KPop Demon Hunters star EJAE is receiving more praise this week after Amazon Music named her an “Artist to Watch.”
The singer shared the news on her Instagram Story, resharing a video from Amazon Music that announced her as the awardee.
“Thank you Amazon Music for honoring me as an artist to watch,” she wrote.
This recognition comes just days after EJAE made history at the 2026 Golden Globes, where she won Best Original Song for “Golden.”
EJAE’s success didn’t come easily. She spent nearly 10 years training at SM Entertainment, starting when she was only 11 years old. She trained with future K-pop stars like members of Girls’ Generation, SHINee, and f(x), but she never got to debut.
She shared a heartfelt message during her Golden Globe acceptance speech, saying, “When I was a little girl, I worked tirelessly for 10 years to fulfill one dream… and I was rejected and disappointed that my voice wasn’t good enough.”
Despite being dropped from SM Entertainment around 2014–2015, EJAE did not give up. She moved to the United States and studied at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, then switched her focus to songwriting.
Her big breakthrough came in 2019 when she co-wrote Red Velvet’s hit “Psycho.” After that, she became a top songwriter for big K-pop acts like aespa, TWICE, LE SSERAFIM and NMIXX.
EJAE’s song “Golden” became a worldwide success after it was released as part of the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack. The song stayed at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for eight weeks, and the soundtrack also became a major hit.
The movie itself became Netflix’s most-watched animated film, and the soundtrack topped the Billboard 200, making it the biggest-selling soundtrack of 2025.
Due to all this success, the Golden Globe win was a monumental moment for EJAE. She said, “Rejection is redirection. Never give up. It’s never too late to shine like you were born to be.”
EJAE’s journey from being rejected to becoming a global star is inspiring. She proved that even when doors close, new opportunities can appear.
