Who Is EJAE- The Benny Blanco Of Kpop Behind All Your Favorite Kpop Demon Hunter Songs

KPop Demon Hunters is an animated musical flick that was released in June 2025, made by Sony and streamed on Netflix. The story centers around a Kpop girl group called Huntr/x who secretly battle demons, all while trying to keep their pop star personas intact.

Meanwhile, they're up against a rival boy band, the Saja Boys, who are actually demons in disguise. So far it's been a smash hit on the streaming service as well as on music streaming platforms worldwide, but just what do we know about the person behind all those songs?

EJAE is not just a name in the Kpop world; she's the behind-the-scenes force responsible for some of the most memorable songs in recent years. Her unique blend of songwriting, vocal talent, and production has made her a key figure in shaping the soundscape of modern Kpop and its crossover into global markets.

Family & Background

Kim Eun-jae, known professionally as EJAE, was born in South Korea on 6 December 1991. She holds dual South Korean and American citizenship and currently resides in Brooklyn.

Her grandfather was the actor and arts patron Shin Young-kyun, hinting at her deep roots in the arts.

Her Musical Experiences

Ejae originally trained for ten years at SM Entertainment, one of South Korea's biggest entertainment agencies, aiming to become an idol. During this period, she also split her responsibilities with time in the US, co-prioritising her education and international experience.

Unfortunately, neither her initial attempts at debuting with a group nor as a solo artist succeeded, and eventually she was considered to be too old for the traditional idol debut scene in South Korea. After these setbacks, she moved to the US full-time, shifting her focus to songwriting and production, where her break came with the song Psycho for Red Velvet, which she co-wrote and which went on to be certified gold in the US.

By 2019,EJAE had established herself as a notable songwriter and producer, working on tracks for prominent Kpop acts like TWICE, and Le Sserafim. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she co-wrote the song Drama for aespa and contributed to Red Velvet's 2022 single Birthday, reaffirming her reputation as a versatile artist behind the scenes.

Because of this, she's considered the 'Benny Blanco' of Kpop as producer and composer of some of the most successful songs in that side of the music scene - similar to Blanco who came up with numerous hits for bands like Maroon 5.

Her signing with Prescription Songs marked a milestone, giving her access to a broader range of projects. Around the same time, she was approached to work on the soundtrack for the Netflix film KPop Demon Hunters—a role that would prove to be her most visible work to date.

The Role in KPop Demon Hunters

EJAE's involvement with the film began in late 2020 to early 2021, when she was brought on as both a songwriter and the singing voice of Rumi, the film's main character. EJAE's task was to create songs that reflected the story's supernatural themes and emotional depth, collaborating closely with composer Daniel Rojas and executive producer Ian Eisendrath to develop the soundtrack, adapting her work as the story evolved.

Her work involved a lot of experimentation. She had to produce songs that incorporated demonic sounds and traditional Korean instruments, all while fitting the narrative of a high-stakes supernatural conflict. The process was fast-paced, with many demos created and refined as scenes changed. Luckily, her familiarity with Korean culture and her bilingual abilities helped her craft authentic lyrics that resonated across both languages.

Public Response

Fans have admitted being 'obsessed' with the songwriter and artist, flooding her Instagram comments with messages like 'Your voice is perfect for Rumi!', and 'aaah what a silky voice you have'. When faced with the story of her roots as a 'failed' trainee on TikTok, many have commented about how standards are skewed in the industry, saying, 'they don't recognize talent, they just want beauty faces. she is a GREAT talent!'

While some die-hard fans were already familiar with her work prior to the film, KPop Demon Hunters has certainly launched EJAE further into the spotlight than ever before; and fans are looking forward to whatever she'll serve next.

Originally published on IBTimes UK