Rei – Bio, Career, Age, Achievements

Get to know Rei

Rei is a Japanese singer, rapper, and songwriter based in South Korea, best known as a member of the K-pop girl group IVE under Starship Entertainment. She debuted with IVE on December 1, 2021, with their single album Eleven. IVE is known for their viral songs and one of the most successful debuts in recent K-pop history, with hits including “Eleven,” “Love Dive,” “After Like,” “Kitsch,” and “Attitude.” Rei is a credited songwriter on multiple IVE tracks and gained viral fame in 2025 for initiating the “Pokju Ggini” (Rampaging Guinea Pig) TikTok challenge from IVE’s “Attitude,” earning her the nickname “Captain Ggini.” She won the “Best Trend Leader” award at the TikTok Awards Korea 2025.

Birth name: Naoi Rei (直井怜)

Career
Singer, rapper, songwriter

Birthday
February 3, 2004

Age

Zodiac Sign:
Aquarius

Birthplace:
Nagoya, Aichi, Japan

Nationality:
Japanese

HOW BIG IS Rei ON THE NET?

Rei has a strong online presence through IVE’s official social media accounts and her personal Instagram @reinyourheart. She is known as an “all-time trendsetter” for sparking multiple viral challenges on TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts.

HOW DID Rei become famous?

Rei was revealed as the fifth member of IVE on November 6, 2021, and debuted with the group on December 1, 2021. IVE’s debut single “Eleven” was a massive hit, and the group quickly became one of the top 4th generation K-pop acts. Rei distinguished herself as a talented rapper and songwriter, contributing lyrics to tracks like “Royal,” “Kitsch,” “Hypnosis,” and more. Her viral TikTok challenges further boosted her individual popularity.

BEFORE THE FAME

Before becoming a K-pop idol, Rei was born in Nagoya, Aichi, Japan. She has an older sister born in 2001. She attended Tamagawa Academy in Japan before moving to Seoul at age fourteen to become a K-pop trainee. She graduated from the School of Performing Arts Seoul (SOPA) with a degree in Applied Music on February 10, 2022.

CLOSE WITH (ASSOCIATED)

Rei is a member of IVE alongside An Yu-jin, Gaeul, Jang Won-young, Liz, and Leeseo. IVE is under Starship Entertainment. She attended the Valentino Spring/Summer 2026 fashion show during Paris Fashion Week alongside fellow IVE member Liz.

Personal Life and Relationship

Rei keeps her personal life private. She has an older sister and her family briefly lived in Tokyo. She took a brief hiatus from IVE activities in April 2023 to focus on her health but returned at the end of May. She is known for her creative songwriting abilities and trendsetting personality.