Lee Jae, the singer and producer behind the hit song “Golden” from the Netflix animation “K-Pop Demon Hunters,” opened up about his difficult trainee years under SM Entertainment — revealing the emotional toll of chasing his dream for over a decade.
In a recent appearance on tvN’s “You Quiz on the Block,” Lee shared behind-the-scenes stories from his appearance on NBC’s “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” where he performed with Hollywood star Scarlett Johansson present in the audience.
“I was honestly really stressed,” he confessed. “I lost my voice in the morning and thought, ‘What should I do now?’ I was so nervous.”
“I Cried in the Taxi After Leaving SM”
Lee trained for 12 years at SM Entertainment — the home of Super Junior, Girls’ Generation, SHINee, and f(x) — before eventually parting ways with the company.
“When my contract ended, I cried in the taxi on the way home,” he said tearfully. “I worked so hard, but it felt like effort wasn’t enough. I just felt so sorry… I hated myself for not becoming the singer I dreamed of.”
He admitted feeling deep resentment toward the industry at that time:
“For about a month, I just cried and slept. I blamed idols and K-pop in general because I was so hurt.”
Turning Pain Into Music
Despite the heartbreak, Lee refused to give up on music:
“I told myself, if I love music, I should keep making it. I worked on beats from café opening to closing time,” he said.
That perseverance paid off — Lee went on to produce Red Velvet’s “Psycho,” aespa’s “Drama” and “Armageddon,” and many other hit songs.
His latest triumph came with “Golden” from “K-Pop Demon Hunters,” which achieved eight consecutive weeks at No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100, a groundbreaking record for a Korean OST.
“Hearing Kids Sing Korean Lyrics Made Me Proud”
Lee, who also wrote the lyrics for “Golden,” described one moment that moved him deeply:
“There was a global sing-along event, and children from all around the world were singing the Korean lyrics — ‘forever unbreakable.’ It was surreal. I really wanted to include Korean in the song, and hearing it sung everywhere made me so proud.”
From tears in a taxi to topping the Billboard charts, Lee Jae’s story shows how passion and persistence can turn heartbreak into art — and how K-pop continues to connect the world through music.