REI AMI

occupation = instrument = Vocals years_active = 2019–present label = module =

Sarah Yeeun Lee (born May 25, 1995), known professionally as Rei Ami (pronounced ), 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", in 2019

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 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" 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, 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.

Her debut mixtape, Foil, released on June 25, 2021, included collaborations with Aminé on "Do It Right" and Lolo Zouaï on "Cherry Chapstick". The project showed her ability to move between assertive rap verses and melodic pop hooks.

2025: KPop Demon Hunters, new music On the soundtrack of the 2025 film KPop Demon Hunters, she 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).

As of December 2025, she was working on a new album, with plans to release the singles in 2026.

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.

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. Formats: Digital download, streaming, CD

EPs Title DetailsShhh Released: November 10, 2023 Formats: Digital download, streaming, CD

Singles As lead artist

As featured artist

Other charted songs + List of other charted songs, with selected chart positions and album name Title Year Peak chart positions Certifications Album US AUS CAN KOR MLY NZ PHLHot SGP UK WW "How It's Done" 2025 8 7 9 10 9 8 12 9 9 5 RIAA: Platinum ARIA: 2× Platinum BPI: Platinum RMNZ: Platinum KPop Demon Hunters "Golden" 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 RIAA: 5× Platinum KMCA: Platinum MC: 8× Platinum RMNZ: 4× Platinum BPI: Gold MC: 2× Platinum MC: 2× Platinum Saturday Night Live Herself Season 51, Episode 1Cameo The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon Herself Guest and live performer 99th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Herself Live performance Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve Herself Live performance

Tours Supporting 333 Tour (with Tinashe) (2021) Friends:Forever, SXSW 2024 Hollywood Music in Media Awards Song – Onscreen Performance (Film)

K-World Dream Awards Best OST

Korea Grand Music Awards Best Virtual Artist

Los 40 Music Awards Best International New Artist Huntrix

MAMA Awards Best OST

MTV Video Music Awards Song of Summer

Song of the Year

Best OST

Variety Hitmakers Awards Variety's Hitmakers Rei Ami

Song of the Year

Best Pop Song Best Vocal Performance

Outstanding Achievement for Music in a Feature Production KPop Demon Hunters

Billboard Women of the Year

International Group of the Year

International Song of the Year

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance

Duo/Group of the Year Huntrix

Pop Song of the Year

K-pop Song of the Year Best Lyrics

Song of the Year by Download (Asia)

Song of the Year by Streaming (Asia)

Hot Icon (Female)

Trailblazer Award

MTV Video Music Awards Song of the year

Best Song Asia

Best International Pop Song in Japan International Song powered by Spotify

Best Original Song

International Song of the Year

Listicles + Name of publisher, year listed, name of listicle, and placement Publisher Year Listicle Placement Billboard Korea 2025 K-Pop Artist 100 Forbes 2025 100 Most Powerful Women Luminate 2025 Most Streamed K-Pop Artist in US Gold House 2026 Gold100 List