Rei Ami’s career has reached new heights with her starring role in one of the year’s biggest animated films: Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters. For the breakout artist, Montgomery County, Maryland played a pivotal role in shaping her journey.
Born Sarah Yeeun Lee in Seoul, South Korea, Rei Ami moved to the United States with her family at the age of six, settling in Germantown. Amid the vibrant and diverse communities of Montgomery County, her artistic identity began to take shape. She graduated from Northwest High School in 2014 and later from the University of Maryland in 2018.
During the height of the COVID pandemic, she spoke with The Diamondback, UMD’s student newspaper, via Zoom from her Germantown home. A year later, she returned to the area for a performance at the 9:30 Club in DC, a venue she had long admired as a fan. “I grew up in Montgomery County, MD. I’ve watched sooo many shows at the 9:30 Club… I always told myself at every show, ‘That’s going to be you one day.’ Fast forward years later, I’ve had the privilege of performing for sold out crowds for my first show back home. DMV, thank you, this was the best welcome home present ever. I am so honored.”
Her role in KPop Demon Hunters has since cemented her global status. In the hit 2025 animated film, Rei Ami provides the singing and rapping voice for Zoey, one of three members of the demon-hunting K-pop girl group Huntr/x. The movie, which follows the group’s double lives as performers and supernatural warriors, has become Netflix’s most-watched original film to date. Its soundtrack, featuring Rei Ami on several key tracks, has also been a runaway success, with the anthem “Golden” spending three consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
For an artist celebrated for her raw, genre-bending style, Zoey proved to be an ideal match. Rei Ami’s seamless mix of melodic vocals and sharp, rhythmic rapping brought the character to life, resonating with audiences around the world. Her collaboration with fellow vocalists Audrey Nuna and Ejae as the fictional group Huntr/x has also extended beyond the screen, with the trio making appearances at major award shows like the MTV Video Music Awards.
