Rei Ami

Rei Ami
Rei Ami at Anime NYC in 2025
Background information
Born
Sarah Yeeun Lee

(1995-05-25) May 25, 1995
Seoul, South Korea[1]
OriginGermantown, Maryland, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • rapper
InstrumentVocals
Years active2019–present
LabelsVisionary Records
YouTube information
Channel
Years active2018–present
Genremusic
Subscribers211 thousand
Views31,516,927 million
Last updated: december 4, 2025

Sarah Yeeun Lee (born May 25, 1995), known professionally as Rei Ami (pronounced RAY-AH-mee[3]), is an American singer and rapper. Initially presenting a rap sound, she released her debut studio album, Foil, and later rose to prominence with the song "Freak" with Sub Urban in 2020, which gained virality on TikTok. She is also known for providing the singing voice for the character Zoey in the film KPop Demon Hunters. "Golden", one of the songs she co-performed for the film, topped the Billboard Hot 100, as well as charts in several other countries.

Early life

Lee was born on May 25, 1995 in Seoul, South Korea[4] and relocated to Germantown, Maryland, United States[4] with her family at six years old. She graduated from Northwest High School in Germantown, Maryland in 2014. From a devout Christian household,[4] she would start music with the instruments piano and guitar. Her parents paid for tutoring making sure she would perform at church services.[1] Rei graduated from University of Maryland, College Park in 2018,[5] before she started her musical career.[6]

Career

In 2019, Lee filmed the visualizer for her breakout single "Snowcone"[7][8] with a budget of under $100,[9][10][11] which projected to her success, signing to Visionary Records.[12][13]

2020–2024: Freak and Foil

The official music video for "Freak" by Sub Urban,[14] featuring Lee,[15][16][17] was released on March 13, 2020,[15] alongside the former's EP, Thrill Seeker.[18] The video, which was directed by Andrew Donoho, has a circus-themed background. Rei Ami is depicted as a snake-human hybrid. On YouTube, the video has had over 292 million views and over 3.5 million videos on TikTok.[16]

Her debut mixtape, Foil, released on June 25, 2021, showcases her versatility, featuring collaborations with artists like Aminé on "Do It Right",[19][20] and Lolo Zouaï on "Cherry Chapstick".[21] The project underscores her ability to seamlessly navigate between assertive rap verses and melodic pop hooks. Lee was also featured on Rihanna's Savage X Fenty Show.[22]

2025: KPop Demon Hunters

Rei Ami is featured on the soundtrack of the 2025 film KPop Demon Hunters.[23] She provides the singing and rapping vocals for the character Zoey, in the songs "Golden", "How It's Done", "What It Sounds Like", and "Takedown" (soundtrack version).

Personal life

Beyond her musical endeavors, Rei Ami has been candid about her personal challenges, including her diagnosis with depression during her freshman year of college. She credits music as a therapeutic outlet that has helped her navigate mental health struggles.[24]

Rei Ami is a self proclaimed anime fan, and in a TikTok, attributed her stage name to the Sailor Moon characters Hino Rei, and Mizuno Ami, the civilian identities of Sailor Mars and Sailor Mercury, respectively.[3]

Discography

Mixtapes

Title Details
Foil

EPs

Title Details
Shhh[26]

Singles

As lead artist

Title Year Album
"Make It Mine"[4] 2019 Non-album single
"Snowcone"[9]
"Dictator"[27][28]
"Runaway"[29] 2020
"Mac & Cheese"[21][13]
"Do It Right"[20]

featuring Aminé

2021 Foil
"That's on You!"
"F.R.A."
"Ricky Bobby"
"Hot One"[30]

featuring Leyla Blue and Baby Tate

Non-album single
"Plaything"

featuring Pussy Riot and Kito

2022
"Body Bag"[31] 2023 Shhh

As featured artist

Title Year Details
"Freak" (Sub Urban featuring Rei Ami) 2020 Non-album single
"Bye" (Marsha Ambrosius featuring Rei Ami)
"Rainy" (Dillon Francis featuring Rei Ami)[32] 2023 This Mixtape Is Fire Too
"I See Red" (lilbubblegum featuring Rei Ami) 2024 Non-album single

Other charted songs

List of other charted songs, with selected chart positions and album name
Title Year Peak chart positions Certifications Album
US
[33] 		AUS
[34] 		CAN
[35] 		KOR
[36] 		MLY
[37] 		NZ
[38] 		PHL
Hot
[39] 		SGP
[40] 		UK
[41] 		WW
[42]
"How It's Done"
(with Ejae and Audrey Nuna as Huntrix) 		2025 8 7 9 10 9 8 12 9 9 5 KPop Demon Hunters
"Golden"
(with Ejae and Audrey Nuna as Huntrix) 		1 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1
  • RIAA: 2× Platinum[43]
  • ARIA: 4× Platinum[44]
  • BPI: 2× Platinum[47]
  • MC: 6× Platinum[48]
  • RMNZ: 3× Platinum[46]
"Takedown"
(with Ejae and Audrey Nuna as Huntrix) 		21 15 25 37 18 18 24 13 —[A] 11
"What It Sounds Like"
(with Ejae and Audrey Nuna as Huntrix) 		15 12 15 44 7 10 17 8 13 7
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that region.

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2025 KPop Demon Hunters Zoey (singing voice) Netflix original movie [51]
Saturday Night Live Herself[B] Season 51, Episode 1
Cameo 		[52]
The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon Herself Guest and live performer [B] [53]
99th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Herself [B] Live performance [54]
Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve Herself [B] Live performance [55]

Tours

As a co-headliner

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Work Result Ref.
2025 Asia Artist Awards Best OST "Golden"[B] Won [61]
Hollywood Music in Media Awards Song – Onscreen Performance (Film) Nominated [62]
K-World Dream Awards Best OST Won [63]
Korea Grand Music Awards Best Virtual Artist Nominated [64]
Los 40 Music Awards Best International New Artist Huntrix[B] Won [65]
MAMA Awards Best OST "Golden"[B] Won [66]
MTV Video Music Awards Song of Summer Nominated [67]
Melon Music Awards Song of the Year Nominated [68]
Best OST Won [69]
Variety Hitmakers Awards Variety's Hitmakers Rei Ami[B] Honored [70]
2026 Gold Derby Music Awards Record of the Year "Golden"[B] Pending [71]
Grammy Awards Best Pop Duo/Group Performance Pending [72][73]
Music Awards Japan Song of the Year Longlisted [74]
Best Anime Song Longlisted
Best K-Pop Song Longlisted
Best K-Pop Artist Huntrix[B] Longlisted

Notes

  1. ^ "Takedown" did not enter the Official Singles Chart, but peaked at number 20 on the Official Singles Sales and number 16 on the Streaming charts.[41]
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j with Ejae and Audrey Nuna as Huntrix

References

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  2. ^ Kress, Bryan (September 22, 2020). "Alt-Pop Artist Rei Ami Signs With Visionary Records: Exclusive". Billboard. Retrieved March 9, 2025.
  3. ^ a b Rei Ami [@rei.ami] (July 19, 2025). my lore pt 1. Retrieved October 8, 2025 – via TikTok.
  4. ^ a b c d Ceccarelli, Katey (August 23, 2019). "REI AMI arrives with sinister glee in "MAKE IT MINE"". Earmilk. Retrieved March 29, 2025.
  5. ^ Case, Wesley (October 14, 2025). "That 'KPop Demon Hunters' song stuck in your head? A Marylander sings it". The Baltimore Banner. Retrieved October 14, 2025.
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  7. ^ Murphy, Sam (September 25, 2019). "Rei Ami's 'Snowcone' Puts Her Within Reach Of The Charli XCX Pop Class". The Interns. Retrieved March 29, 2025.
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  10. ^ ＴＲＡＳＨ 新 ドラゴン (October 15, 2019). REI AMI - SNOWCONE. Retrieved March 8, 2025 – via YouTube.
  11. ^ "Rei Ami gets wet in 'Ricky Bobby' music video". liftedasia.com. Retrieved March 29, 2025.
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  15. ^ a b Matozzo, Marissa. "Welcome to Sub Urban's Gruesome 'Freak' Show". www.papermag.com. Retrieved March 9, 2025. The track itself incorporates the spine-chilling melodies and experimental vocalizations he is becoming recognized for, and also features a solo from South Korean hip-hop artist REI AMI.
  16. ^ a b Leight, Elias (October 12, 2020). "How Do You Predict the Next TikTok Music Hit? With a Ton of Data". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 30, 2025. In mid-August, the dominoes started to fall, a number of TikTok's biggest names used "Freak" in videos, and the track is currently on its way to becoming Sub Urban's second hit, with more than 3.5 million TikTok videos.
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  29. ^ Riddell, Rose (February 28, 2020). "Listen: Rei Ami's new single 'Runaway'". Coup De Main Magazine. Retrieved March 29, 2025.
  30. ^ "Leyla Blue on Her "Hot One" Video With Rei Ami, Baby Tate". Paper. Retrieved March 29, 2025.
  31. ^ "Rei Ami Returns to Slay in Delightfully Dark Single "Body Bag"". Ones to Watch. Retrieved March 29, 2025.
  32. ^ "Dillon Francis - This Mixtape is Fire TOO". Spotify.
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  40. ^ Peaks on the Official Singapore Chart:
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