Rei
Rei Profile
- Birth name
- Naoi Rei
- Birthday
- February 3, 2004
- Height
- 170 cm
- Age
- 22
- Zodiac
- Aquarius
- Nationality
- Japanese
- MBTI
- INFJ
- Blood type
- A
Latest Official Videos
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About
Short bio
Rei (레이) is a Japanese rapper, songwriter, and Main Rapper of the South Korean girl group IVE. Learn about Rei's age, Rei's birthday, Rei's height, Rei's MBTI, Rei's blood type, her historic debut as the first Japanese idol under Starship Entertainment.
Background
Born Naoi Rei (直井れい) on February 3, 2004, in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, Rei grew up as a creative and imaginative child. She loved sketching, collecting butterflies, and spinning elaborate fantasy worlds in her head long before she ever imagined doing it through music. Her love of K-pop ignited young, sparked by artists like Red Velvet, Lee Hi, and Jay Park. It was actually Red Velvet's Red Room concert that lit the fire brightest, convincing her that the stage was where she belonged.
At just 14 years old, and with her older sister's encouragement, Rei entered the Loen Friends Global Audition in Japan in April 2018, performing Red Velvet's Happiness to impress the judges. She passed, and within a month, she had packed up her life and moved to Seoul to begin three years of intensive training under Starship Entertainment. During those years, she roomed with fellow trainee Liz, the two leaning on each other through the grind. She attended the School of Performing Arts Seoul (SOPA) and later enrolled at Chung-Ang University. On December 1, 2021, she officially debuted alongside IVE — making history as the first Japanese female idol ever to debut under Starship Entertainment.
More Pictures of Rei
FAQ
- How tall is Rei?
- Rei is 170 cm tall.
- How old is Rei?
- Rei is 22 years old.
- Where is Rei from?
- Rei is from Japanese.
- What is Rei's MBTI?
- Rei's MBTI type is INFJ.
- What is Rei's position?
- Rei's position is Rapper, Vocalist.
- What is Rei's real name?
- Rei's birth name is Naoi Rei.
Fun facts
Rei was born on February 3, 2004, in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, making her an Aquarius with a Chinese Zodiac sign of the Monkey. Source: Kpop Profiles
Her birth name is Naoi Rei (直井れい / 나오이 레이), and her members gave her the affectionate Korean nickname "Kim Rei" because of how fluent she is in Korean. Source: IVE Wiki Fandom
Rei is the first Japanese female idol to ever debut under Starship Entertainment, a milestone she achieved on December 1, 2021, with IVE's debut single Eleven. Source: Kpopping / IVE Wiki Fandom
She passed Level 4 of the Korean Proficiency Test (TOPIK) and deliberately avoided using translation apps during her trainee years in order to immerse herself fully in the language. Source: ICON / Kpop Singers
Rei entered the K-pop world after her older sister enrolled her in the Loen Friends Global Audition in Japan in April 2018 — she auditioned with Red Velvet's Happiness and was scouted by Starship on the spot. Source: IVE Wiki Fandom / Kpop Fandom Wiki
She has co-written rap lyrics for multiple IVE tracks, including Love Dive, After Like, Hypnosis, Not Your Girl, and Next Page — and she can write rap in Korean, Japanese, and English. Source: Kpop Profiles / Nylon
IVE achieved their first music show win just seven days after their debut, with Eleven — making Rei one of the fastest-winning rookies in 4th gen K-pop history. Source: Last.fm
Rei is left-handed and is the only left-handed member in IVE. She is also the fastest typist in the group, despite not being used to a fully Korean keyboard. Source: IVE Wiki Fandom / Rei Trivia – IVE Wiki
She has a pet Bichon Frise named Porsche (born 2023) who lives with her in the IVE dorms, and her family back in Japan has a Silver Poodle named Duke (born 2013). Source: IVE Wiki Fandom
Her most treasured possession is a pair of wired Beats headphones gifted to her by her grandfather. Source: IVE Trivia – Fandom Wiki
Rei is an exceptionally strong swimmer and skier, but by her own admission, she struggles with running — a quirky gap in an otherwise impressive physical skill set. Source: Kpop Singers
She has a talent for drawing — especially human faces — and has been skilled at it since childhood. Her imaginative storytelling (zombie apocalypses, toys coming to life) directly influences how she writes her rap lyrics. Source: ICON / IVE Wiki Fandom
In April 2023, Rei took a temporary hiatus from IVE activities due to health concerns including heart palpitations and chest tightness — a vulnerable moment that her fans rallied behind with an outpouring of support. Source: IVE Wiki Fandom / Kpop Singers
Since May 2023, Rei has hosted her own YouTube reality series titled Follow Rei? (따라해볼레이), giving fans an intimate look at her solo life, personality, and daily adventures. Source: IVE Wiki Fandom
Her role models are Lee Hi and Jennie of BLACKPINK, and her favorite artists to listen to include Seventeen, TWICE, Red Velvet, Doja Cat, ENHYPEN, and Dua Lipa. Source: IVE Trivia – Fandom Wiki
Rei has been friends with Kep1er's Dayeon since the 9th grade, and is also close with Dana of HOT ISSUE and former YOURS member Dayoung — a testament to her wide-reaching friendships across the idol world. Source: Kpop Singers
She loves butterflies (her representative emoji is 🦋), collects roses, and had never once cut her hair until the day she was officially announced as an IVE member pre-debut. Source: Kpop Profiles / IVE Wiki Fandom
Why Fans Love Rei
Rei is one of those rare idols who manages to be completely unfiltered and utterly endearing all at once. She describes herself as "goofy and unique," admits she thinks differently from most people, and has a deep love for dad jokes. Yes, really! She's the member who'll happily catch bugs for her squeamish groupmates, crack the worst pun in the room, and then turn around and deliver a razor-sharp rap verse she wrote herself in three languages. That contrast is exactly what makes her so magnetic.
Fans, known as DIVEs, are endlessly drawn to the way Rei wears her heart on her sleeve. She's a self-described straight-talker with a huge empathetic streak; Wonyoung has called her "overprotective in the best way." Her butterfly emoji, her bilingual fluency, her dedication to rap composition, and the warmth she radiates even through a screen have made her one of IVE's most beloved members. She's someone who feels genuinely real, and in K-pop, that's everything.
