REI AMI

Biography

Sarah Yeeun Lee (born May 25, 1995), known professionally as Rei Ami (pronounced RAY-AH-mee), is a South Korean and American singer and rapper. She rose to prominence with her guest performance on American musician Sub Urban's 2020 song "Freak", which gained virality on TikTok. The song peaked at number 28 on the Billboard Hot Rock & Alternative Songs.
Lee released her debut single, "Snowcone×SNOWCONE25 September 2019 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1SNOWCONE2:36", in 2019; her debut mixtape, Foil, in June 2021; and her debut extended play Shhh, in November 2023. She has been nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and Premios Best International New Artist.
She provided the singing voice for the character Zoey in the 2025 musical film KPop Demon Hunters. "Golden", one of the songs produced for the film, topped the Billboard Hot 100 and charts in other countries. It received the Critics' Choice Award, Golden Globe Award, and Academy Award for Best Original Song. At the 68th Grammy Awards, the song received four nominations (including Song of the Year) and won Best Song Written for Visual Media. It is the first K-pop song to win a Grammy Award or an Academy Award.

Early life

Sarah Yeeun Lee was born on May 25, 1995, in Seoul, South Korea, to South Korean parents. When she was six, her family moved to the United States, settling in Germantown, Maryland. She took lessons on piano and guitar. Her parents, devout Christians, paid for tutoring to ensure that she would perform at church services. She graduated from Northwest High School in Germantown, Maryland in 2014, then from the University of Maryland, College Park in 2018. In a 2020 interview with The Diamondback, Ami described her musical process during the COVID-19 quarantine: "It’s mostly virtual sessions. Every session is different with each producer but, you know, trying to just make it work. And it’s been successful so far."

Career

In 2019, Ami filmed the visualizer for her breakout single "Snowcone×SNOWCONE25 September 2019 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1SNOWCONE2:36" with a budget of under $100. That led to her signing with Visionary Records.

2020–2024: Freak and Foil

The official music video for "Freak" by Sub Urban, featuring Lee, was released on March 13, 2020, alongside Sub Urban's EP Thrill Seeker. The video, which was directed by Andrew Donoho, has a circus-themed background. 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. Lee was featured on Rihanna's Savage X Fenty Show.
Her debut mixtape, Foil, released on June 25, 2021, included collaborations with Aminé on "Do It Right×do it right5 March 2021 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1do it right2:49" and Lolo Zouaï on "Cherry Chapstick". The project showed her ability to move between assertive rap verses and melodic pop hooks.

2025–present: KPop Demon Hunters, new music

On the soundtrack of the 2025 film KPop Demon Hunters, Ami provided 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). On October 4, 2025, she along with her fellow KPop Demon Hunters cast-mates Ejae and Audrey Nuna made a cameo appearance on the season 51 premiere of Saturday Night Live in a sketch based on the film, reprising their respective roles as Rumi, Mira and Zoey. On October 7, they together performed "Golden" live in full for the first time on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. On December 25, she and the other voices of Huntrix performed "12 Days of Christmas" at the Snoop Dogg 2025 NFL Halftime Show. On April 10, 2026, she and the other voices of Huntrix appeared during Katseye's Coachella 2026 performance as surprise guests and performed "Golden" alongside Katseye.
As of December 2025, she has been working on a new album after signing to Republic Records. On September 17, 2026, Ami released "2 Loud", her first single through the company.

Personal life

Ami has talked about her personal challenges, including an erroneous diagnosis with depression during her first year of college and her 2022 diagnosis with bipolar disorder. She has called music a therapeutic outlet that has helped her navigate mental health struggles.
Ami is a self-proclaimed anime fan, and in a TikTok, attributed her stage name to the Sailor Moon characters Rei Hino and Ami Mizuno.