EJAE of “KPop Demon Hunters” garners more acclaim as Amazon Music names her as an “Artist to Watch.” The singer took to her Instagram Story to share the exciting news, reposting a video from Amazon Music announcing her as the recipient of this esteemed recognition. “Thank you Amazon Music for honoring me as an artist to watch,” she expressed gratefully.
This recent accolade follows EJAE’s historic win at the 2026 Golden Globes where she became the first Korean-American to clinch a victory in any category when her song “Golden” snagged the award for Best Original Song. EJAE collaborated with Mark Sonnenblick to co-write the “KPop Demon Hunters” OST and lent her voice as part of the trio behind the fictional K-Pop group HUNTR/X who performed the award-winning song in the movie.
The path to success was not without challenges for EJAE. She dedicated almost a decade to training at SM Entertainment, commencing at just 11 years old. Despite undergoing training alongside future K-pop stars from groups like Girls’ Generation, SHINee, and f(x), she never got the chance to debut.
Ultimately parting ways with SM Entertainment circa 2014-2015, EJAE did not relent. Relocating to the United States, she pursued studies at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts before delving into songwriting. The turning point in her career arrived in 2019 with her co-writing contribution to Red Velvet’s hit track, “Psycho.” This led to her becoming a sought-after songwriter for esteemed K-pop acts like aespa, TWICE, LE SSERAFIM, and NMIXX.
EJAE’s own song, “Golden,” achieved global success upon its release as part of the “KPop Demon Hunters” soundtrack. The track reigned on the Billboard Hot 100 for eight consecutive weeks, and the soundtrack emerged as a major hit. The movie skyrocketed to Netflix’s most-watched animated film status while the soundtrack dominated the Billboard 200 charts, making it the highest-selling soundtrack of 2025.
In light of all these accomplishments, EJAE’s Golden Globe win held significant importance. In her acceptance speech, she recounted her journey, emphasizing, “Rejection is redirection. Never give up. It’s never too late to shine like you were born to be.” EJAE’s narrative from facing rejection to ascending as a global star serves as a testament to resilience and perseverance.
Peace Nero is a writer and blogger who loves to explore different topics of self-development. She shares her personal experiences in order to help people discover their true purpose in life.