‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Star EJAE On Hope, Resilience And Asian Representation

BusinessHollywood & Entertainment‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Star EJAE On Hope, Resilience And Asian RepresentationByRegina Kim,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Regina Kim covers Korean and Asian American entertainment.Follow AuthorMay 27, 2026, 12:18pm EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.EJAE, winner of Song of the Year, Best Pop Song and Best Vocal Performance for "Golden," poses in the press room during the American Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 25, 2026. (Photo by Ian Maule / AFP via Getty Images)AFP via Getty ImagesEver since KPop Demon Hunters premiered on Netflix, EJAE—the Korean-American singer-songwriter who co-wrote and performed many of the songs from the film’s soundtrack—has seemingly been everywhere, zipping across the globe to give interviews to domestic and international outlets and performing on coveted stages from the Oscars to Coachella to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.Her smash hit “Golden,” the KPop Demon Hunters banger that she co-wrote with Mark Sonnenblick and producers from THEBLACKLABEL, has racked up billions of streams and a slew of accolades, including a Golden Globe, a Grammy and an Oscar, becoming the first K-pop song to win any of the three awards. More recently, it also won three American Music Awards, including Best Vocal Performance, Best Pop Song and Song of the Year, while KPop Demon Hunters took home Best Soundtrack at the 2026 AMAs.Last month she was honored at the 2026 Billboard Women in Music, where she, Audrey Nuna and REI AMI—who altogether provide the singing voices for the animated movie’s fictional K-pop trio HUNTR/X—were named Billboard’s Women of the Year. EJAE has also recently released two singles, “In Another World” and “Time After Time,” and was profiled in The New York Times earlier this month.For a former K-pop trainee whose dre...