KPop Demon Hunters Singer EJAE Discusses Golden's Success; Tears Up Recalling Trainee Days At SM Entertainment: I Hated Myself

EJAE,

aka Kim Eun-jae, the name behind one of the biggest global hits of the year, Golden from KPop Demon Hunters has had her own journey to landing her breakout track. EJAE is the voice of the Netflix animation's female lead Rumi, a part of tro HUNTR/X. For her, the journey wasn't easy. Despite training to become a K-pop idol for a decade, she was dropped by SM Entertainment, a story that has now become an inspiration for many.ALSO READ: KPop Demon Hunters' Golden Girl EJAE Was Once Rejected As Girls' Generation For Being 'Too Old' Despite 10-Year Idol Training

EJAE looks back at her trainee days at SM Entertainment

The singer-songwriter, who recently signed with WME for worldwide representation in all areas, got candid about her story to stardom on tvN's You Quiz on the Block. In the preview video that released this week, we see EJAE tearfully opening up about her painful memories as a former SM Entertainment trainee."I was a trainee at SM Entertainment for 12 years. Back then, Super Junior, Girls' Generation, SHINee, and f(x) were active. I trained really hard, too," EJAE started. She then recalled how despite putting all her efforts for more than a decade, she couldn't debut. "I cried in the taxi on my way home after my contract ended. I realised no matter how hard I tried, sometimes things just don't work out. I felt so sorry for myself and hated myself for not being able to achieve my dream of becoming a singer," the 33-year-old said.ALSO READ: KPop Demon Hunters' Golden Singer EJAE Picks BTS, aespa For Dream Collab; Says Working With Jungkook Would Be 'Fun'

Tearful memories

"For a month, I kept crying and just slept. I had deep emotional wounds related to idols and K-pop. I resented the industry a lot," she added. However since music was her calling, she did not give up."Since I loved music, I decided to try making it myself. I stayed at cafes until closing time, constantly making beats," she revealed. EJAE went on to compose major K-pop hits, including Red Velvet's Psycho and aespa's Drama and Armageddon.Apart from performing on Golden, EJAE also wrote How It’s Done, What It Sounds Like, Your Idol and the score's Hunter’s Mantra, which is an integral part of the movie's screenplay. She recently appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon with her fellow singers Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami as her song Golden topped both U.S. and U.K. charts, while the movie KPop Demon Hunters earned a Platinum for its soundtrack.