EJAE composer and singer, known for her work on Netflix animation KPop Demon Huntersmoved viewers with a heartfelt confession about his past as a longtime SM Entertainment trainee.
On October 21st tvN’s Take the block quiz released a video with EJAE, showing his emotional journey and his rise to international recognition.
During the video, EJAE shared his experience preparing for his guest appearance on NBC Tonight’s show with Jimmy Fallonaired on October 7 (local time). “Honestly, I was so stressed. I lost my voice that morning. I was terrified during rehearsals,” he confessed. The situation was even more intense because in the audience was the family of Hollywood actress Scarlett Johansson.
EJAE has been formed under SM Entertainment for 12 years, alongside iconic K-pop groups such as Super Junior, Girls’ Generation, SHINee and f(x). Reflecting on that period, he said, “I really did my best.”
She tearfully recounted the emotional consequences of terminating her contract: “I cried in the taxi on the way home. I realized that trying hard doesn’t always guarantee results. I felt sorry for myself. I had dreamed of becoming a singer for a long time and not realizing it made me hate myself.” He added, “I cried for a month. I had a lot of resentment towards idols and K-pop. It hurt me deeply.”
Despite this heartbreak, EJAE never gave up on music. “Because I love music, I decided to try to make it myself,” he said. He spent countless hours creating beats from the bar opening to closing.
His persistence paid off. He went on to create hits like Red Velvet’s “Psycho” and Aespa’s “Drama” and “Armageddon.” In particular, his OST “Golden” for KPop Demon Hunters achieved enormous success, topping the Billboard Hot 100 for eight consecutive weeks.
EJAE also wrote the lyrics for “Golden”. He recalled a memorable moment: “Recently there was a sing-along event and kids from different countries sang the Korean lyrics ‘영원히 깨질 수 없는 (Unbreakable Forever)’. Hearing them sing in Korean was amazing.” He added, “I really wanted to include Korean in the song. Seeing them all sing proudly made me feel proud too.”
From a broken dream to chart-topping success, EJAE’s story is one of pain, perseverance and poetic justice in the K-pop world.
Sources: Daum
