- - 'KPop Demon Hunter' Singer Reacts to Being Named 'Artist to Watch'

Madz DizonJanuary 17, 2026 at 5:19 AM

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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 became the first Korean-American to win in any category when "Golden" bagged Best Original Song.

EJAE co-wrote the KPop Demon Hunters OST with Mark Sonnenblick and was one of the three voices behind the fictional K-Pop group HUNTR/X who sang the song in the movie.

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.

Ejae at the 83rd Annual Golden Globes held at The Beverly Hilton on January 11, 2026 in Beverly Hills, California.Photo by Christopher Polk/2026GG/Penske Media via Getty Images

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.

KPop Demon Hunters star EJAE is Amazon Music’s latest “Artist to Watch.” pic.twitter.com/llpqsQMWGI

— mydzn (@MadelaineDizon) January 17, 2026

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.

Related: 'KPop Demon Hunters' Singer Gets Emotional After Kelly Clarkson Performs Hit Song

This story was originally published by Parade on Jan 17, 2026, where it first appeared in the Pop Culture section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”