I quit my job in sales – now I’m an award-winning K-Pop songwriter

A woman who fell into depression after separating from her long-term partner has regained her life thanks to a surprising new career path.

Claire Rodrigues Lee, 45, from North London, thought her life was over when she was forced to move back in with her parents and quit her job in sales to avoid her ex.

The former singer felt “lost” and “depressed” and tried to find her way out of the black hole. She turned to self-help books and her first love of songwriting to help process her emotions.

After a chance meeting with a music producer, Claire showed him some of her demos and soon found a new career as a songwriter for a host of K-Pop, C-Pop and J-Pop megastars.

The former sales manager now has the last few laughs writing hits that are being performed around the world with 20 number one singles to her credit – includes I’m So Pretty by Nature, Candy by Red Velvet and Step by Step from 2 p.m.

Her song, It’s You, was recorded by South Korean girl group Girls Generation in 2017 – reaching number one in 19 countries and topping the Billboard World Album Chart.

Claire said, ‘It was something I’ll never forget to see one of my songs played on the billboards in Tokyo’s Shibuya surrounded by neon lights.

‘I have no desire to become famous in the music world. I appreciate recognition, but most people don’t know who I am because I write for such a specific music market.

“The beauty of being a songwriter is being behind the scenes and enjoying it without fuss or attention.”

When Claire was 16, she joined a girl group called Teez and even performed on the 1995 Smash Hits Tour with Peter Andre, All Saints and PJ & Duncan.

However, when their first single failed to chart, the band was dropped and Claire enrolled in the London College of Fashion.

Despite her bad experience, the 45-year-old still found songwriting “cathartic.”

Months after breaking up with her ex, Claire was introduced to John, who owns a music publishing company, and shared some of her demos with him.

Impressed, he sent them to his contacts and it wasn’t long before one of her songs was picked up.

Ms. Rodrigues Lee here with her music publisher John with a selection of her multi-award winning hit singles

Claire has also launched her own slow fashion brand Neon Army, which sells limited edition earrings, handbags, hats and badges

Claire, who also has her own fashion brand Neon Army, says she’s a big believer in manifesting positive things

Claire explained, ‘Eventually a Chinese girl band called Roomie showed their interest in a song of mine called Infected.

‘Although they later renamed it Tropical Cyclone.

“That first single gave me the fire to keep going – I started to think I was really going to make it as a songwriter, and I saw the results first hand.”

John believed Claire had a gift and sent her on a K-pop songwriting retreat in Aarhus, Denmark.

Despite ‘knowing nothing’ about the genre, the Londoner discovered she had talent and was picked up by a label in the UK.

Within a year she wrote songs for mega stars J-pop, C-pop and K-pop.

Her biggest success is a song called Ki*mi*ni*mu*chu written for the band Exile, which reached number one on the charts. The music video has been viewed 33 million times on YouTube.

She also won Best Song and Album of the Year at the 29th Golden Disk Awards in Beijing and was a Best International Song winner at the 2015 Sony Music Japan Awards.

Claire said: ‘During the songwriting retreat in Aarhus, Denmark, we were met by some A&R representatives from a multi-million dollar record label – based in Korea – called SM Entertainment.

“I felt like I stood out — I was just a western songwriter and I didn’t know anything about K-pop.

Structurally, K-pop songs are so much more technical than Western songs. In a western song you have a verse, pre-chorus and a chorus.

“But in a K-pop song, it’s more like — intro, verse one, verse two, then two pre-choruses, a chorus, and a post-chorus!

“But I grabbed the opportunity with both hands – and the reps were really impressed.”

Claire has also continued to write and compose the theme song for Orphan Black – a Japanese miniseries based on the popular Canadian Netflix show.

She has since founded the slow fashion brand Neon Army, which sells limited edition earrings, handbags, hats and badges, among other things.

Speaking of her incredible success, Claire said, “I’m a big believer in manifestation – I believe I’m putting love and positive energy into the world and it’s being returned to me.”