Ejae Says Leonardo DiCaprio Made Her Nervous During BAFTAs Performance

Ejae, the singer who provided the singing voice for Rumi in “KPop Demon Hunters,” says Leonardo DiCaprio unintentionally affected her performance of “Golden” at the BAFTAs.

In an interview with The Times, Ejae said she made mistakes and cracked on some high notes during the February ceremony. She said she became especially nervous after making eye contact with DiCaprio, who was sitting in front of her and did not appear to be smiling.

Ejae said she looked at him while singing the words “born to be,” one of the song’s highest notes. “He made me so nervous,” she said.

She felt more comfortable performing “Golden” at the Brit Awards the following week because she was singing for fans, including children who encouraged her by calling her Rumi.

Ejae also recalled meeting Jay-Z and Beyoncé at an afterparty. Beyoncé told her she had an incredible voice and said her daughters sing “Golden.” Ejae was particularly surprised because Beyoncé’s daughter Rumi shares the same name as the “KPop Demon Hunters” character.

The singer also spoke about the impact of becoming a role model for young Asian fans. She recalled a mother telling her that, after watching “KPop Demon Hunters,” her daughter now looked up to Ejae as a singer who looked like her.

Ejae said the experience made her realize she could help young fans imagine a different future. Growing up, she said, she rarely saw Asian singers represented prominently in Western pop music.