Emily Li (born October 3, 1999), professionally known as Emei, is an American alternative pop musician based in Los Angeles, California.
Early life Li was born on October 3, 1999, in New Jersey to Chinese immigrant parents. She grew up listening to Amy Winehouse, Ella Fitzgerald, the Jackson 5, Sara Bareilles, and Taylor Swift, and has been singing since she was 9 years old.
As a teenager, Li competed on Dancing with the Stars in China. When Li was 15, she took a year off from school to compete on Chinese Idol and placed third. She attended Yale University, where she was a member of its a cappella group Mixed Company.'
Li's stage name is "a cross between her Chinese name, An Mei, and her English nickname, Emmy."
Music career
2021 - 2022: Early Career and End of an Era EP In 2022, Li's single “Late to the Party” went viral, gaining 5.5 million streams on music platforms and 9.5 million views on TikTok and Instagram Reels.
In 2022 Li released her debut EP, End of an Era.https://open.spotify.com/artist/7E2aQQjErJocovYFjYLzWU/discography/single
2023 - 2024: Scatterbrain and RABBITHOLE In January 2023, she performed at the halftime of a Los Angeles Clippers game against the San Antonio Spurs. In November 2023, Li teamed up with production duo NOTD on "Hold On Me". Later in 2023, Li released her second EP, Scatterbrain.https://open.spotify.com/artist/7E2aQQjErJocovYFjYLzWU/discography/album
In November 2024, Li released her third EP, RABBITHOLE. She described it as "going through this journey of going down into panic and anxiety and then coming out of it." Her single with Whethan, "SUNNYD", was released in October 2024 in partnership with the beverage company SunnyD.
2025 - Present: Night at the Opera
In early 2026, Li released two singles from her upcoming EP. On June 12, 2026, Li released her 5th EP Night of the Opera.
Personal life In 2022, Li graduated from Yale University with a degree in cognitive science.
In 2024, Li lost her grandmother, who was a big part of her childhood. The song "ginger tea" is dedicated to her.
Discography
Extended plays +TitleYearSourceEnd of an Era2022Scatterbrain2023Scatterbrain (Deluxe)2024RABBITHOLE2024Night at The Opera2026
Singles +As lead artistTitleYearAlbum / EPSource"What's the Point!"2026Night at the Opera"Night at the Opera""Ginger Tea"2025Non-album singles"Talk Talk Talk""Crazy Stupid Love""9 LIVES"2024RABBITHOLE"SUNNYD"Non-album single "ALL THESE KIDS"RABBITHOLE“RABBITHOLE”"Love Me Not"Non-album single "Don't Know About The World"2023Scatterbrain"Cynical""Irresponsible""Scatterbrain""Backtrack"2022Non-album single "End of an Era"End of an Era"Regrets""Trust Issues""That Girl""Better People To Leave on Read"Non-album single "Late to the Party"End of an Era"Distracted"2021Non-album single +As featured artistTitleYearAlbum / EPSource"Hold On Me (feat. Emei)" (NOTD, Emei)2023Non-album single "Re-Ignition" (VALORANT, ARB4, Jazz Alonso, Emei)"Stereo" (Jax Jones, Emei)2025
References