KPop Demon Hunters performer Ejae has claimed the sight of Leonardo DiCaprio was enough to cause her to make a mistake during the band’s performance of Golden at the Baftas.
Back in February, Ejae took to the stage at this year’s Baftas ceremony alongside fellow performers Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami, but has admitted she wasn’t entirely happy with how things went.
“The Baftas haunt me,” the singer – who provides the singing voice of Rumi in the Netflix phenomenon – told The Times in a new interview. “I made mistakes. I cracked a little bit on the high notes.”
During the trio’s first performance outside of the US, Ejae kicked things off from the stage at the London Festival Hall solo, before Audrey and Rei emerged from the crowd.
The Oscar winner noted that she was “put off” a high note in the song when she spotted the One Battle After Another star sitting in the audience in front of her, particularly as “he was not smiling”.
“He made me so nervous,” she admitted. “It was already so nerve-racking to be in front of all these celebrities, and then I look up and lock eyes with Leonardo DiCaprio? Come on…”
Leonardo had gone viral earlier in awards season when, at the Golden Globes, he animatedly spoke to his co-star, Teyana Taylor, about the animated fantasy film.
The Titanic actor also became a meme at this year’s Academy Awards after he enthusiastically waved a synchronised K-pop lightstick during the band’s performance of Golden.
Ejae skyrocketed to fame last year after providing vocals for the animated musical, which follows K-pop band Huntr/x, who use secret identities to protect their fans from supernatural threats.
KPop Demon Hunters became Netflix’ most-watched film of all time, winning an Oscar, Golden Globe, Critics’ Choice Award and Grammy.
“It’s still crazy to me,” Ejae told The Times of her film’s success. “I was a nobody and suddenly I’m a something.”
Controversially, the film was ruled out of a Best Animated Film nod at the Baftas because it did not have a qualifying theatrical release – but the band still appeared in one of the evening’s feel good moments.
“Performing at the EE Bafta Film Awards is a golden moment that our younger selves could never have imagined,” the trio said in a statement when their performance was first announced.
“We’re so proud to represent Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters and spread the film’s positive message to fans around the globe,” the statement added.
