EJAE Shows Her Vulnerable Side In New Single, ’In Another World’

EJAE’s new single release, “In Another World”

Tim Westover

EJAE is ready to show her true self in her own voice.

After weeks of teasing her debut single, the 33-year-old Korean American singer-songwriter finally releases “In Another World” today, showcasing her wide, soulful vocal range while highlighting her powerful and heartfelt lyrics that build in dynamics.

As one of the singing voices and songwriters for the hit Netflix animated film KPop Demon Hunters, EJAE never expected it would lead to her releasing her own music. She was brought on to write the music and provide the singing voice for Rumi, the lead. After completing the film, she moved on to her next projects, unaware that it would become a global phenomenon that would propel her to stardom.

KPop Demon Hunters broke records, becoming Netflix’s most popular movie of all time, with the first soundtrack to have four songs in the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 simultaneously, and her song, “Golden,” reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for 8 weeks (and counting!). This month, the soundtrack became certified Platinum by the RIAA. “Golden,” which she co-wrote, has awards buzz all over it.

EJAE finds all the success from the film so “surreal.” She has always felt insecure about her singing voice, to the point of cringing at the thought of her voice being played in the theater during the film’s premiere. She wasn’t used to her voice being so praised and beloved by so many.

It made sense when you learned about her history: she spent her teenage years as a K-pop trainee, hoping to debut. Oftentimes, she would get so close, but then face rejection again. After those trainee days came to an end, she found solace in her songwriting, where she felt most comfortable, creating hits for multiple K-pop acts, including aespa, NMIXX, LE SSERAFIM, and TWICE, among others.

“To be honest, fame scares me a bit,” EJAE says over Zoom from her Brooklyn home, days before her single release. “Being a songwriter was intentional. It was never giving up on this artist or singer gig. It was truly intentional because songwriting fit my personality. I liked being behind the scenes. Fame means you’re putting yourself out there to be judged. I don’t think I have thick enough skin for that. Even now, I’m scared.”

She is thankful to be in her 30s when she found success, surrounded by a strong support system, crediting all the fans, colleagues, media, friends, and family for giving her confidence in her own voice. But a simple conversation about what it means to be an artist prompted her to release her own music. After she told them she was unsure about becoming an artist, they said to her that an artist is someone who creates art, and that she didn’t need to be boxed into what an artist means.

“[Artistry] always changes with every generation,” she recalls. “I feel what an artist is truly about is being yourself. If artistry is personal tailoring, then it’s songwriting for me. Our bread and butter as songwriters is getting a song cut and wanting to show it to the world. I know my story is something that a lot of people resonate with, and I love that my story can help others.”

It’s why she decided “In Another World” was the perfect debut song. She initially wrote it about her relationship with her now-fiancé during a rough patch. They had taken a healthy break while contemplating their future. She began reminiscing, discussing with her co-writers about how to handle the pain if the break became a ‘break-up.’

“For me, it truly was the idea of accepting that he and I are not bad people,” she explains. “In this lifetime, we have certain baggage that made us not work out. Accepting this baggage and the demons was very healing. So “In Another World” is me imagining another world where I don’t have that baggage [or the demons] and I own up to it. What would that be like? It would be great, and knowing that gave me relief that it’s not you or me that is the issue. It’s that our baggage was just bad.”

Writing the song felt cathartic for the singer. It helped her as time passed, and they eventually reunited even stronger. As she worked on the song further, she realized it was not just about her relationship with her partner but also about her relationship with her inner child. She often thinks about her younger self – so pure and innocent, with dreams of becoming a singer – and what would have happened if she had pursued that path, reflecting on her life now and allowing her to let go of that dream.

“When I think about having different lifetimes, it makes me feel good and feel less pressure on myself that I had to do this,” she reveals. “That’s what the song meant to me. It’s accepting the reality of myself, and it really did help me grow.”

In the music video, old family footage of young EJAE singing in choir and playing the piano serves as a reflection on her past life before she chose the path she’s on now. She wanted to show the different worlds she’s lived: one that dreamt of becoming a singer; one who became a songwriter, who resigned to remaining in the background; and now, one entering this new world as an artist who encompasses all of it.

“For a very long time, there was this world of little EJAE dreaming of becoming a singer, but then, my world was being a songwriter, not a singer,” she explains. “I kind of let that dream go, because that was ‘In Another World’. I’m okay with the world I’m living in now and have accepted it. But now, I’m in this world where that dream of that little girl playing the piano is fulfilled. It’s an interesting and beautiful kind of coincidence. It’s just showing the different ways in which life can take you. It’s so relatable to anybody.”

With her many years in the industry, both in Korean and Western music and culture, EJAE is ready for anything. She lives her life with the mantra, “Everything happens for a reason,” which helps put the pressure off her on so many levels, applying it to everything in her life, including her Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon performance.

“If I didn’t perform well, I’m sure it’s for a reason,” she states. “I’ve been rejected so many times in my life that I thought it was the end of my world. But I realized that rejection is what led me to where I am right now. Every rejection and little movement in my life was all intentional. I find it fascinating.”

Although EJAE has found sudden fame, she is determined to do her best and keep going with her music career — whether that be writing or performing. She doesn’t want to become an idol or even idolized, because she says she’s “hella flawed” and “makes mistakes all the time.” Instead, she wants fans to focus on her music, hoping it could help someone.

“I truly owe my artistry to my songwriting,” she says. “My vocals are just going to be the vessel to my writing, and I need to shed light on songwriters because it’s not just me. Every line in the music and melody is intentional.”

She points out that she also wants to use her popularity to uplift others behind the scenes, where she once was. She doesn’t just write the lyrics to the songs; it’s also her co-writers, who give a piece of themselves when they write together.

“I know what it looks like, having been through so much and seen how ugly [the industry] can be on the sidelines,” she admits. “I feel prepared to know how to use this [platform], not fully jumping into it, but trying to tread lightly. I want to use it for good, so being intentional has always been my biggest thing.”

She plans on releasing more songs in the future, possibly in both English and Korean. She doesn’t want to be boxed as just a K-pop or pop singer – she’s both. She’s done it before in songwriting, writing both English and Korean, and in multiple genres, sounds, and concepts. Why should her own music be limited?

“I want to be able to go in different ways and genres, and make my version of it,” she says. “So if it’s a baddie song with my voice or if Red Velvet is singing it, it still has my touch. It’s just this time, I’m singing it. For the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack, you heard me rap and sing a very girl crush song, ballad, and R&B. I think that’s my vibe. I want to be a chameleon in my own way.”

EJAE’s single “In Another World” is now available on all streaming platforms.