Emei

Born Emily Li in New Jersey to Chinese immigrant parents, Emei has built a path between American culture and early stage experience in China before settling in Los Angeles. As a teenager she competed on Chinese Idol, finishing third, then studied cognitive science at Yale while singing with the a cappella group Mixed Company. Launched in 2021, the Emei project sits at the intersection of indie pop, pop rock and alternative pop, featuring concise songwriting, taut choruses and a blend of forward energy, dry wit and vulnerability. After the early singles "Distracted" and "Late to the Party," Emei released the EP End of an Era in 2022 and Scatterbrain in 2023, extended by Scatterbrain (Deluxe) in 2024. That same year she also put out the EP RABBITHOLE, which pushes a nervy, melodic and sometimes more abrasive take on alternative pop. Her work also includes collaborations with NOTD on "Hold On Me" (2023) and with Whethan on "SUNNYD" (2024).