Emei

Emily Li, known professionally as Emei, was born in New Jersey in 1999 to Chinese immigrant parents. Her early exposure to artists like Amy Winehouse, Ella Fitzgerald, and Taylor Swift influenced her musical development, and she began singing at age nine. At 15, she took a year off high school to compete on “Chinese Idol,” where she secured third place. This experience improved her stage presence and comfort performing for large audiences. She later attended Yale University, where she was a member of the a cappella group Mixed Company, graduating in 2022 with a degree in cognitive science. Emei’s career began to accelerate during her senior year of college with the release of her song “Late to the Party.”

In 2022, “Late to the Party” gained significant traction, achieving over six million streams on Spotify and viral status on TikTok, with one video accumulating over nine million views. This success propelled her into the music industry, leading to her relocation to Los Angeles to collaborate with producers. In 2022, she released her debut EP, “End of an Era.” Her momentum continued into 2023 with the release of “That Girl,” which garnered over three million Spotify streams, and “Scatterbrain,” accumulating 700,000 streams shortly after its February release. In January 2023, Emei performed during halftime for an LA Clippers game against the San Antonio Spurs.

Emei has been working with her writing partner and producer, Lexim, experimenting with darker pop sounds that have defined her recent releases. Her third EP, “RABBITHOLE,” released in November 2024, explores themes of anxiety and introspection. She has also expanded into collaborations, teaming up with production duo NOTD in November 2023 for “Hold On Me” and with Whethan in 2024 for “SUNNYD,” a song adopted by the SunnyD company. Looking ahead, Emei aims to tour more extensively to engage directly with her fanbase.