From Vienna’s theater stages to Seoul’s indie music scene, Tea Belle (born Tea Wagner) is a rising star whose eclectic blend of acting, songwriting, and social media savvy is captivating audiences across continents.
From Vienna to Seoul: A Global Journey
Born and raised in Vienna, Austria, Tea was immersed in the arts from a young age. She trained in acting, singing, and dancing, performing in musicals, films, and commercials throughout her youth. In 2015, she starred in the fantasy saga Wienerland, which premiered at Vienna Comic Con and garnered over 50 awards at film festivals.
Her journey continued in Los Angeles, where she studied at The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute and landed roles in projects like The Chicken Party, Vamps Next Door, and Jawaani Jaaneman alongside Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan. She also voiced the character Gani in the popular children’s show Tayo the Little Bus for three seasons.
Now based in Seoul, Tea has embraced the city’s vibrant indie music scene. Under the moniker Tea Belle, she released her EP Prequel in 2022, featuring tracks like “Flavorless,” which she describes as her favorite song to date.
A Digital Darling in the Korean Scene
Tea’s Instagram (@tea.belle) boasts over 8,000 followers, where she shares behind-the-scenes glimpses of her life in Seoul, music releases, and personal reflections.
Her presence has earned her a spot among the top Instagram influencers in Korea.
Check out her interview with Voyage LA, where she delves deeper into musical journey and inspirations:
So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I grew up in Vienna, Austria where I started acting, singing, dancing and performing in Musicals from a young age on. I started acting professionally when I was around 14, then moved to Los Angeles to study acting in 2016 and have since then starred in leading roles in various films, short films, TV shows, commercials and much more. Back in Vienna, I played the role of Clara in the Fantasy Saga “Wienerland” and some of the short films I’m really proud of include “Blue” (available on Amazon Prime), CryptTV’s Horror film “Knave” or “Killer From Space” which screened at the Hollyshorts Film Festival. My feature film “The Chicken Party” in which I play the role of crazy Sarah has won numerous awards at many film festivals and my leading role of Emily on the popular web-series “Vamps Next Door” is a fan favorite as well. I also sang the title songs and voiced the lead character Gani for the german version of the hugely popular kids show “Tayo the little Bus”. I spent the past year back in Europe, tried out living in London for a while and filmed for the Bollywood Blockbuster “Jawaani Jaaneman” where I played alongside India’s most famous actors Saif Ali Khan. The movie just screened all around the world so I really enjoyed watching it here in LA as well! I also filmed for the german ZDF classic “Tonio & Julia” so watch out for my episode to air sometime this spring!Next to acting music is my biggest passion and I released my first single “Pink Paradise” in 2018 as well as a EDM collaboration with Dr.Joos called “By My Side” which reached Nr.1 on Spinnin Records Talent Pool. I have secretly been working on a lot of music all year and am currently getting ready to release everything super soon! I write and compose all my songs myself and also tried out producing for some of the songs on my upcoming album! The next song I’m gonna be releasing is a collaboration with two rappers from my hometown called “Andiamo” – it will be out in a couple of weeks and after that I’m ready to hit you with a bunch of singles and music videos!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Oh my god it has never been a smooth road and it never will be! In this business you have to constantly be working, even if you’re not actively working you have to be working on yourself! You can never get your hopes up too high because let’s face it 90% of your auditions you won’t book but if you get crushed over every single one of them it will really break you down mentally. You have to be on alert 24/7 for an opportunity to come up and your career has to ALWAYS come first. It is a long way for people to actually take you seriously. It’s hard to get an agent without having any material but you won’t get any jobs without an agent so a lot of it is a vicious circle that you have to break in first.It’s hard to build yourself a career and it never really gets easier, you have to constantly be grinding and hustling. People only ever see the fun side of it, all the glitter and glam and they think “I want to be part of that” but they’re often not prepared for all the rejection, hard work and challenges that come with it. I think the hardest part for me is the uncertainty – you never know when you’re next job is going to be and you have no idea where this road is taking you which can be super scary but at the same time kind of freeing and exciting if you look at it from another point of view.
With music the same thing – at the beginning of your career no one will really take you seriously and it’s a long way up for you to prove yourself! But once people realize your talent and potential and start wanting to work with you everything just starts falling in place! There will always be people that don’t believe in you but you have to be your own biggest supporter and shut out all the noise that doesn’t serve you!
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I guess what sets me apart from others when it comes to acting is my quirky, bubbly personality and comedic timing? I’ve always loved sitcoms and I also look a lot younger than I actually am so they like to cast me as a teenager! I’m also what they call a “triple threat” meaning I act, sing and dance plus my language abilities, I’m bilingual in German and English but I also speak really good Korean actually, some basic Spanish and a little of Slovak, Japanese and I would say Latin but that’s a dead language haha.For music, I have kind of my own style but I don’t want to spoil too much yet! Since I listen to a lot of music from all over the world I think I take a lot of inspiration not only from American pop, European pop but also Asian pop music actually. I’ve been listening to a lot of K-pop for a decade so I think I inevitably unconsciously took some inspiration from their unique flow, unpredictable music styles, crazy performances and colorful music videos paired with my European roots of the music I grew up with and popular American music such as Ariana Grande who is one of the people I look up to the most.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
My mom honestly deserves the most credit for my success! She’s the one who has always believed in me and supported me unconditionally from the very first second on. I definitely wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for my parents. But I’ve been super lucky to meet a lot of amazing human beings that have been of huge support down the road. The very first one being Jeanette McCarthy, my acting coach and mentor when I just started out. She was an actress from LA who just moved to Vienna and I was a little girl who wanted to learn acting so I was her very first student and without her my life would’ve gone SO differently. She taught me everything about the industry plus helped me get rid of my accent at a young age so that I sounded fully American before I moved here. I keep on meeting so many amazing creatives that all benefit from helping each other out and all we wanna do is make some art so I love how we’re all getting together to create!
Tea Belle: The Brand
Beyond her artistic endeavors, Tea is cultivating a lifestyle brand that resonates with her followers. Her online shop offers signed copies of her music, including the Prequel EP, and exclusive merchandise.
Tea Belle Unfiltered: 100 Questions in the Hot Seat
If you want to get to know Tea Belle beyond the music and Instagram highlights, look no further than her appearance in the viral YouTube video “100 English Questions with TEA BELLE.” The Austrian-born artist gamely fielded rapid-fire questions that ranged from sweet to slightly awkward, giving fans an unfiltered peek into her personality.
At just 25 years old, Tea describes herself as “silly, bubbly, a Golden Retriever type: an ENFP sunshine.” She grew up in Vienna before relocating to Seoul, where she now juggles songwriting for major K-pop names like Fifty Fifty and EXID’s Solji while pushing her own indie music projects.
Some standout tidbits from the Q&A:
- Love Life: She casually revealed she’s never had a boyfriend, something that left fans buzzing in the comments. Still, she calls herself a “delusional hopeless romantic” who believes in love at first sight.
- Lifestyle: A proud vegan since the age of six, Tea says her motivation comes from her love of animals and wanting to avoid supporting animal abuse. She admits to a weakness for pastries and sugar but keeps balanced with pilates and cardio a few times a week.
- Personality Quirks: She claims she’s “silly, not funny,” doesn’t like wearing high heels because she’s already tall, and describes herself as “clean on the outside but messy in my head.”
- Creative Hustle: Between acting, singing, and writing hits like “Log In” for Fifty Fifty, Tea insists she’s a workaholic “sometimes” and spends most of her free time… still working.
- Random Facts: She has a tiny red heart tattoo, speaks German, English, and Korean fluently, and hates worms more than anything.
Despite the cheeky questions (“Am I handsome?” got her classic “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” answer), Tea remained candid and approachable throughout, showing the mix of charm and sincerity that has made her stand out among foreigners carving a space in Seoul’s entertainment industry.
Tea Belle (Tea Wagner) Songwriting & Music Credits
Tea Belle’s growing list of credits cements her place as a foreign songwriter in K-pop and beyond. Here are her most notable works:
1. “Bye Bad Bye” – SNH48 (2025)
Confirmed by Tea Belle on Instagram (June 14, 2025). Co-written with @itsredredred and @aerostormmusic. This track adds a Chinese idol group to her expanding résumé.
2. The Prequel EP by Tea Belle (2022)
Released March 3, 2022, featuring tracks like “Flavorless.” The EP marked her first official release as an independent artist in Seoul.
3. “Love is Love” – ji.aee (2022)
- Composers: @jhoonbae, @tea.belle, @ji.aee
- Lyricists: @jhoonbae, @ji.aee
- The track positioned Tea as not only a K-pop songwriter but also a contributor to Korea’s indie music scene.
4. “Log In” – Fifty Fifty (2022)
Arguably her most famous placement to date. Featured on Fifty Fifty’s debut album TheFifty, “Log In” was co-written with @thelightiswithinme, @itsjuuice, @suhyppy, @adilemusic, and @lauraamosmusic. The track became one of her most-searched credits online under “Tea Belle Fifty Fifty songwriter.”
New Collab Alert: Tea Belle x Dita Karang?
Tea Belle isn’t slowing down when it comes to expanding her songwriting portfolio. In an Instagram story post, she tagged producer @rhodyk1m and @hey__deets—the handle of Dita Karang, known as the first Indonesian K-pop idol.
For context: Dita Karang debuted with the girl group Secret Number in 2020 and made history as the first-ever Indonesian idol in the Korean pop industry.
After leaving Secret Number in April 2025, Dita has been exploring new projects, and it seems Tea Belle may be helping pen her next big track.
While neither artist has officially confirmed the collaboration, fans are buzzing that Tea Belle could be writing or producing a new song for Dita’s post-Secret Number career.
For now, all we have is an IG breadcrumb trail…but in the world of K-pop songwriting, that’s usually the first sign something big is coming.
Tea Belle was also seen hanging out with artist Olivia Marsh, proving her connections go wide and far. Can we expect a collab?
Why Tea Belle is One to Watch
With her multifaceted talents and international experiences, Tea Belle is poised to make a significant impact on the global stage. Her ability to seamlessly blend her artistic pursuits with her entrepreneurial spirit makes her a standout figure in the ever-evolving entertainment landscape.
Whether you search for her as Tea Belle or Tea Wagner, she’s quickly building recognition as:
- A foreign K-pop songwriter in Seoul
- A collaborator on songs for groups like Fifty Fifty and SNH48
- An indie singer-songwriter with her own EP and projects
- A social media personality bringing fans into her vegan, music-filled, café-hopping lifestyle
With every release, credit, and interview, Tea Belle is carving out a unique space in the global K-pop and indie music conversation.
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