Kpop Demon Hunters‘ EJAE Reveals What She Knows About the Sequel: ‘It All Depends on…’ (Exclusive)

EJAE is always going up and up. The singer-songwriter had quite an epic start to 2026 with the ongoing success of Kpop Demon Hunters, and there’s nothing stopping her now.

Along with HUNTR/X singers Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami, EJAE rang in the new year on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve. Weeks later, she celebrated a momentous win at the Golden Globes, where she won Best Original Song for the smash Billboard hit “Golden.” But, she’s not done yet! With multiple Grammy nominations and potential Oscar nominations coming in the next week, she’s ready to take everything head-on.

Related: Audrey Nuna Is an Unstoppable Force

Throughout these milestones, the singer always kept a packet of Liquid I.V. by her side to help her push through. Now, she’s partnered with the brand to unveil a teaser asset for their Big Game ad spot leading up to the Super Bowl. In the 15-second spot, she’s gearing up to perform a cover of Phil Collins’ smash single “Against All Odds” in a bathroom for a Tiny Vanity Concert. The song is a fitting anthem for her remarkable career trajectory from being a rejected K-pop trainee to writing songs for big groups like aespa and Red Velvet, and ultimately, becoming an award winner with multiple records broken under her belt.

Take a look at our conversation with EJAE about her Golden Globes speech, recording the Phil Collins cover, and what her future has in store. 

You’ve been having a pretty fun and busy couple of weeks in 2026, performing at New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, late-night appearances, and your big win at the Golden Globes. What’s it like performing as HUNTR/X with Rei Ami and Audrey Nuna? Your bond seems incredibly close.

I love the girls. It’s been an incredible journey with them. As much as the success of the film is really cool and the music is cool too, meeting the girls has truly been a blessing. I’ve learned so much from the two. They’re both incredible artists themselves, and to see how they work has been very inspiring. I’m just really grateful for that because [for] girl groups, it’s not easy. Sometimes there’s no chemistry, or it’s not good chemistry, but with them, we just got really lucky.

Your Golden Globes speech resonated with so many people and fans, especially with your remarks on “rejection is redirection.” What was going through your head in the moment, and also seeing the tremendous support afterwards?

I don’t remember, because I blacked out. [laughs] I was so nervous! I remember watching the video [of the playback], and it was so weird and eerie because I just don’t remember that much. So it feels like it’s not me [up] there, if you know what I mean. I’ve never had that experience of blacking out like that.

It felt like a full-circle moment for me—gratifying and validating. I remember being really nervous, and I just remember breathing and a lot of crying. I just remember little snippets of things. I was looking at Chase Infiniti for a second, and it freaked me out, so I had to look away. 

Before I went on stage, I was quite nervous because I didn’t know what was going to happen. [The people around me were like] if you do get the award, speak from the heart. I think that’s just kind of what I did, because what I went through was very real. And that’s just kind of what I wanted to say to people.

What does it mean for you to open up doors and inspire up-and-coming artists to a bigger global audience after writing big hits early on in your career?

I feel like that’s the purpose of my being here. It’s to create a bridge, to inspire the younger generation, and to do the best I can to inspire girls who also look like me. I don’t really see many Asian women in the industry.

It’s quite hard, especially as songwriters. I don’t see it that much. So it means a lot to me that I get to show girls who look like me, women of color, that they can do it too, because I genuinely, growing up, didn’t see that representation. 

To have that door open, not just for me—this is way bigger than me— it’s for that next generation. That’s why I’m working my butt off to make sure that people who watch these speeches on the Golden Globes, or people who watch the awards, or people who watch the Macy’s [Thanksgiving Day Parade] and see girls who look like them, do that. To give them energy and hope, isn’t that why we do the things we do?

I feel like Asian women are oftentimes viewed as subservient or passive. That preconception of it makes us kind of a little bit less vocal, less confident sometimes, and that’s what I struggled with for so long. Because I don’t see women of color—or specifically Asian women—a lot in the industry, imposter syndrome was so bad for me.

With the Kpop Demon Hunters sequel going full force in 2029, are you drawing inspiration from any of these exciting experiences, especially what you just said, for the sequel?

For the sequel, I don’t really know much about [it]. I came as a songwriter, so I think it all depends on what [directors] Maggie [Kang]  and Chris [Appelhans] come up with. There’s nothing really confirmed. I know online it says it is, but I haven’t heard anything yet.

In the midst of all these wins, you’re coming up with a new single, and this collaboration with Liquid I.V. I’ve also seen you’ve been packing it up with Liquid I.V. backstage for your performances on your Instagram stories, so how do you keep yourself energized throughout everything so far?

Genuinely, as a singer, you have to stay hydrated. That’s the 101 for singers. So Liquid I.V. is something I’ve been using before any of this. Liquid I.V. also provides electrolytes, which keep you hydrated for a longer period of time than water. It also tastes amazing. It just kind of helps with the singing. It helps your vocal cord staying lubricated. So, that’s kind of another very important thing about it.

Also, having a good team around you who keeps you feeling calm and confident. I have an incredible glam team, and I also have a manager and my fiancé there with me for moral support. I don’t think people understand the importance of moral support, because all of this is mental. It’s not just physical.

Mental stuff affects your physical body, too. So, having that support system is so imperative. I got sick 7 times in the past six months. Bronchitis, twice. COVID-19 once. What’s changing now is that I’m trying to wear a mask everywhere I go, and I don’t take it off until I get home. I wash my hands. Trying to eat healthy as much as I can.

What was it like choosing a cover of Phil Collins’ “Against All Odds” and performing it for the Tiny Vanity Concert in the midst of all this success?

When Liquid I.V. asked me to sing “Against All Odds,” I was very nervous because performing is obviously very scary for me since I have stage fright. Thankfully, this song has such a beautiful melody, and it’s a very legendary song. So that’s another pressure. It’s one of my parents’ favorite songs that they love to sing in karaoke, so that’s another reason why it was really fun to have that be a song to sing. Phil Collins is a legend, so I hope I did it justice. I just tried my best.

Thank goodness it was a Tiny Vanity Concert because it was in the bathroom, and it has incredible reverb and echo. The acoustics are really good, so it made my voice sound good already because of the reverb. It was a lot of fun.

Finally, what can we expect from EJAE in 2026? 

I think just more of me exploring what artistry is and more songwriting. And it’s not just for K-pop, for other genres, like pop as well, and who knows? Stay tuned.

Follow Liquid I.V. on Instagram (@liquidiv) and on TikTok for how to watch EJAE’s extended version and catch every reveal leading up to the Big Game.