10 Photos of EJAE: The Rejected K-Pop Trainee Who Claimed a Golden Globe

EJAE fought back tears as she accepted the Golden Globe for Best Original Song on Sunday night, making history as the first Korean-American to win in any category at the prestigious awards ceremony. Her victory for 'Golden' from Netflix's KPop Demon Hunters arrived more than a decade after SM Entertainment told her she wasn't good enough to debut as a K-pop idol.

The 33-year-old singer-songwriter, born Kim Eun-jae, spent nearly 10 years training at SM Entertainment beginning in 2003 when she was just 11 years old. She trained alongside future members of Girls' Generation, SHINee, and f(x), but was never chosen to be part of a debut lineup. After being dropped by the company around 2014-2015, she moved to the United States and enrolled at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts.

From Trainee Tears to Songwriter Triumphs

On stage at the Beverly Hilton, EJAE reflected on the decade she had dedicated to a dream that did not materialise. 'When I was a little girl, I worked tirelessly for 10 years to fulfil one dream, to become a K-pop idol, and I was rejected and disappointed that my voice wasn't good enough,' she told the audience, explaining that she turned to music itself to cope with the loss. 'So I leaned on songs and music to get through it. So now I'm here as a singer and a songwriter.'

In earlier interviews with South Korean outlets, EJAE described how deeply the rejection cut. For about a month, she barely left her bed, sleeping and crying as she processed what felt like the death of her childhood goal, and admitted she developed a deep resentment towards idols and the K-pop system that had shut her out.

Instead of walking away from the industry, she reinvented herself behind the scenes. Her breakthrough arrived in 2019 when she co-wrote Red Velvet's hit 'Psycho', a song that went on to be certified gold in the United States. The success turned her into a sought-after topliner, leading to cuts with aespa, TWICE, LE SSERAFIM, and NMIXX.

The 'Golden' Moment That Changed Everything

EJAE's story came full circle when she was cast as the singing voice of Rumi in KPop Demon Hunters. Director Maggie Kang has credited EJAE's demos as one of the reasons the film was ultimately greenlit, with the songwriter having already co-written and recorded much of the temp music before being officially asked to voice the character. That work culminated in 'Golden', the soaring anthem that now carries a Golden Globe.

'It's a dream come true to be part of a song that is helping other girls, other boys and everyone of all ages to get through their hardship and accept themselves,' she said in her speech, thanking the Golden Globes for embracing both her voice and the message behind the track. Co-writer Mark Sonnenblick joined her on stage alongside producers 24 and IDO, using their time at the microphone to thank Netflix, Sony, and the backers who kept faith with the project.

EJAE then stepped forward once more to deliver a closing remark that quickly went viral. 'This award goes to people who've had their doors closed on them,' she declared. 'I can confidently say rejection is redirection. Never give up. It's never too late to shine like you were born to be.'

Breaking Records and Building Momentum

For an artist who once believed the industry did not value her voice, the scale of 'Golden' has rewritten the narrative. Since KPop Demon Hunters was released in June 2025, the single has become a global hit, spending eight weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and becoming the first female K-pop single to top the chart. It also led the Billboard Global 200 for 10 weeks and has been certified double platinum.

The film itself has turned into a streaming juggernaut. KPop Demon Hunters has become Netflix's most-watched film of all time with more than 325 million views, while its soundtrack debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, making it the biggest-selling soundtrack of 2025.

Awards bodies have closely followed audience enthusiasm. EJAE's Golden Globe win came on the heels of the film's strong showing at the Critics Choice Awards, where it picked up Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song. 'Golden' now heads into the 2026 Grammy Awards with five nominations, including Song of the Year, making EJAE the first Korean-American female songwriter recognised in that category.

For EJAE, who has spoken about how SM Entertainment tried to change her vocal tone and how she 'used to resent K-pop' because she never debuted, the night felt like vindication. The trainee once deemed not good enough for a K-pop stage now fronts a song replayed in millions of living rooms, proof that a blocked path can still lead to a bigger, brighter stage.