Ejae, the singer behind Rumi of HUNTR/X, shared her story of early rejection as a Kpop singer before writing hit song &34;Golden.&34; KPop Demon Hunters singer breaks down in emotional Golden Globes speech: 'Rejection is redirection' Ejae, the singer behind Rumi of HUNTR/X, shared her story of early rejection as a Kpop singer before writing hit song &34;Golden.&34; By Nick Romano :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/NicholasRomanoauthorphotoadc9b60763e34711935cbf7b3d768d24.jpg) Nick Romano is a senior editor at with 15 years of journalism experience covering entertainment.

Ejae, the singer behind Rumi of HUNTR/X, shared her story of early rejection as a K-pop singer before writing hit song "Golden."

KPop Demon Hunters singer breaks down in emotional Golden Globes speech: 'Rejection is redirection'

Ejae, the singer behind Rumi of HUNTR/X, shared her story of early rejection as a K-pop singer before writing hit song "Golden."

By Nick Romano

Nick Romano is a senior editor at ** with 15 years of journalism experience covering entertainment. His work previously appeared in *Vanity Fair*, Vulture, IGN, and more.

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January 11, 2026 9:52 p.m. ET

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Ejae wins at the 2026 Golden Globe Awards. Credit:

Ejae, the singer behind the character Rumi on Netflix's *KPop Demon Hunters*, broke down in tears while accepting a Golden Globe for her work on the soundtrack hit "Golden" on Sunday night.

The musician, who wrote music for the runaway animated movie sensation, teared up while sharing her story of early rejection in the industry before becoming globally recognized.

"Oh my God. Deep breaths," Ejae began, taking the stage with her collaborators. She wrote the lyrics for "Golden," the chart-topping song from the movie soundtrack, with Mark Sonnenblick. The music is credited to Joong Gyu Kwak, Yu Han Lee, Hee Dong Nam, Jeong Hoon Seo, and Park Hong Jun.

"When I was a little girl, I worked tirelessly for 10 years to fulfill one dream, to become a k-pop idol. And I was rejected and disappointed that my voice wasn't good enough," Ejae said. "So I leaned on songs and music to get through it. So now I'm here as a singer and a songwriter."

"Golden" wins Best Original Song at the Golden Globes 2026.

The audience applauded as she caught her breath. She continued, "It's a dream come true to be part of a song that's helping other girls, other boys, and everyone of all ages to get through their hardships and to accept themselves."

Everyone involved in *KPop Demon Hunters* became worldwide superstars as the film broke record after record, not just for the streaming numbers on Netflix but for songs on the soundtrack. "Golden" was the predicted lock for the Best Original Song category at the Globes after topping Billboard and music streaming charts for months.

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As the voice of Rumi, Ejae performed the lead vocals of all the songs for HUNTR/X, the movie's fictional k-pop girl group that moonlights as demon hunters who protect the world from soul-sucking monsters. Ejae attended the Globes ceremony with fellow singers behind the other two HUNTR/X characters: Audrey Nuna (the singer behind Mira) and Rei Ami (the singer behind Zoey).

Arden Cho (Rumi), May Hong (Mira), and Ji-young Yoo (Zoey) are the actors behind the characters.

Zoey, Rumi, and Mira of HUNTR/X in 'KPop Demon Hunters'.

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Sunday night's win is likely just the first of multiple victories for *KPop Demon Hunters* and "Golden" this award season. It's the foreseen frontrunner in various categories at the Oscars and beyond.

After other thank yous, including to Netflix and co-directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, Ejae concluded her speech by referencing the lyrics to "Golden."

"I just wanna say, this award goes to people who have had their doors closed at them, and that I can confidently say rejection is redirection. And so never give up and you know it's never too late to shine like you were born to be," she said.

*See the full list of 2026 Golden Globes winners.*

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Published: January 13, 2026 at 11:38AM on Source: ANDY MAG

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