EMEI

Emily Li (born 3 October 1999 in New Jersey), professionally known as Emei (eh-may), is an American alternative pop singer-songwriter based in Los Angeles. Raised by Chinese immigrant parents, she sang from age nine, placed third on Chinese Idol as a teenager after stadium-scale performances in China, and later graduated from Yale (cognitive science) while singing with Mixed Company a cappella—bridging classical stage craft and internet-era songwriting.

Her U.S. breakout came with the viral single “Late to the Party,” followed by the debut EP End of an Era, guitar-forward tracks like “Backtrack,” and later projects including Night at the Opera. Streams, TikTok and Instagram growth (hundreds of thousands of followers), and openers for major pop tours have made her a defining voice for early-twenties angst—witty, theatrical, and unapologetically dramatic pop.

Expect alt-pop hooks with rock edge and stage-trained presence when Emei plays U.S. club and theater bills, including Texas stops on rising-pop packages.