entertainment

January 13, 2026

34-year-old spent a decade chasing a K-pop debut—now she's a Golden Globe winner for 'Kpop Demon Hunters': 'Rejection is redirection'

A decade ago, 'Kpop Demon Hunters' star Ejae was told she didn't have a good enough singing voice to be a star. Then, her original song won a Golden Globe.

34-year-old spent a decade chasing a K-pop debut—now she's a Golden Globe winner for 'Kpop Demon Hunters': 'Rejection is redirection'

TL;DR

  • Ejae won a Golden Globe for Best Original Song for "Golden" from "KPop Demon Hunters."
  • The song "Golden" was No. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100 for eight weeks and is nominated for a Grammy.
  • Ejae initially pursued a K-pop idol career for 10 years, signing with SM Entertainment at age 11.
  • She was rejected for debut as a performer and her contract with SM Entertainment ended in 2015.
  • Ejae then focused on songwriting and production, eventually being mentored by Andrew Choi.
  • She has written songs for popular K-pop groups like Red Velvet and Aespa.
  • The inspiration for "Golden" came from her mother's advice on speaking positivity into existence.
  • Ejae believes rejection can be a form of redirection and encourages perseverance.

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