Since its June 20 release, KPop: Demon Hunters has broken records in both film and music. The Sony and Netflix animated project from directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans became the most-watched animated film on Netflix within a month of its release and has since become the platform’s most-watched film of all time. A weekend theatrical singalong grossed an estimated $18 million, earning Netflix its first box office No. 1.

Every original track from the soundtrack has charted on Billboard Hot 100. "Golden" became the first No. 1 by a female-led K-pop group; "Your Idol," "Soda Pop" and "How It’s Done" occupied the Billboard Hot 100 Top 10. Demon Hunters became the first movie soundtrack to have four songs simultaneously in the Top 10 

The film is a love letter to K-culture, following the trio girl group HUNTR/X, composed of leader Rumi, lead dancer Mira, and lead rapper Zoey (voiced by Arden Cho, May Hong and Ji-young Yoo, respectively) as they protect the world from demons by slaying them and sealing a mystical barrier known as the Honmoon. Their battle intensifies when rival boy group the Saja Boys are unveiled to also be demons. 

While the film’s record-breaking success reflects its animation, storytelling and cultural impact, the true heart of KPop: Demon Hunters is EJAE. The singer/songwriter is behind many of its standout tracks, including "Golden," and has long been a hitmaker within the K-pop industry.

Below, get to know EJAE, from her pivotal role in KPop: Demon Hunters and her extensive background in Korean music.

She Helped Build KPop Demon Hunters From Its Earliest Demos

EJAE joined KPop: Demon Hunters near its inception in 2020 and was tasked with shaping the musical DNA of the film.

In an interview with Genius Korea, EJAE recalled that the first months were spent experimenting with songs from scratch to capture the directors’ vision for crucial scenes. Some sequences required nearly 60 demo versions, most of which were discarded or heavily reworked. One track survived the workshopping: the BLACKPINK-inspired opener "How It’s Done," which became the high-octane introduction to the world of the HUNTR/X trio.

As the project grew, additional collaborators joined. Musical director Ian Eisendrath worked alongside producers and songwriters from THEBLACKLABEL, the team behind acts such as BLACKPINK and MEOVV. THEBLACKLABEL contributed to nearly half of the film’s original songs, including the ominous "Your Idol" and saccharinely catchy "Soda Pop," helping fuse traditional Korean instrumentation with modern K-pop sensibilities.

EJAE told Forbes the process involved constant collaboration. The directors would outline a scene’s mood and share reference tracks. THEBLACKLABEL would produce the instrumental track, after which EJAE and co-writer Mark Sonnenblick crafted the lyrics, melody, and overall concept. EJAE recorded the demos herself — from lead vocals to harmonies and backgrounds — even standing in for the male idol characters. Because the directors envisioned Rumi with a lower vocal register than her bandmates, EJAE eventually became the singing voice of the protagonist. Audrey Nuna provided the singing voice for Mira and REI AMI for Zoey.

"EJAE is the heart and soul of Huntr/x," director Kang wrote on X. "She has been working on the movie since 2019. Her demos helped get us the green light."

EJAE Has Deep Industry Roots

Born Kim Eun-jae in Seoul, she began idol training at age 11 and spent a decade under K-pop label giant SM Entertainment. EJAE was considered for multiple debut paths, including a three-member girl group and a solo career, before aging out of the trainee system in 2011. She then attended New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.

Reflecting on her SM years, EJAE told The Korea Herald, "I learned to think about how a song might translate into choreography or a music video. That perspective has shaped my songwriting ever since."

Entertainment runs in her family: she is the granddaughter of actor and lawyer Shin Young-kyun, a screen legend who appeared in hundreds of films.**

EJAE Took Home Gold Even Before "Golden" 

Prior to KPop Demon Hunters, EJAE already had a formidable discography in K-pop. At a 2017 songwriting camp for SM Entertainment, she wrote and demoed what would become Red Velvet’s 2019 hit "Psycho," inspired by an argument with her long-distance fiancé. 

Released as the lead single for The ReVe Festival: Finale, the song earned Song of the Year at the Gaon Chart Music Awards, Red Velvet’s first Melon Music Award nomination for Song of the Year, and the group’s first MTV Video Music Award nomination for Best K-Pop. It was eventually certified platinum in Korea.

She has since written or produced for top acts, cementing her status as a behind-the-scenes titan. Among EJAE's credits are aespa’s "Drama" and "Armageddon,"  LE SSERAFIM’s "So Cynical (Badum)," TWICE’s Last Waltz," and NMIXX’s "O.O" and "DICE." In a full circle moment, TWICE’s Jihyo, Chaeyoung and Jeongyeon featured on the KPop Demon Hunters original track "Takedown." 

She Is The Idol’s Idol

KPop Demon Hunters' viral success stems from endless fan engagement like memes, fan art, online discourse and TikTok trends, but most of all, its covers. "Golden" is the most popular track from the film and one of the most vocally demanding, culminating in a belting high note. It’s become a flex test for K-pop artists across generations.

YouTube has a plethora of covers from IVE’s Yujin, soloist Ailee, Park Dahyee, Apink’s Eunji, izna’s Jeemin, Jungeun, Koko at KCON LA 2025, and Super Junior’s Ryeowook. EJAE shared her amazement of all the covers on Instagram, writing, "I apologize in advance for writing it so friggin’ hard."

When asked by Korea Joongang Daily for a favorite cover, EJAE highlighted first-generation idol Bada of S.E.S.: "I’ve been so impressed by how each artist interprets the song in their own way. Bada’s cover was especially memorable. I even posted on social media that I was a longtime S.E.S. fan, and it was such an honor. She’s truly a vocal queen."

Rumi Reflects EJAE's Own Story 

The character of Rumi and EJAE often feel one in the same, and EJAE’s work on the film draws directly from her own industry experience.  

KPop: Demon Hunters centers on Rumi’s journey of embracing her half-demon self, learning to release the burden of perfection, and accepting her vulnerabilities, and realizing that her struggles need not be faced alone. Throughout, she's guided by a team with a deep love for music, animation, and Korean culture. 

Drawing from lived experience, EJAE became the essence of Rumi. She has said she cried while writing the lyrics and recording the demo for "Golden." Per Billboard, EJAE recalled: "Being perfect is such a big thing while training. That heartbreak I felt, me not aligning and getting dropped, I brought that into the lyrics and my performance." 

EJAE is celebrated not only for her technical contributions, but for the ways in which her own story resonates with the film’s deeper themes of acceptance, perseverance, and self-discovery. She told K-pop Herald, "Winning a GRAMMY wouldn’t just be a personal milestone. It would be a message to every Asian American girl who’s ever felt impostor syndrome in this industry." 

EJAE’s blend of personal history, emotional transparency, and artistic mastery makes her not merely a contributor but the sincere soul of KPop: Demon Hunters; a force once vulnerable, now golden, resplendent, and unstoppable.