On the October 22 episode of tvN’s You Quiz on the Block , singer and composer Ejae, the voice behind the global sensation “Golden” from K-Pop Demon Hunters , made a touching appearance and opened up about the hardships he endured before his recent success.
Reflecting on the whirlwind of his current schedule, Ejae shared, “So much has happened—it still feels like a dream. I can’t believe any of this is real. My schedule is packed.” He also recounted the stressful experience of performing Golden as Huntrix on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon . “I was so stressed that morning, I actually lost my voice. I hadn’t slept, and my lungs were exhausted. I couldn’t breathe properly and even cracked my voice during rehearsal,” he confessed.
He added, “Just two months ago, I was ‘just’ a composer, and suddenly my life changed 180 degrees. Golden became a global hit, and my first ever performance was on Jimmy Fallon . The pressure was overwhelming, but my fiancée gave me so much support during that time.”
Ejae then shared a deeply emotional recollection of his 12 years as a trainee at SM Entertainment. “I started at age 11. I trained alongside Super Junior, Girls’ Generation, SHINee, and f(x). I’d be at the practice room from 7 AM to 11 PM. I worked so hard at such a young age—it’s crazy to think about now.”
He revealed that at one point, he fainted during practice at age 13. Despite years of effort, debut never came. “SM and I didn’t see eye to eye. They preferred a clean vocal tone, but mine was different. Also, by then, I was considered too old to debut,” he said.
“My trainee life ended when I was 23. I cried in the taxi on the way home after my contract was terminated. I had worked so hard and still failed. It was devastating,” he said, holding back tears. “But the hardest part wasn’t the contract ending—it was feeling like I’d let down the younger version of myself who gave everything to this dream. I hated myself. It felt like no matter how hard I tried, it just wasn’t enough.”
Now, after all those years of struggle, Ejae has reached the pinnacle. With “Golden” hitting No. 1 on the Billboard charts, he couldn’t hold back his emotions. “I sobbed. My trainee days flashed before me. I kept thinking about that taxi ride home. I finally felt like I could say to myself, ‘You did well. You really worked hard.’”
Sources: daum
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