received positive reviews for its soundtrack. The soundtrack also charted at number two on the Billboard 200. One of the songs she co-wrote and performed, "Golden", topped the Billboard Hot 100. On "Golden"'s composition, Ars Technica commented that the song "spans an impressive three-octave range, eventually hitting an A-5 on the chorus–a high note usually reserved for classically trained operatic sopranos" and Kim's "performance on this song has impressed a lot of YouTube vocal coaches". The Korea Herald similarly highlighted Kim's "Golden" performance, noting "the result is both technically impressive and emotionally resonant, a combination that has resonated with audiences far beyond the film". On August 18, 2025, Billboard highlighted that songs from the film's soundtrack "claim four of the top five on the Billboard Global 200 chart" and that only "four [other] elite albums", three by Taylor Swift and one by Drake, "have generated as many as four concurrent top five hits" on the Global 200 since the chart's debut in September 2020. Kim is credited on three of these charting songs; in addition to "Golden", Kim co-wrote and performed "How It's Done" and co-wrote "Your Idol". Kim noted she reached a high note of D6 during the adlib background vocals of "How It's Done".
In July 2025, YouTube channel Studio USOG announced Kim will contribute a song to the "Another Day of Debut Training" project, with all profits being donated to descendants of Korean independence activists. On August 14, 2025, the group formed through the web series, TDYA, debuted with the song "Keep the Light" composed by Kim and performed the song for the first time the following day at Gwanghwamun Square in Jongno-gu, Seoul in a set of performances celebrating the 80th National Liberation Day of Korea.
On October 4, 2025, Ejae announced that her debut solo single, “In Another World,” would be released on October 24. That same day, she along with her fellow KPop Demon Hunters cast-mates Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami made a cameo appearance on the season 51 premiere of Saturday Night Live in a sketch based on the film, reprising their respective roles as Rumi, Mira and Zoey. Then on October 7, 2025, "Golden" was performed live in full for the first time by Ejae, Nuna, and Rei Ami on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
== Personal life ==
Kim's grandfather is actor and arts patron Shin Young-kyun. She is currently based in Brooklyn.
== Discography ==
=== Singles ===
=== Soundtrack appearances ===
=== Production and songwriting credits ===
indicates a background vocal contribution.
indicates a credited vocal/featured artist contribution.
== Awards and nominations ==
== Notes ==
== References ==
== External links ==
Ejae at IMDb
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