Billboard’s 2026 Women of the Year On Their Rise

The most famous group of the past year isn’t even a group at all.

EJAE, Audrey Nuna and REI AMI are the singing voices behind HUNTR/X, the world-dominating (and demon-slaying) trio at the center of the animated Netflix blockbuster KPop Demon Hunters. But because they recorded their vocals separately, the three women had never even been in the same place at the same time until the film’s June 2025 release.

“We saw each other at the premiere, and we’re like, ‘Um, bye!’ ” EJAE recalls of spotting her “bandmates” in passing on the Los Angeles red carpet.

“ ‘Hope to connect with you soon!’ It was like that,” Audrey adds. “ ‘Maybe we’ll cross paths again!’ ”

Watch Billboard’s Women in Music 2026 live on YouTube.com/Billboard and Billboard.com on April 29, beginning at 9:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. PT. For more coverage on Women in Music, click here.

Before the film, all three were individual artists charting their own paths in music. EJAE (real name: Kim Eun-jae), 34, was born in Seoul and spent her childhood between South Korea and the United States, starting as a K-pop trainee with SM Entertainment at age 11 before shifting to songwriting and penning hits for some of the genre’s biggest girl groups, including Red Velvet, TWICE and aespa. REI (real name: Sarah Yeeun Lee), 30, was also born in Seoul and relocated stateside at age 7, kicking off her indie career in 2019, going viral with a feature on Sub Urban’s “Freak” in 2020 (her Billboard chart debut) and touring with Tinashe in 2021. Audrey (real name: Audrey Chu), 26, was born in New Jersey — a self-proclaimed “theater kid” who performed “America the Beautiful” at the U.S. Open tennis tournament at age 10 — and started releasing music in 2018, teaming up with Jack Harlow and DJ Snake for early singles (“Comic Sans” and “damn Right Pt. 2,” respectively) that showcased her singular flow.

EJAE was the first to join the film, coming on in 2020 as a songwriter and vocal producer for the project before she was asked to stay on as the singing voice of HUNTR/X leader Rumi thanks to her impressive vocal demos. The trio was rounded out in 2024, when REI auditioned for and won the role of rapper-lyricist Zoey, and Audrey was suggested by an old friend, TheBlackLabel songwriter Danny Chung (who voices Baby Saja in the film’s rival boy band, Saja Boys), as main dancer Mira.

“I love the connection that people see between my solo stuff and the character of Mira,” Audrey says of the seemingly disparate sounds of her pre-KPop Demon Hunters career and the film’s music. “That’s one of the reasons why I truly think that this was all very destined, is the connection that I feel to her as a character: her tough exterior, but also I consider myself to be a really empathetic person and very sensitive person. So I just relate to her on a very spiritual level.”

After KPop Demon Hunters became Netflix’s most-watched film ever just two months after its premiere, the three women leaned into the arranged marriage that had brought them together, choosing to embody their respective animated counterparts to perform live for a fan base hungry for more ­HUNTR/X. On Oct. 7, following the monumental success of the eight-week Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 smash “Golden” — which made them the first female K-pop group to top the chart — the trio hit the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon stage as a united front.

“Remember when we first rehearsed together?” EJAE asks of their making-the-band moment prepping for Fallon. “We locked in and we were like, ‘You guys, we’re actually doing this!’ ”

Seeing the obvious love and familiarity between the three women during our chat — whether singing and giggling together before the interview or EJAE grabbing REI’s hand without hesitation when she starts tearing up during a response — it’s wild to realize their story as a group only started a few months ago with those Fallon rehearsals. “That was such a bonding time for us because of the fact that no one [else] in the world can relate to the things that have happened over the past seven months,” Audrey recalls. “That’s a really strong connection to have with someone who already has such a similar background as you. So those rehearsals were challenging in the best way. That challenge really forced us to grow our synergy, our trust, and in such a short period of time too.”

Since that first performance, their appearances as a group have multiplied — and their accolades have piled up, including historic Academy and Grammy Award wins for “Golden,” which scores the film’s emotional climax and became an unlikely singalong anthem despite EJAE’s impossibly high vocals. The KPop Demon Hunters album spent two weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and became the first soundtrack to have four hits simultaneously in the Hot 100 top 10, including HUNTR/X’s “How It’s Done,” a swaggering counterpart to the earnest “Golden.” Beyond the charts, the fictional girl group even dominated Halloween, with Rumi, Zoey and Mira owning the top three spots on Google’s trending costumes of 2025.

But while this phenomenon has unfolded in less than a year, “It’s a very long journey to get to this point,” Audrey emphasizes. “Obviously the last seven months have been crazy for us, but this is a story that starts with our childhoods, of our parents moving here, immigrating to a new country, trying to follow a dream and provide and being an outcast in our own society, sometimes hiding our smelly-ass lunches, being asked why our eyes look a certain way in the line at school.”

The members’ worlds have now expanded beyond the film. All three have signed major-label deals in the Universal Music Group family — EJAE at Universal Records and Audrey and REI at Republic — with solo music in the works. (WME represents EJAE and REI, while UTA reps Audrey.) They liken their managers (Nick Guilmette, Paula Park and Aaron Tropf represent EJAE, Audrey and REI, respectively) to the energetic agent Bobby voiced by Ken Jeong in KPop Demon Hunters. “I thank God for the amazing, supportive teams that we have beside us that protect us and guide us throughout these massive changes,” REI says, as Audrey chimes in: “Yes, our Bobbys! We love our Bobbys.”

But before they disperse to make their own music again — albeit now with countless new fans — Billboard’s 2026 Women of the Year are looking back on how they managed to fly up, up, up into the pop culture stratosphere in a matter of mere months and seize their moment at the top.

First off, congratulations on being named Women of the Year at Billboard’s Women in Music. What does this honor mean to you?

EJAE: It means so much, because growing up, I would always look at the Billboard charts to see what songs are up or what songs are popular. So to be recognized is incredibly awesome, especially as an Asian American woman. Definitely feel honored.

You three are in such a unique situation, because you’re individual artists who were brought together to represent this animated group. What have been the biggest changes in each of your lives since KPop Demon Hunters came out last summer?

Audrey Nuna: We are changed women. We’ve each been on our own journey in the music industry for so long, and you eat s–t sometimes, you’re winning sometimes — you’re up and down. And I think that this was such a moment of clarity for all three of us of, like, yes: Music has the power to bring joy to the world.

REI AMI: It reaffirmed a lot of beliefs that I’ve held throughout my career, [like], you really don’t know anything at all. I mean, yes, I believed in this project, but the way this project has landed at this point, I’m in awe. My jaw is on the ground. So it just reminds me: You got to keep on going, keep showing up.

EJAE: The word that describes my life right now is “metamorphosis.” I am a songwriter who was very behind the scenes, so this is all very new. I’m learning as I go. And I just feel like I’ve been changing a lot. I surprise myself a lot. I have really bad stage fright, but I’ve been trying to overcome it and can’t believe I’m doing it. And honestly, I don’t think I’d be able to do it without these girls. They always help me prep myself, always saying, like, “You got this, unnie [“big sis” in Korean]!”

REI: She does!

It feels like a turning point came in October, when you started making public appearances and performing as a group. People were not just hearing your voices but seeing your faces. What was going out in public like after that?

EJAE: For me, it was so, like, thrown-in-the-cold-water kind of situation. I just didn’t know what to expect. It was very sudden. And I would be lying if I didn’t say it was overwhelming; it was quite overwhelming, but at the same time, super exciting.

REI: We were forced into a position where we had to acclimate in order to survive. I’ve never dealt with paparazzi, and having paparazzi be outside your hotel or follow your vehicle, it is a bit bizarre and very new, but in a way, it’s like problems I prayed for, you know?

You’ve gained a huge young fan base through this movie. What has it been like talking to young girls and kids who love the movie?

Audrey: Honestly, it’s the best part for me. This film is obviously for everyone, but I think that seeing the way it’s affected the youth, seeing young people — you see it in their eyes, you know? They’re really inspired by this film and the message. They walk with a different confidence when they sing these songs. I think that’s really the reason why we do what we do. When the kids come up to us and they tell us that they dressed up as Rumi, Zoey, Mira for Halloween, with their mom matching…

EJAE: [Or] their dad matching.

Audrey: Yeah, their dad matching! That, to me, is what energizes me to just — as sleep-deprived as we are — to love that, because that’s the s–t that really means something.

EJAE: Yesterday, there was this little Korean girl, and her mom told me that she really wants to be a singer and she really looks up to Taylor Swift. And Taylor Swift is amazing, we love her, and then [the mom] said, “And then EJAE came and REI AMI and Audrey…,” and seeing girls who look like her, we became her favorite artist as well. Her dream to become a singer is even bigger and she’s much more passionate now. Isn’t that so sweet? It’s like, “Oh, wow, they look like me — I could be a singer!” And then it gave her more confidence. What can I say to that?

REI: Changing the world.

You’ve been all over awards shows lately. Have you had any especially mind-blowing interactions with celebrities who come up to talk about KPop Demon Hunters?

Audrey: My sister saw Demi Lovato taking a video of us at the Clive Davis [pre-Grammy] party. And I was like, “Wow, Camp Rock changed my life.” This is real. This is me.

(All three women sing “This Is Me” from Camp Rock in unison.) “This is real! This is me! I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.”

Audrey: It kind of has a similar message to “Golden,” honestly. To see cultural staples of our generation adore this movie is pretty…

EJAE: Mind-blowing.

Audrey: Surreal, yeah.

EJAE: Lana Del Rey apparently at Clive Davis sang [along with “Golden,” and Ryan Tedder] recorded it. I just saw it online, and she was singing “Golden” with us. So I feel strengthened. (Laughs.)

Given this very public platform that you all have now, what have been the most important issues that you want to bring to the forefront?

EJAE: The reason why Grammys or winning an award was important to me was not actually for me; it’s representation. When I was a K-pop trainee, you see a lot of fellow Koreans training with you. But once I separated with that life, I moved to New York and started writing songs, and I didn’t see many Asian women or Korean American women in the industry. And I felt it was quite ­lonely, I’m not going to lie. And I think oftentimes Asian women are viewed a certain way, so impostor syndrome was really intense. Every time I got into a session, there were mostly men or just non-Asians. So I’ve always wanted to open the door for Asian women to also be confident to be in the songwriting industry or music industry in the States and trying to grow that community more.

Audrey: Obviously representation, being able to stand and represent our culture. And I’m very passionate about education and education access for kids. I launched a campaign for Luminos Fund, an amazing organization that basically gives kids in Ethiopia, Liberia, Gambia and a few other countries a second chance at school. We’ve set a goal to raise $1 million this year for that.

REI: Just sharing my story, our stories, and being vulnerable and honest about how difficult this career choice is. We’ve been in this game for how long? How many doors have been shut on us? How many times have we had to pick ourselves up from the ashes and start again and again and again? And there was a point in my career where I was very shy about sharing and being honest about how difficult it is. (Sobbing.) But I think this entire journey and being surrounded by such amazing women has given me the courage to be honest. It’s a very lonely journey sometimes, so sharing your story can really help others feel a little less alone. Others have done that for me, so I have to pay it forward. (Still sobbing.) I cry a lot, it’s not special!

Speaking of all these awards shows, “Golden” was a massive hit and spent eight weeks atop our Hot 100 chart, but commercial success isn’t always accompanied by critical acclaim. What has all this critical recognition meant to you?

EJAE: Sheesh, I mean, it just doesn’t feel real. With “Golden” coming out at the time that it [did], too — the message behind “Golden” is definitely something that’s so important. And also the fact that “Golden” is not just in English but some is Korean. I think it’s all meant to be.

Audrey: And this goes far deeper than just this year, you know? It goes to also think the fact that it’s critically acclaimed, it really does mean so much, because I think it’s stamping your place in history. Being able to stand in those rooms with creative peers and people who we respect so much on top of knowing that there’s grandmas and their grandchildren vibing to this music together in the Hyundai — it’s crazy. It’s so multifaceted. It just speaks to how many people resonate with this.

REI: I’m an immigrant. I came to this country at 7 years old with my family. My parents worked very long hours, blue-collar jobs for their daughter for all their sacrifices to amount to this? It’s a multigenerational flex. “Golden” was the first K-pop song to win [a Grammy] — that’s history. They’re going to be studying “Golden” for ages. They’re going to have a class, like a whole study on “Golden” and its rise, if not already.

Thinking about the way the three of you came together and comparing it to the K-pop system, there’s a parallel in that you were placed in a group, but there are a lot of differences too, because you’re coming out of this film with so much agency and power. I wonder if you think about those similarities but also the major differences.

EJAE: Oh, definitely. I literally think about that all the time. A huge difference is the fact that [REI and Audrey have] been in the music industry for a long time, and they are their own artists. They write their stuff and produce their own things, and they have their own voice and tone and everything. Then coming together and us having chemistry just feels rare. Our voices blend really well together, but also just our personalities and how we perform.

REI: I think the common thing, though, is the work ethic. To be a K-pop idol, you have to have immense work ethic. And also, like with us, we were brought together. We never rehearsed together [for the film]. We didn’t even record together. But I think something I noticed, right off the jump, even during our first rehearsals, is how hard and how attentive they are to their own craft. So I think that’s why it works, because we show up individually and we respect each other in the process, because we’ve gone through it and we understand it.

There’s a lot of demand for you to do more as HUNTR/X, like a group tour or more music. But what are your instincts about what to do next as a unit?

EJAE: We would love to write together.

REI: We should start a label.

EJAE: We could tour together.

REI: I mean, people have been asking for a tour. We, unfortunately, do not hold that power.

EJAE: We don’t, but that’d be cool.

REI: It would be cool. You got to demand it more, though!

Audrey: I just can’t even imagine the memories we would make on tour. Honestly, I feel like a theater kid again when I’m around you guys. There’s just this excitement of, like, our teams squadding it up together.

EJAE: If the fans want it, what can we do?

REI: HUNTR/X jet!

EJAE: (Laughs.) And then come out and do “How It’s Done,” remake that scene [from KPop Demon Hunters]. That’d be sick.

There’s a KPop Demon Hunters sequel coming in 2029. Are you three involved?

EJAE: We really don’t know. There’s nothing official, so…

Audrey: We’re also waiting for the call.

EJAE: We are. Stay tuned, guys.

I wanted to focus on each of you as an individual, starting with EJAE. I knew from your Globes speech that you were a K-pop trainee, but I had no idea you started at age 11. You have a lot of fans coming up to you now, young girls, probably a similar age, asking about becoming a singer and getting in the music industry. What do you tell them?

EJAE: I just say to not be afraid of rejection and not be afraid of failure. I think you learn way more from failing than succeeding, actually. And persistence is really important.

When you made the transition to songwriting, you had a front-row seat to some of the biggest girl groups in K-pop. Did working behind the scenes help prepare you for what was to come with HUNTR/X?

EJAE: So much. I mean, I think the writing process has been very similar, because when I’m thinking about writing for these girls, I’m always thinking about concepts and music videos and choreography. Also, being a K-pop trainee myself and loving to dance, I’m always thinking about that when I’m writing a melody. So for the film, that’s what I’m thinking — the scenes, what can make it cooler? What can the characters say? So it transitioned very, very well.

We’ve heard three songs from you already outside of HUNTR/X since the film came out: your debut solo single “In Another World,” your feature with Anyma on “Out of My Body,” and “Time After Time” in February. Do you think those songs signal to your fans the direction you might want to go with your own solo material?

EJAE: Sort of. With my artistry — which I’m still trying to figure out, guys. I’m learning with my fans. I feel like we’re kind of growing together — I always view my artistry as songwriting. Songwriting is always number one, and so I’m always exploring different genres as a songwriter and different textures of my voice.

REI, you had a different kind of start from EJAE. You graduated college before launching your music career, and you found viral success back in 2020 with “Freak” and then touring with Tinashe. Did that early taste of solo success in any way prepare you for everything to come with this film?

REI: To a degree. My solo success was nowhere near any of this HUNTR/X stuff, but learning how the industry works and how to navigate it, building your team, following your gut, following your vision as an artist and figuring out what that looks like, and also engaging with your fans, all of that — I think my earlier success definitely prepped me. The industry is really hard, and as a newbie, if you’re super green to it, your first heartbreak’s gonna crush you. I’m so glad I went through all my first heartbreaks and all my little no’s and rejections. I’m so glad I got that s–t out of the way.

Having your own back catalog — your solo mixtape, your EP, your singles — are you finding that fans of the film are digging back into your older material?

REI: I made a warning when all the HUNTR/X stuff was really bubbling, because a lot of the new fans are kids or minors. And I never imagined that I’d be a role model ever in my career. But turns out, I guess I am now! So I was worried, because my solo stuff is very not safe for work. It’s very aggressive and in your face. So it’s like, “I wonder how these little girls are gonna react.” But then I was like, “Wait. You’re a little child. You should not have free access to any of my music! And if you do, that’s not my fault; that’s the fault of your parents, and I am not your legal guardian!” So I am absolved from any consequences. (Laughs.) But hey, one thing they will learn [from my music]? Confidence, boldness, saying no, boundaries. Do not mess with me!

EJAE: Facts.

What are you thinking as far as a next song release or an album?

REI: I’m finishing my album right now, and it’s just a whole compilation of all my feelings vomited onto this beautiful record. It explains my journey throughout this entire process and just pouring my heart out. I just want to spread joy and make people dance. And put the phone down!

Audrey, like REI, you were releasing music before the film, but then similar to EJAE, you also sang and performed when you were young. What did pursuing music look like for you at that age?

Audrey: I’ve been performing for as long as I can remember, and honestly, this is the only thing I ever wanted to do with my life. I had a brief month when maybe I wanted to be an astronaut, and then I was horrible at physics, so that went out the door. I grew up in theater. I think that my journey to this moment has really prepared me to deal with a lot of the insane changes of my life. I have gone through the trenches, to be honest with you. I’m used to sweaty Brooklyn warehouse shows at midnight with horrible sound and just everything going to s–t, and even those things have fed into my resilience in this moment of being able to take up this space. So I’m grateful for every voice lesson. I’m grateful for every teacher that I’ve had. Shout-out to the arts educators. I’m grateful for every failure. I’m grateful, like REI said and EJAE said, for every rejection. That has really prepared me for this moment.

You had some big collaborations before the film, including with Jack Harlow and DJ Snake, and you released two albums. Have you also been hearing from the KPop Demon Hunters fans about digging back into your previous music?

Audrey: I’ve seen some [fan] reaction videos, and they’re always very juicy and funny. (Laughs.) I’m actually working on my third album, but that has been such an insane, insane journey of faith to kind of learn how to make music all over again after an experience like this, focusing on storytelling, focusing on trying to capture what this moment has been, because it’s literally one of the craziest things that any of us have ever been through. And I’m really excited to be putting out music, finally.

At these awards shows, you’ve been in the room with a lot of major artists, and now you’re on their radar. Are there some dream collaborators that you’re going to be reaching out to for your new music?

Audrey: I have so many. Solange; a huge fan of Solange. Imogen Heap; she’s a genius. Huge fan of Rosalía; I thought her last album [Lux] was really so disruptive, and as a producer, too, I think she’s so dope. And Björk. Rihanna is the queen.

EJAE: She’s kind of naming a lot for me…

REI: I mean, Doechii would be really fun. Who else? I’m blanking. There’s so many.

A lot of the women you just mentioned have been honored at Billboard’s Women in Music before — maybe you’ll be in the room with them in April.

Audrey: That’s what I was going to say when you asked about the Women of the Year Billboard’s 2026 Women of the Year On Their Rise. I immediately just think about all the women who have come before us and have paved the road — obviously in the music industry, but also like our ancestry and our lineage, and like the women who had to deal with so much bulls–t for us to be able to sit here today. That’s everything to us.

When you’re going through all the chaos and whirlwind of this past year, what has it been like to have these women sitting next to you for it all?

EJAE: That’s the best part.

REI: I will steal candy from children for these two. (EJAE and Audrey laugh.) I will! And laugh while I do it.

Audrey: Besides a very few close friends and my sister, I didn’t really have a lot of female friends growing up, and I just feel this huge inspiration for femininity and the fact that femininity is not delicate, you know? It’s very powerful.

EJAE: It’s loud.

Audrey: Yes, and it’s multifaceted, and it takes so many different forms. What I appreciate so much about our friendship is the fact that we literally sometimes cannot be more opposite, but every time we step on the stage, every time we go into rehearsal, any time someone’s having a hard day, it’s like we have each other’s backs, and at the core of who we are, we want to see each other and other women win. And I think that’s what 2026 and beyond is about. That’s the energy that has the potential to honestly change the world and heal a lot.

A version of this story appears in the April 18, 2026, issue of Billboard.