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🌟 The Global Phenomenon: K-pop Demon Hunters
Hello everyone,
I watched today a Youtube about Lee Jae, who played the role of Lumi in K-pop Demon Hunters, appeared on You Quiz on the Block.
Released in 2025, the animated film “K-pop Demon Hunters” took the world by storm.
The story follows a fictional K-pop girl group who secretly fight evil spirits —
a unique concept that immediately captured audiences worldwide after its Netflix release.
Among the film’s highlights is the main theme song “Golden”, performed by the group’s leader Rumi.
The song skyrocketed to #1 on the Billboard Global Chart within a month,
marking a new milestone in K-pop animation history.
But behind this global hit stands a name you might not expect —
EJAE (Lee Jae), a musician who once spent 12 long years as a trainee at SM Entertainment.
🎤 12 Years as a Trainee — Training Beside the Biggest K-pop Idols
EJAE recently appeared on the Korean TV show You Quiz on the Block,
where she revealed something that stunned many fans:
“I trained at SM Entertainment for 12 years, alongside Super Junior, Girls’ Generation, SHINee, and f(x).”
As someone who grew up loving those artists, I was truly amazed.
Just imagining her practicing alongside such legendary groups felt surreal.
Yet, despite all those years of hard work,
EJAE never debuted as a singer.
She described that time as “the hardest years of my life”, full of disappointment and self-doubt.
💔 From Lost Dreams to a New Beginning in Music
Even after failing to debut, EJAE didn’t walk away from music.
Instead, she decided to reinvent herself as a composer.
She later joined the SM Songwriting Camp,
where she began creating songs that would soon dominate the K-pop scene.
Her credits include:
- aespa – “Armageddon” and “Drama”
- Red Velvet – “Psycho”
- NMIXX – “O.O”
These songs proved that her musical instincts were extraordinary —
her talent simply needed a new stage.
✨ The Birth of Golden — The Soul of K-pop Demon Hunters
Then came her life-changing moment: the OST project for “K-pop Demon Hunters.”
EJAE composed “Golden”, the main theme for the character Rumi,
and — incredibly — she also sang the vocals herself.
So after more than a decade of chasing her dream,
she finally debuted, in her own unique way.
“The dream I couldn’t achieve in 12 years came true through one song.”
Golden isn’t just a soundtrack — it’s a story about never giving up.
The song’s hopeful message resonated deeply with fans,
leading it to reach #1 on Billboard Global and over 1 billion Spotify streams.
💡 Why K-pop Demon Hunters Feels So Special
- A groundbreaking fusion of K-pop and animation
- Real K-pop producers participated in the OST
- Characters like Rumi, Mina, and Sua feel like real idols
- And most importantly, Golden ties it all together with emotion and power
More than just an animation, K-pop Demon Hunters captures
the true spirit of K-pop — passion, struggle, and hope.
🌈 Life Comes Full Circle — EJAE’s Real Debut
The girl who never debuted as an idol
is now the composer behind the most streamed K-pop song in the world.
EJAE’s story mirrors the message of K-pop Demon Hunters:
to face your darkness, never stop fighting,
and eventually find your own “Golden” light.
📣 Final Thoughts
I could deeply relate to her story because I’ve been through something very similar myself.
In her interview, I could feel every word she said — it truly resonated with me.
EJAE worked so incredibly hard for years, yet at one point, she realized things weren’t working out — that maybe it just wasn’t meant to be.
I understood that feeling completely because I’ve also experienced failure despite giving my all.
But as the saying goes, “Life is full of unexpected turns.”
She didn’t give up. She tried again, and eventually became a composer — even joining the SM Entertainment songwriting camp from SM Idole trainee!
I can’t ask anyone to reward me for my own hard-working years either, but I believe everything I did before will someday connect — just like Steve Jobs said in his famous quote about “connecting the dots.”
👉 Interview on You Quiz on the Block: https://youtu.be/otAax4ZaFus?si=2y7pQr2ukv9jnCxp
👉 EJAE Official Instagram https://www.instagram.com/ejae_k/?hl=de
Oh! She is the composer of Demon Hunters, which is Sso popular these days! I really love her music. I guess when she gives your best wherever you are, she will eventually shine bright. ✨
우리모두지금의어려움은어젠가더큰희망으로만이루이질거이라새악하고하루하루최선을다해서~~