Would EJAE be the best active vocalist if she debuted in a girl group?

  • So I was just reading her wiki page and did not realize she was an SM trainee for 10 yrs, but was unable to debut in a group or as a soloist due to her age (which is crazy to me). Anyways, I'm no expert on singing or vocals but I feel like she clears every active gg idol. Who would you put above her if anyone?


    Her wiki is interesting, she has worked with many groups, having co-produced "Drama" and co-wrote "Psycho", and has an english cover here:


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  • I'm unsure about best but she would be one of the best.


    I am looking at her credits and wow she was involved in so many song I like.


    I think the better question is how did a talent like hers slip through the cracks? It seems to have worked out for her but that's not a good luck to let a talent like her slip. The ageism in kpop is awful because a talent like hers should have been able to release music on her own.

  • Yes.


    The power and range of her voice is rare in KPOP. Which is why you're not going to see a lot of people trying to cover Golden live. It's a very difficult song. In regards to technique, I don't think there are many KPOP vocalists who are currently active that can match her. There are some great vocalists, but they either lack the power or range to match her.


    I'd love to hear her sing Golden live to see if she can actually live up to those skills live.


    I was honestly wondering why the hell SM would let someone as talented as EJAE go. Even if they did not debut her in a group, they should have at least tried to keep her as a soloist. But, I guess she didn't fit the SM or "idol" image. Talent is important for companies, but image, how well you fit into a concept, how well they can market you, etc. is more important. In pop, they also tend to put more weight on someone's "tone" rather than power and range. They can teach technique. The fact she didn't debut just proves that.


    Though, in the end, it worked out for her, and I hope she sees more success from here.

  • Maybe yes maybe no.

    There are many factors. One of them while she is an idol she needs to do so many other things, and she might not have enough time to train her voice like she did while she was trainee. Also she might have to sing lot more as an idol, which can lead to regression of her voice. She might have to sing different type of songs as a kpop idol and stop utilizing some of her skills.

    From this audio her agility seems really good. So she might have been the best vocalist of active ggs right now. But it would be good to here her raw vocals(not studio ones like this)

  • Also I think sm didn’t debut her because of her visuals. It is always about visuals first when it comes to kpop

    That was a bad decision because talent trumps visuals. It is odd a company didn't pick her up for a soloist because that matters even less as a soloist.

  • She's absolutely amazing. I'm in love with her voice tone and the power in it. Even her "rap"/talk in How it's Done has so much attitude.


    She's an amazing composer and lyricist, being the first credited composer and lyricist for Golden (with only one co-lyricist/composer). She's also credited on How it's Done and Your Idol.


    She's a huge reason for the success of the movie. She sang the demo of every song and the quality of those demos were a big reason as to why the movie was accepted to be made, so I read.


    Even tho she couldn't debut, she's shining so much now, must be making great money, and shows that with talent you can always win in the end

  • Not really...even more so during the years she was a trainee.

    I think it's a stupid decision, and I think she's nice looking. They can easily stylize an idol and make it work. SM and other companies made a mistake letting her slip through the cracks. Somebody that strong of a vocalist should've been recognized before this film.


    Hopefully she takes this opportunity to release her own music because many would be interested to check it out.

  • My obligatory disclaimer: I dislike the concept of best. I have noticed that especially those of us who grew up in the West tend to believe the Western style of singing is "better". Idols are trained so sing in a specific way, and clearly she has deviated from that style. If she had debuted, she would probably be singing like an Asian idol. Either way, she's clearly a great vocalist, and I would definitely think she'd be up there, but I wouldn't consider her especially far beyond the skills of the other top Kpop vocalists.

    To address the speculation about why she didn't debut, remember that there are a lot of factors when it comes to making it as an idol. Trainees are required to meet certain standards before they debut, and the simplest explanation is that she just didn't. She stated that it was because she was too old. Maybe that's true. Or maybe that was just her interpretation. Perhaps that's even what they told her, but the real reason could have been be different as well. Could it have been visuals? Maybe. But I'm pretty sure the fact she was a trainee means she already passed their standard more or less. Sure, she's a fantastic singer now, but who's to say that she was back then? Most people are "late bloomers" in that regard anyway, as a person's voice doesn't reach full development until well into their 30s. Also, it's possible her dance ability held her back as well.

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