{"id":61944,"date":"2025-08-12T07:05:14","date_gmt":"2025-08-12T07:05:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/61944\/"},"modified":"2025-08-12T07:05:14","modified_gmt":"2025-08-12T07:05:14","slug":"winning-grammy-will-be-a-message-to-every-asian-american-girl-whos-ever-felt-impostor-syndrome-says-golden-songwriter-ejae","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/61944\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Winning Grammy will be a message to every Asian American girl who\u2019s ever felt impostor syndrome,\u2019 says \u2018Golden\u2019 songwriter Ejae"},"content":{"rendered":"

From failed K-pop debut to Netflix hit, Ejae\u2019s journey shows resilience can rewrite the script<\/p>\n

\"Ejae Ejae poses at the “KPop Demon Hunters” global premiere at the Netflix Tudum Theater in Los Angeles, June 16. (Ejae’s Instagram) <\/p>\n

Everyone has a dream. Some see it through. Others are forced to let go.<\/p>\n

For 33-year-old Korean American singer-songwriter Ejae, born Kim Eun-jae, the dream was to debut as a K-pop idol after spending 10 years training at SM Entertainment. But the call never came. Neither in a group nor as a soloist did the powerhouse label see her fit to debut.<\/p>\n

Instead of turning her back on music, Ejae found another path \u2014 one that would lead her to co-write \u201cGolden,\u201d the soaring anthem from Netflix\u2019s megahit \u201cKPop Demon Hunters,\u201d released in June.<\/p>\n

The song has made history, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topping both the Billboard Global 200 and Global Excl. US charts \u2014 a rare feat for a song from an animated film soundtrack. It also claimed No. 1 on the UK Official Singles Chart, becoming the first K-pop track to do so since Psy\u2019s \u201cGangnam Style\u201d in 2012. Netflix has also reportedly submitted \u201cGolden\u201d for awards consideration.<\/p>\n

Ejae\u2019s next goal is no longer about becoming a famous singer. It is about winning a Grammy \u2014 an achievement she says would carry a meaning far beyond her own career.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt wouldn\u2019t just be a personal milestone,\u201d she said. \u201cIt would be a message to every Asian American girl who\u2019s ever felt impostor syndrome in this industry,\u201d she said in an email interview with The Korea Herald.<\/p>\n

From trainee to songwriter<\/p>\n

Ejae describes her years at SM Entertainment as \u201cincredible\u201d and \u201ccharacter-defining,\u201d instilling in her a work ethic and perseverance that would later sustain her. Learning dance and performance at such a high level also proved invaluable when she began writing for K-pop idols.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a trainee, I learned to think about how a song might translate into choreography or a music video,\u201d she said. \u201cThat perspective has shaped my songwriting ever since.\u201d<\/p>\n

\""KPop “KPop Demon Hunters” (Netflix) <\/p>\n

In 2011, Ejae left SM Entertainment to study at New York University\u2019s Tisch School of the Arts. Around that time, she discovered the underground SoundCloud scene, drawing inspiration from artists like Ta-ku, Sango and Shlohmo. Making beats became both a creative outlet and a way to cope with the depression that followed her trainee years.<\/p>\n

Her pivot to songwriting came unexpectedly.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome producers in Korea asked me to topline on tracks for fun,\u201d she recalled, explaining how she started by contributing melodies. \u201cMy first song ended up being picked up by a well-known artist. That\u2019s when I realized writing wasn\u2019t just something I enjoyed \u2014 it was something I needed. It became my therapy.\u201d Ejae\u2019s trainee period at SM Entertainment ended about two years after she graduated.<\/p>\n

Her passion crystallized in 2017 when she attended her first SM Entertainment songwriting camp. On the very first day, she penned what would become Red Velvet\u2019s hit \u201cPsycho,\u201d a song born from an argument with her then-long-distance fiance. Released in 2019, the track\u2019s success opened new doors and, eventually, led her to the opportunity that would change everything: \u201cKPop Demon Hunters.\u201d<\/p>\n

Becoming Rumi and finding ‘Golden’<\/p>\n

Ejae entered the project through composer Daniel Rojas, joining early in the creative process. Together, they wrote some of the first songs that set the tone for the soundtrack. Because she recorded most of the initial demos, the directors invited her to become the singing voice of the film\u2019s lead character, Rumi.<\/p>\n

\u201cHaving been part of the project from the start, I felt deeply connected to her,\u201d she said. \u201cAs a former K-pop trainee, I related to her perfectionism, her struggle to hide her flaws and her drive to chase her dream.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGolden,\u201d co-written with Mark Sonnenblick under the guidance of music director Ian Eisendrath, is a pivotal moment in the film. The song reflects each character\u2019s struggles, while carrying a message of perseverance.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a bittersweet layer,\u201d Ejae explained. \u201cRumi\u2019s lyrics reflect her desperation to fix her patterns. It\u2019s like her personal pep talk \u2014 telling herself not to give up and that she can reach her dreams.\u201d<\/p>\n

\""KPop “KPop Demon Hunters” features, from left, characters Zoey, Rumi and Mira. (Netflix) <\/p>\n

In crafting the song, Ejae also had to meet a personal challenge: hitting Rumi’s high notes to showcase her \u201ccrazy vocal skills.\u201d The result is both technically impressive and emotionally resonant, a combination that has resonated with audiences far beyond the film.<\/p>\n

Beyond \u201cGolden,\u201d Ejae is especially proud of \u201cHunter’s Mantra,\u201d the film\u2019s opening number that fuses traditional Korean genres like pansori and Arirang with modern pop sensibilities. Pansori is a traditional Korean musical storytelling performance that combines singing, narration and dramatic expression.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to bring Korea\u2019s rich traditional sounds into the music with my own twist,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s part of who I am.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chasing Grammy gold<\/p>\n

For Ejae, the Grammy dream is not just about recognition \u2014 it is about representation.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs an Asian American, specifically a Korean American woman, I don\u2019t really see enough people who look like me in the pop and K-pop industry,\u201d she said. \u201cThat\u2019s why winning an award for a song about hope and chasing your dreams would be incredibly serendipitous.\u201d<\/p>\n

As someone who once doubted her skill and talent, fearing that she would be exposed as a fraud, Ejae has message for others who find themselves feeling the same way.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour voice matters. Your stories are worth telling. Don\u2019t give up,\u201d Ejae says. \u201cIf this song (‘Golden’) can spark even a little hope in someone to keep going, then that, to me, is the greatest honor.\u201d<\/p>\n

jaaykim@heraldcorp.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"From failed K-pop debut to Netflix hit, Ejae\u2019s journey shows resilience can rewrite the script Ejae poses at…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":61945,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[64,63,49945,134,16492,3639,49946,28936,136,435,24877],"class_list":{"0":"post-61944","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-music","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-ejae","11":"tag-entertainment","12":"tag-golden","13":"tag-grammy","14":"tag-kim-eun-jae","15":"tag-kpop-demon-hunters","16":"tag-music","17":"tag-netflix","18":"tag-sm-entertainment"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61944","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=61944"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61944\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/61945"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=61944"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=61944"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=61944"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}