‘K-Pop Demon Hunters’ EJAE: “DiCaprio Shaking a Light Stick? That’s the Power of K”

EJAE of 〈K-Pop Demon Hunters〉 talked about the Academy Awards stage.

On April 1, a press conference for 〈K-Pop Demon Hunters〉 was held at CGV Yongsan iPark in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. 〈K-Pop Demon Hunters__ is an animation that depicts the journey of Lumi, Joy, and Mira—members of the K-pop group 'Huntrix'—as they protect the world. The series won the 98th Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song. At this press conference celebrating the win, there were Director Maggie Kang, who served as the chief director, co-director Chris Applehans, EJAE (Lee Jae), the composer of 'Golden' and the singing voice of Lumi in the story, and IDO (Lee Yu-han, Kwak Jung-gyu, Nam Hee-dong), who also co-wrote beloved OSTs such as 'How It’s Done,' 'Golden,' and 'Your Idol,' and who serves as a producer at THEBLACKLABEL.

That day, EJAE recalled her performance at the Academy Awards, where she sang 'Golden.' At the time, the stage featured a production that blended traditional Korean attire, pansori, and traditional dance—leaving a deep impression on viewers watching from home. EJAE said, “Because we rehearsed, I already knew how the stage would be put together. But even so, I cried a lot during rehearsal.” She added, “Before you go onstage, you’re hidden in the back. Then when the pansori starts, it gives you a strong sense of pride. My fellow performers—Rei Ami and my older sister figure, Audrey—didn’t grow up in Korea, so they don’t know Korean culture to that extent. As a Korean person, I felt proud that we were able to put together a stage like this at such a big venue in the U.S. It was genuinely satisfying, and it was moving.”

She also said that, at the Academy Awards ceremony, she couldn’t bring herself to watch the filmmakers in attendance waving their light sticks while they performed. She explained, “During the performance, I was so nervous that I couldn’t—I was worried my voice wouldn’t come out.” She then added, “After it was over, I watched, and it was unbelievable. I never thought (Leonardo) DiCaprio would be waving a light stick. That’s when I realized the power of K.”

After its June 20, 2025 release, Netflix Original 〈K-Pop Demon Hunters〉 immediately found success, and then became the first Netflix Original title to surpass 300 million views and 500 million viewing hours—now the highest-viewed title among all released works.