Billboard\u00a0200<\/a> and became the first soundtrack to have four hits simultaneously in the Hot\u00a0100 top\u00a010, including HUNTR\/X\u2019s \u201cHow It\u2019s Done,\u201d a swaggering counterpart to the earnest \u201cGolden.\u201d Beyond the charts, the fictional girl group even dominated Halloween, with Rumi, Zoey and Mira owning the top three spots on Google\u2019s trending costumes of 2025.<\/p>\n\n\tBut while this phenomenon has unfolded in less than a year, \u201cIt\u2019s a very long journey to get to this point,\u201d Audrey emphasizes. \u201cObviously the last seven months have been crazy for us, but this is a story that starts with our childhoods, of our parents moving here, immigrating to a new country, trying to follow a dream and provide and being an outcast in our own society, sometimes hiding our smelly-ass lunches, being asked why our eyes look a certain way in the line at school.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tThe members\u2019 worlds have now expanded beyond the film. All three have signed major-label deals in the Universal Music Group family \u2014 EJAE at Universal Records and Audrey and REI at Republic \u2014 with solo music in the works. (WME represents EJAE and REI, while UTA reps Audrey.) They liken their managers (Nick Guilmette, Paula Park and Aaron Tropf represent EJAE, Audrey and REI, respectively) to the energetic agent Bobby voiced by Ken Jeong in KPop Demon Hunters. \u201cI thank God for the amazing, supportive teams that we have beside us that protect us and guide us throughout these massive changes,\u201d REI says, as Audrey chimes in: \u201cYes, our Bobbys! We love our Bobbys.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tBut before they disperse to make their own music again \u2014 albeit now with countless new fans \u2014 Billboard\u2019s 2026 Women of the Year are looking back on how they managed to fly up, up, up into the pop culture stratosphere in a matter of mere months and seize their moment at the top.<\/p>\n
\n\tFirst off, congratulations on being named Women of the Year at Billboard\u2019s Women in Music. What does this honor mean to you?<\/p>\n
\n\tEJAE: It means so much, because growing up, I would always look at the Billboard charts to see what songs are up or what songs are popular. So to be recognized is incredibly awesome, especially as an Asian American woman. Definitely feel honored.<\/p>\n
\n\tYou three are in such a unique situation, because you\u2019re individual artists who were brought together to represent this animated group. What have been the biggest changes in each of your lives since KPop Demon Hunters came out last summer?<\/p>\n
\n\tAudrey Nuna: We are changed women. We\u2019ve each been on our own journey in the music industry for so long, and you eat s\u2013t sometimes, you\u2019re winning sometimes \u2014 you\u2019re up and down. And I think that this was such a moment of clarity for all three of us of, like, yes: Music has the power to bring joy to the world.<\/p>\n
\n\tREI AMI: It reaffirmed a lot of beliefs that I\u2019ve held throughout my career, [like], you really don\u2019t know anything at all. I mean, yes, I believed in this project, but the way this project has landed at this point, I\u2019m in awe. My jaw is on the ground. So it just reminds me: You got to keep on going, keep showing up.<\/p>\n
\n\tEJAE: The word that describes my life right now is \u201cmetamorphosis.\u201d I am a songwriter who was very behind the scenes, so this is all very new. I\u2019m learning as I go. And I just feel like I\u2019ve been changing a lot. I surprise myself a lot. I have really bad stage fright, but I\u2019ve been trying to overcome it and can\u2019t believe I\u2019m doing it. And honestly, I don\u2019t think I\u2019d be able to do it without these girls. They always help me prep myself, always saying, like, \u201cYou got this, unnie [\u201cbig sis\u201d in Korean]!\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tREI: She does!<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t![\"EJAE](\"https:\/\/www.billboard.com\/wp-content\/themes\/vip\/pmc-billboard-2021\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.gif\")
<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\tEJAE. Styling by Jeffrey Jin and Hyeonseok Song. Hair by Mark Alan Esparza at Kramer+Kramer. Makeup by Kevin Cheah at Opus Beauty. Oude Waag dress.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLE3AY<\/p>\n
\n\tIt feels like a turning point came in October, when you started making public appearances and performing as a group. People were not just hearing your voices but seeing your faces. What was going out in public like after that?<\/p>\n
\n\tEJAE: For me, it was so, like, thrown-in-the-cold-water kind of situation. I just didn\u2019t know what to expect. It was very sudden. And I would be lying if I didn\u2019t say it was overwhelming; it was quite overwhelming, but at the same time, super exciting.<\/p>\n
\n\tREI: We were forced into a position where we had to acclimate in order to survive. I\u2019ve never dealt with paparazzi, and having paparazzi be outside your hotel or follow your vehicle, it is a bit bizarre and very new, but in a way, it\u2019s like problems I prayed for, you know?<\/p>\n
\n\tYou\u2019ve gained a huge young fan base through this movie. What has it been like talking to young girls and kids who love the movie?<\/p>\n
\n\tAudrey: Honestly, it\u2019s the best part for me. This film is obviously for everyone, but I think that seeing the way it\u2019s affected the youth, seeing young people \u2014 you see it in their eyes, you know? They\u2019re really inspired by this film and the message. They walk with a different confidence when they sing these songs. I think that\u2019s really the reason why we do what we do. When the kids come up to us and they tell us that they dressed up as Rumi, Zoey, Mira for Halloween, with their mom matching\u2026<\/p>\n
\n\tEJAE: [Or] their dad matching.<\/p>\n
\n\tAudrey: Yeah, their dad matching! That, to me, is what energizes me to just \u2014 as sleep-deprived as we are \u2014 to love that, because that\u2019s the s\u2013t that really means something.<\/p>\n
\n\tEJAE: Yesterday, there was this little Korean girl, and her mom told me that she really wants to be a singer and she really looks up to Taylor Swift. And Taylor Swift is amazing, we love her, and then [the mom] said, \u201cAnd then EJAE came and REI AMI and Audrey\u2026,\u201d and seeing girls who look like her, we became her favorite artist as well. Her dream to become a singer is even bigger and she\u2019s much more passionate now. Isn\u2019t that so sweet? It\u2019s like, \u201cOh, wow, they look like me \u2014 I could be a singer!\u201d And then it gave her more confidence. What can I say to that?<\/p>\n
\n\tREI: Changing the world.<\/p>\n
\n\tYou\u2019ve been all over awards shows lately. Have you had any especially mind-blowing interactions with celebrities who come up to talk about KPop Demon Hunters?<\/p>\n
\n\tAudrey: My sister saw Demi Lovato taking a video of us at the Clive Davis [pre-Grammy] party. And I was like, \u201cWow, Camp Rock changed my life.\u201d This is real. This is me.<\/p>\n
\n\t(All three women sing \u201cThis Is Me\u201d from Camp Rock in unison.) \u201cThis is real! This is me! I\u2019m exactly where I\u2019m supposed to be.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tAudrey: It kind of has a similar message to \u201cGolden,\u201d honestly. To see cultural staples of our generation adore this movie is pretty\u2026<\/p>\n
\n\tEJAE: Mind-blowing.<\/p>\n
\n\tAudrey: Surreal, yeah.<\/p>\n
\n\tEJAE: Lana Del Rey apparently at Clive Davis sang [along with \u201cGolden,\u201d and Ryan Tedder] recorded it. I just saw it online, and she was singing \u201cGolden\u201d with us. So I feel strengthened. (Laughs.)<\/p>\n
\n\tGiven this very public platform that you all have now, what have been the most important issues that you want to bring to the forefront?<\/p>\n
\n\tEJAE: The reason why Grammys or winning an award was important to me was not actually for me; it\u2019s representation. When I was a K-pop trainee, you see a lot of fellow Koreans training with you. But once I separated with that life, I moved to New York and started writing songs, and I didn\u2019t see many Asian women or Korean American women in the industry. And I felt it was quite \u00adlonely, I\u2019m not going to lie. And I think oftentimes Asian women are viewed a certain way, so impostor syndrome was really intense. Every time I got into a session, there were mostly men or just non-Asians. So I\u2019ve always wanted to open the door for Asian women to also be confident to be in the songwriting industry or music industry in the States and trying to grow that community more.<\/p>\n
\n\tAudrey: Obviously representation, being able to stand and represent our culture. And I\u2019m very passionate about education and education access for kids. I launched a campaign for Luminos Fund, an amazing organization that basically gives kids in Ethiopia, Liberia, Gambia and a few other countries a second chance at school. We\u2019ve set a goal to raise $1 million this year for that.<\/p>\n
\n\tREI: Just sharing my story, our stories, and being vulnerable and honest about how difficult this career choice is. We\u2019ve been in this game for how long? How many doors have been shut on us? How many times have we had to pick ourselves up from the ashes and start again and again and again? And there was a point in my career where I was very shy about sharing and being honest about how difficult it is. (Sobbing.) But I think this entire journey and being surrounded by such amazing women has given me the courage to be honest. It\u2019s a very lonely journey sometimes, so sharing your story can really help others feel a little less alone. Others have done that for me, so I have to pay it forward. (Still sobbing.) I cry a lot, it\u2019s not special!<\/p>\n
\n\tSpeaking of all these awards shows, \u201cGolden\u201d was a massive hit and spent eight weeks atop our Hot\u00a0100 chart, but commercial success isn\u2019t always accompanied by critical acclaim. What has all this critical recognition meant to you?<\/p>\n
\n\tEJAE: Sheesh, I mean, it just doesn\u2019t feel real. With \u201cGolden\u201d coming out at the time that it [did], too \u2014 the message behind \u201cGolden\u201d is definitely something that\u2019s so important. And also the fact that \u201cGolden\u201d is not just in English but some is Korean. I think it\u2019s all meant to be.<\/p>\n
\n\tAudrey: And this goes far deeper than just this year, you know? It goes to also think the fact that it\u2019s critically acclaimed, it really does mean so much, because I think it\u2019s stamping your place in history. Being able to stand in those rooms with creative peers and people who we respect so much on top of knowing that there\u2019s grandmas and their grandchildren vibing to this music together in the Hyundai \u2014 it\u2019s crazy. It\u2019s so multifaceted. It just speaks to how many people resonate with this.<\/p>\n
\n\tREI: I\u2019m an immigrant. I came to this country at 7 years old with my family. My parents worked very long hours, blue-collar jobs for their daughter for all their sacrifices to amount to this? It\u2019s a multigenerational flex. \u201cGolden\u201d was the first K-pop song to win [a Grammy] \u2014 that\u2019s history. They\u2019re going to be studying \u201cGolden\u201d for ages. They\u2019re going to have a class, like a whole study on \u201cGolden\u201d and its rise, if not already.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\tREI AMI. Styling by Ayumi Perry. Hair by Darren Hau at Opus Beauty. Makeup by Chloe Forbes at Opus Beauty. Saint Laurent shirt, skirt, tights and shoes.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLE3AY<\/p>\n
\n\tThinking about the way the three of you came together and comparing it to the K-pop system, there\u2019s a parallel in that you were placed in a group, but there are a lot of differences too, because you\u2019re coming out of this film with so much agency and power. I wonder if you think about those similarities but also the major differences.<\/p>\n
\n\tEJAE: Oh, definitely. I literally think about that all the time. A huge difference is the fact that [REI and Audrey have] been in the music industry for a long time, and they are their own artists. They write their stuff and produce their own things, and they have their own voice and tone and everything. Then coming together and us having chemistry just feels rare. Our voices blend really well together, but also just our personalities and how we perform.<\/p>\n
\n\tREI: I think the common thing, though, is the work ethic. To be a K-pop idol, you have to have immense work ethic. And also, like with us, we were brought together. We never rehearsed together [for the film]. We didn\u2019t even record together. But I think something I noticed, right off the jump, even during our first rehearsals, is how hard and how attentive they are to their own craft. So I think that\u2019s why it works, because we show up individually and we respect each other in the process, because we\u2019ve gone through it and we understand it.<\/p>\n
\n\tThere\u2019s a lot of demand for you to do more as HUNTR\/X, like a group tour or more music. But what are your instincts about what to do next as a unit?<\/p>\n
\n\tEJAE: We would love to write together.<\/p>\n
\n\tREI: We should start a label.<\/p>\n
\n\tEJAE: We could tour together.<\/p>\n
\n\tREI: I mean, people have been asking for a tour. We, unfortunately, do not hold that power.<\/p>\n
\n\tEJAE: We don\u2019t, but that\u2019d be cool.<\/p>\n
\n\tREI: It would be cool. You got to demand it more, though!<\/p>\n
\n\tAudrey: I just can\u2019t even imagine the memories we would make on tour. Honestly, I feel like a theater kid again when I\u2019m around you guys. There\u2019s just this excitement of, like, our teams squadding it up together.<\/p>\n
\n\tEJAE: If the fans want it, what can we do?<\/p>\n
\n\tREI: HUNTR\/X jet!<\/p>\n
\n\tEJAE: (Laughs.) And then come out and do \u201cHow It\u2019s Done,\u201d remake that scene [from KPop Demon Hunters]. That\u2019d be sick.<\/p>\n
\n\tThere\u2019s a KPop Demon Hunters sequel coming in 2029. Are you three involved?<\/p>\n
\n\tEJAE: We really don\u2019t know. There\u2019s nothing official, so\u2026<\/p>\n
\n\tAudrey: We\u2019re also waiting for the call.<\/p>\n
\n\tEJAE: We are. Stay tuned, guys.<\/p>\n
\n\tI wanted to focus on each of you as an individual, starting with EJAE. I knew from your Globes speech that you were a K-pop trainee, but I had no idea you started at age 11. You have a lot of fans coming up to you now, young girls, probably a similar age, asking about becoming a singer and getting in the music industry. What do you tell them?<\/p>\n
\n\tEJAE:\u00a0I just say to not be afraid of rejection and not be afraid of failure. I think you learn way more from failing than succeeding, actually. And persistence is really important.<\/p>\n
\n\tWhen you made the transition to songwriting, you had a front-row seat to some of the biggest girl groups in K-pop. Did working behind the scenes help prepare you for what was to come with HUNTR\/X?<\/p>\n
\n\tEJAE:\u00a0So much. I mean, I think the writing process has been very similar, because when I\u2019m thinking about writing for these girls, I\u2019m always thinking about concepts and music videos and choreography. Also, being a K-pop trainee myself and loving to dance, I\u2019m always thinking about that when I\u2019m writing a melody. So for the film, that\u2019s what I\u2019m thinking \u2014 the scenes, what can make it cooler? What can the characters say? So it transitioned very, very well.<\/p>\n
\n\tWe\u2019ve heard three songs from you already outside of HUNTR\/X since the film came out: your debut solo single \u201cIn Another World,\u201d your feature with Anyma on \u201cOut of My Body,\u201d and \u201cTime After Time\u201d in February. Do you think those songs signal to your fans the direction you might want to go with your own solo material?<\/p>\n
\n\tEJAE:\u00a0Sort of. With my artistry \u2014 which I\u2019m still trying to figure out, guys. I\u2019m learning with my fans. I feel like we\u2019re kind of growing together \u2014 I always view my artistry as songwriting. Songwriting is always number one, and so I\u2019m always exploring different genres as a songwriter and different textures of my voice.<\/p>\n
\n\tREI, you had a different kind of start from EJAE. You graduated college before launching your music career, and you found viral success back in 2020 with \u201cFreak\u201d and then touring with Tinashe. Did that early taste of solo success in any way prepare you for everything to come with this film?<\/p>\n
\n\tREI:\u00a0To a degree. My solo success was nowhere near any of this HUNTR\/X stuff, but learning how the industry works and how to navigate it, building your team, following your gut, following your vision as an artist and figuring out what that looks like, and also engaging with your fans, all of that \u2014 I think my earlier success definitely prepped me. The industry is really hard, and as a newbie, if you\u2019re super green to it, your first heartbreak\u2019s gonna crush you. I\u2019m so glad I went through all my first heartbreaks and all my little no\u2019s and rejections. I\u2019m so glad I got that s\u2013t out of the way.<\/p>\n
\n\tHaving your own back catalog \u2014 your solo mixtape, your EP, your singles \u2014 are you finding that fans of the film are digging back into your older material?<\/p>\n
\n\tREI:\u00a0I made a warning when all the HUNTR\/X stuff was really bubbling, because a lot of the new fans are kids or minors. And I never imagined that I\u2019d be a role model ever in my career. But turns out, I guess I am now! So I was worried, because my solo stuff is very not safe for work. It\u2019s very aggressive and in your face. So it\u2019s like, \u201cI wonder how these little girls are gonna react.\u201d But then I was like, \u201cWait. You\u2019re a little child. You should not have free access to any of my music! And if you do, that\u2019s not my fault; that\u2019s the fault of your parents, and I am not your legal guardian!\u201d So I am absolved from any consequences. (Laughs.) But hey, one thing they will learn [from my music]? Confidence, boldness, saying no, boundaries. Do not mess with me!<\/p>\n
\n\tEJAE:\u00a0Facts.<\/p>\n
\n\tWhat are you thinking as far as a next song release or an album?<\/p>\n
\n\tREI:\u00a0I\u2019m finishing my album right now, and it\u2019s just a whole compilation of all my feelings vomited onto this beautiful record. It explains my journey throughout this entire process and just pouring my heart out. I just want to spread joy and make people dance. And put the phone down!<\/p>\n
\n\tAudrey, like REI, you were releasing music before the film, but then similar to EJAE, you also sang and performed when you were young. What did pursuing music look like for you at that age?<\/p>\n
\n\tAudrey:\u00a0I\u2019ve been performing for as long as I can remember, and honestly, this is the only thing I ever wanted to do with my life. I had a brief month when maybe I wanted to be an astronaut, and then I was horrible at physics, so that went out the door. I grew up in theater. I think that my journey to this moment has really prepared me to deal with a lot of the insane changes of my life. I have gone through the trenches, to be honest with you. I\u2019m used to sweaty Brooklyn warehouse shows at midnight with horrible sound and just everything going to s\u2013t, and even those things have fed into my resilience in this moment of being able to take up this space. So I\u2019m grateful for every voice lesson. I\u2019m grateful for every teacher that I\u2019ve had. Shout-out to the arts educators. I\u2019m grateful for every failure. I\u2019m grateful, like REI said and EJAE said, for every rejection. That has really prepared me for this moment.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\tAudrey Nuna. Styling by Danyul Brown. Hair by Antoine Martines at The Paradis Agency. Makeup by Ashley Ysabelle. Entire Studios coat.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLE3AY<\/p>\n
\n\tYou had some big collaborations before the film, including with Jack Harlow and DJ Snake, and you released two albums. Have you also been hearing from the\u00a0KPop Demon Hunters\u00a0fans about digging back into your previous music?<\/p>\n
\n\tAudrey:\u00a0I\u2019ve seen some [fan] reaction videos, and they\u2019re always very juicy and funny. (Laughs.) I\u2019m actually working on my third album, but that has been such an insane, insane journey of faith to kind of learn how to make music all over again after an experience like this, focusing on storytelling, focusing on trying to capture what this moment has been, because it\u2019s literally one of the craziest things that any of us have ever been through. And I\u2019m really excited to be putting out music, finally.<\/p>\n
\n\tAt these awards shows, you\u2019ve been in the room with a lot of major artists, and now you\u2019re on their radar. Are there some dream collaborators that you\u2019re going to be reaching out to for your new music?<\/p>\n
\n\tAudrey: I have so many. Solange; a huge fan of Solange. Imogen Heap; she\u2019s a genius. Huge fan of Rosal\u00eda; I thought her last album [Lux] was really so disruptive, and as a producer, too, I think she\u2019s so dope. And Bj\u00f6rk. Rihanna is the queen.<\/p>\n
\n\tEJAE: She\u2019s kind of naming a lot for me\u2026<\/p>\n
\n\tREI: I mean, Doechii would be really fun. Who else? I\u2019m blanking. There\u2019s so many.<\/p>\n
\n\tA lot of the women you just mentioned have been honored at Billboard\u2019s Women in Music before \u2014 maybe you\u2019ll be in the room with them in April.<\/p>\n
\n\tAudrey: That\u2019s what I was going to say when you asked about the Women of the Year Billboard’s 2026 Women of the Year On Their Rise. I immediately just think about all the women who have come before us and have paved the road \u2014 obviously in the music industry, but also like our ancestry and our lineage, and like the women who had to deal with so much bulls\u2013t for us to be able to sit here today. That\u2019s everything to us.<\/p>\n
\n\tWhen you\u2019re going through all the chaos and whirlwind of this past year, what has it been like to have these women sitting next to you for it all?<\/p>\n
\n\tEJAE: That\u2019s the best part.<\/p>\n
\n\tREI: I will steal candy from children for these two. (EJAE and Audrey laugh.) I will! And laugh while I do it.<\/p>\n
\n\tAudrey: Besides a very few close friends and my sister, I didn\u2019t really have a lot of female friends growing up, and I just feel this huge inspiration for femininity and the fact that femininity is not delicate, you know? It\u2019s very powerful.<\/p>\n
\n\tEJAE: It\u2019s loud.<\/p>\n
\n\tAudrey: Yes, and it\u2019s multifaceted, and it takes so many different forms. What I appreciate so much about our friendship is the fact that we literally sometimes cannot be more opposite, but every time we step on the stage, every time we go into rehearsal, any time someone\u2019s having a hard day, it\u2019s like we have each other\u2019s backs, and at the core of who we are, we want to see each other and other women win. And I think that\u2019s what 2026 and beyond is about. That\u2019s the energy that has the potential to honestly change the world and heal a lot.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\tA version of this story appears in the April 18, 2026, issue of Billboard.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The most famous group of the past year isn\u2019t even a group at all. EJAE, Audrey Nuna and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":606143,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[49,48,64414,75,1554,4481,23827,4419,341,228847],"class_list":{"0":"post-606142","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-music","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-canada","10":"tag-cover-story","11":"tag-entertainment","12":"tag-film","13":"tag-genre-kpop","14":"tag-genre-pop","15":"tag-magazine","16":"tag-music","17":"tag-women-in-music"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/606142","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=606142"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/606142\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/606143"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=606142"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=606142"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=606142"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}