IN CONVERSATION WITH REI AMI

interview by JANA LETONJA

Grammy-nominated artist REI AMI is entering a defining new chapter. After a breakout year as the singing voice of Zoey in Netflix’s record-breaking K-POP DEMON HUNTERS, she has taken over global charts with HOW IT’S DONE, TAKEDOWN, WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE, and GOLDEN –  a track that has earned both an Academy Award for Best Original Song and a Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media, making it the first K-pop song to win a Grammy. Known for her signature “sinister-sweet” duality and fan-dubbed “Hello Kitty With a Knife”, Rei Ami blends alt-rock, hip-hop, R&B, and pop into a sound that feels both playful and subversive. Born in Seoul and raised in Maryland, she channels her multicultural identity into a bold artistic persona, one that has already garnered over a billion streams, high-profile collaborations and a fiercely loyal fanbase. Now, with new solo music on the horizon, Rei Ami is poised to redefine her sound and expand her impact across music, fashion and culture.

The past year has been huge for you, from K-POP DEMON HUNTERS to GOLDEN. How are you processing everything that’s happened?

I’ve barely processed any of it. It all happened so fast. It’s mind-boggling to think about how much has changed in the past few months. I’m still in disbelief of it all because it feels so cosmic, almost too good to be true, so I’m taking it day by day. I’m just grateful to be here.

GOLDEN has won both an Oscar and a GRAMMY award, amongst other accolades. What did both those moments mean to you personally?

‘GOLDEN winning an Oscar and a Grammy reaffirms my belief in that music is medicine and has the power to heal and unite. When recording GOLDEN, I knew we were onto something special, but I never imagined that it would cross barriers and reach so many audiences around the globe. The music and soundtrack of K-POP DEMON HUNTERS is so deeply rooted in Korean culture and identity, so to see it resonate with audiences outside of Koreans, it fills me with immense pride.

full look DIOR

As the singing voice of Zoey in K-POP DEMON HUNTERS, how did you approach bringing a character to life through music?

To be honest, I had no choice but to be myself when it came to singing for Zoey. It was my first time voice-acting, so I honestly had no clue what to do. If anything, I was encouraged to be more extra than I usually was during the recording process. While Zoey is a fictional character, I deeply resonated with her story and personality. Zoey was always told she’s “too much,” and so I had to embody that “too muchness” during the recording process. I wasn’t allowed to hold back because Zoey would never do that. I had to attack every take with energy and conviction because that’s exactly what Zoey would do. 

full look IRIS VAN HERPEN

Your sound blends so many genres — alt-rock, hip-hop, R&B, pop. How do you define your musical identity today?

My musical identity is whatever I want it to be. I hate labels. I love experimenting. I refuse to commit to one genre because that’s honestly so boring, and it doesn’t showcase my range at all. It’s just not for me. I’m a colourful, vibrant palette. You can’t fully experience me if I’m only showing you one colour. When it came to describing my sound in the past, I would tell people, “Imagine HELLO KITTY but with a knife,” but now, I think I’ve evolved. I’m still the sweet Hello Kitty, but she upgraded her knife for a Glock 19. I’m more confident than ever, using my voice in ways the world has never heard before.

blouse MARC JACOBS
eye mask BINATA MILLINERY

Fans often describe your aesthetic as “sinister-sweet.” How do you interpret that duality?

Duality is in everything we see and experience in life. Birth, death. Hellos, goodbyes. The sun, the moon. Yin, yang. It means two contradictory things can co-exist at once and be in harmony with each other. I spent the majority of my life trying to choose the polar sides of me — the bold, chaotic vs. the quiet, reserved. These drastically different versions of myself always attacked each other and clashed. But when I started making music, I realised that that didn’t have to be the case. I learned that both sides could exist and actually amplify who I really am. Duality is me. I embody duality in everything I do. It helps shape my perspective on life, relationships, and conflicts because two things really can be true at the same time.

hat and jacket DIOR
ring DAVID WEBB

full look MARC JACOBS

Growing up between Seoul and Maryland, how has your cultural background shaped your sound and perspective?

Honestly, it messed me up a lot. I never felt like I belonged anywhere. I was either “too much” of this or “not enough” of that. I shrunk myself to fit in and hated that I was Korean. I hated my eyes, my lips, my nose. I just really hated myself. I wanted to be like the popular white girls so bad. It wasn’t until high school that I started working more on my confidence, which makes sense because that’s when I started bagging the lead roles in theatre. And by the time I started university, I started to feel much more comfortable in my skin. I realised that the constant shaming of self was not productive to my growth as a woman and an artist. I learned that the things that made me insecure are the very things that made me stand out. From that point, I made a promise to never dim my own light, and that’s when REI AMI was born. The meeting of two worlds — REI, who represents my bold, fiery side and AMI, who represents the sweet, softer side. And through this joining of these two worlds, my music started to emulate the beauty of my duality. And for the first time ever, I was free.

face mask BINATA MILLINERY
bodysuit ZHAOYI YU
shoes AGL

You’ve surpassed a billion streams. How do you stay grounded amid that kind of scale?

If I’m being honest, it really hasn’t affected me. Is it bad that I don’t really care? At the end of the day, they’re just numbers. I think I’d be more impressed if I sold out a global tour than surpassing a billion streams. I’m still grateful, don’t get it twisted.

You even modelled in the FENTY show. How does fashion play into your identity as an artist?

Being a part of RIHANNA’S FENTY fashion show was the honour of a lifetime. From her debut, Rihanna has been someone I’ve always looked up to. Whether it’s her music or fashion, she’s inspired me to be bold and be confident in whatever I do. Fashion, to me, is simply another form of self-expression. It’s like playing dress-up. There’s really no rules to this shit. I view fashion the same as I do with music. It’s a playground that I get to play in. I’m still developing my personal style so I try not to put too much pressure on myself. “Does it look good?” “Is this fashion-forward?” “Is this cool?” I stopped asking myself these types of questions because as long as I feel confident and feel like myself, that’s a win for me. That’s my style. Being myself. 

full look GIVENCHY

With new solo music on the way, how would you describe this next era sonically and emotionally?

Sonically, it’s bright, colourful, and fun. It’s very pop, but my version. I call it “rei-pop.” I’ve always been a pop girlie because I was raised by pop royalty — BRITNEY SPEARS, THE PUSSYCAT DOLLS, RIHANNA, DESTINY’S CHILD, the list goes on. But don’t get it twisted, the rage is still there. Emotionally, it displays every emotion I’ve experienced in my 6-year career. It’s a sonic diary of all the blood, sweat, and tears it took to finally find myself again. It took me a long time to obtain this kind of joy that I’ve been feeling these past few months. I believe that joy is often a byproduct of pain. Think about a mother going through childbirth, she endures an unimaginable amount of pain and fear. She could literally die trying to give birth. But the moment she holds that baby in her arms, she forgets about the pain she endured just moments before. She is simply overwhelmed with joy. There’s not a single feeling of fear, it’s just pure love. That’s what this next album is about, all the pain it took for me to feel this intoxicating joy. 

How do you balance making music that feels authentic to you with the expectations that come with success?

I don’t need to balance it because I don’t give a flying F***. This is MY music. Take it or leave it. I make music to express myself and to feel free. I do it for ME, not for anyone else. 

full look SAINT LAURENT

You’re stepping into the world of acting at the same time as ushering in your most ambitious era of music yet — what can fans expect?

They can expect an amazing album, that’s for sure. The acting part, I don’t know. That’s still in the works, and I’m a firm believer of not jinxing things. Maybe I’ll pop up as a cameo in some shows and films, but who knows. Only time will tell. But music and touring will always be my top priority, so definitely expect that.

How do you protect your creativity in such a fast-paced, trend-driven industry?

I surround myself with positive, like-minded people. Your community is everything. It will make or break you. I’ve been fortunate enough to be a part of an incredible network of friends and collaborators. They ground me and keep me humble in the most loving way. They’re honest with me, and they’re not afraid to check me when I get out of line. We get vulnerable, and we’re not afraid to work through conflict, and that’s what I need from my people. It’s very rare to find real, down-to-earth people in this industry of counterfeits. 

top, skirt and hat BALENCIAGA
jewelry CARTIER
shoes AGL

full look CAROLINA HERRERA

As the theme of this issue is LOVE, we’d love to hear how do you interpret this term and its meaning in your life.

Love is more than a feeling. Love is a form of action. Love is choosing to show up even when things seem dark and hopeless. Love is working through conflicts and disagreements. Love is cut-up fruit on the table. Love is coming home to your dog getting the zoomies. Love is everywhere, you just have to seek it. For most of my life, I made decisions out of fear, fear of what-ifs, fear of judgement, fear of rejection, but I learned that every fear-based decision I made led to even more disappointment and heartbreak. Throughout this journey of life, I realised that you only truly win by moving and leading with love. Love for yourself, love for your community, love for life, because love will always win. I’m proof of that.

full look DIOR

TEAM CREDITS:

talent REI AMI
photography MASON ROSE
styling and creative direction AYUMI PERRY at OPUS BEAUTY
makeup SANDY NICHA at FORWARD ARTISTS using DEJA VU, REI COSMETICS, MANTLE SKIN & JOSIE MARAN
hair LAURA RUGETTI for LUXY HAIR EXTENSIONS at THE ONLY AGENCY
nails SREYNIN PENG at OPUS BEAUTY
director LYLE MOUTON
production MIKE ZIELINSKI at DAYTRIP PRODUCTIONS
movement director ELIZABETH ACEVEDO
lighting AUSTIN DURANT
digital tech GRANT BOUTIETTE and BEN BACKHAUS
retouching NATALY TRACH
photography assistance ETHAN PRECOURT
styling assistance ELI LOPEZ BELTRAN
makeup assistance JACLYN LOPEZ
hair assistance KARLA BONILLA
studio BETRUE LOS ANGELES
equipment EDGE LA
catering PHORAGE WEHO
editor TIMOTEJ LETONJA
casting and interview JANA LETONJA