EJAE shares her feelings on bringing Rumi’s voice to life in KPOP DEMON HUNTERS

Singer-songwriter EJAE, best known for penning hits for groups like Red Velvet, TWICE, and aespa, makes her film debut as the singing voice of Rumi in Netflix’s animated feature KPop Demon Hunters.

The movie quickly shot to No. 1 in 26 countries and entered the Top 10 in 93 after its premiere. Its soundtrack has also dominated global music charts, with eight tracks, including “How It’s Done” and “Your Idol,” climbing the iTunes Top Songs list.

EJAE joined the project early in development, working with composer Daniel Rojas and executive music producer Ian Eisendrath to shape the film’s sound. She not only co-wrote several songs but also recorded the demos that ultimately led her to become Rumi’s singing voice.

“It’s surreal,” EJAE said. “It was the craziest rollercoaster ride. It was super worth it. I’m really happy that my hard work did something.”

The film follows Huntrix, a K-Pop girl group who moonlights as demon hunters. For EJAE, Rumi’s struggles with her half-demon identity resonated with her own experiences as a Korean American and former K-Pop trainee. “That’s the part where you have to hide your insecurities. You can’t be too masculine. You can’t be too outspoken. You’re not feminine enough. You can’t be big and so forth. I’m very loud. It just resonated with me. I feel all Koreans can relate to this high standard. It’s so much perfectionist pressure—that’s how it felt to me. Sometimes it’s okay to be broken. That’s what makes you human. When you’re at your worst is when you learn the most. You learn from your mistakes,” she shared.

Critics have praised EJAE’s performance, especially in the emotional ballad “This Is What It Sounds Like,” which underscores Rumi’s journey toward self-acceptance. “Singing is acting in a way,” she explained. “Writing the songs helped because when I was writing it, I was honed in on that emotion. So naturally, when I sing it, it releases my stress and inner trauma.”

Though she admits hearing her voice across TikTok edits feels “weird,” EJAE calls the experience serendipitous. Years ago, she once dreamed of performing only as a voice behind the scenes. “I literally said, ‘if I ever become an artist, I want to be like an animated character, singing from behind the scenes. Just use my voice. [Then this happened and] I was like, ‘Oh cool.’” she laughed.

KPop Demon Hunters is streaming now on Netflix.

Source: Forbes