EJAE Reveals Awkward Moment With Leonardo DiCaprio Affected Her BAFTAs Performance
‘KPop Demon Hunters‘ became an unexpected global sensation last year, elevating EJAE from a working vocalist to the singing voice of one of Netflix’s biggest animated hits.
Taking on the role of protagonist Rumi brought EJAE a level of visibility that she admits still feels surreal, especially after years of facing rejection before securing the part.
This newfound fame also came with high-pressure opportunities, including a performance of the film’s standout single “Golden” at the EE BAFTA Film Awards in London this February. Joined by fellow HUNTR/X vocalists Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami, this marked their first performance of the song outside the United States, a moment that should have felt like a triumphant celebration for a film that has become Netflix’s most-watched movie ever.
However, EJAE has now shared that the night left her feeling unsettled. In an interview with The Times, she admitted to making mistakes and struggling with the song’s high notes, attributing her slip to locking eyes with Leonardo DiCaprio, who was seated directly in front of her and appeared unsmiling throughout her performance.
“The BAFTAs haunt me,” EJAE confessed. “I made mistakes. I cracked a little bit on the high notes. Leonardo DiCaprio was [in the audience] right in front of me, and he was not smiling.”
The singer, who later won an Oscar for co-writing “Golden,” recalled looking directly at the Titanic star just as she sang the words “born to be,” which is one of the song’s highest notes.
According to EJAE, this moment occurred right as she was about to hit the challenging high note on the line “born to be,” one of the most technically demanding parts of the song. She explained that stepping onto a stage filled with major celebrities was nerve-wracking enough, but locking eyes with DiCaprio pushed her nerves over the edge, ultimately disrupting her performance.
The BAFTAs moment carried additional significance since EJAE’s character, Rumi, also cracks on that same note in the film, leading many fans to initially believe that her real-life vocal slip was an intentional homage. EJAE clarified that this was not the case, explaining that her mistake stemmed from genuine nerves rather than a scripted callback to the movie.
Fortunately for EJAE, the discomfort didn’t last long. She told The Times that she felt significantly less anxious when performing “Golden” again the following week at the Brit Awards, attributing the change to a crowd filled with fans and children cheering her on by name, which she found unexpectedly heartwarming and supportive.
DiCaprio’s presence at the BAFTAs was not coincidental. The actor was in London that night as the star of ‘One Battle After Another,’ which dominated the ceremony with six wins, including Best Film and Best Director, giving him a prime front-row seat to the HUNTR/X performers during their set.
Despite the shaky high note, EJAE’s overall reaction to her rapid rise has been one of genuine disbelief. She expressed to The Times that it still feels surreal, describing her journey from being a nobody to suddenly becoming a somebody almost overnight.
This trajectory aligns with the film’s broader success story. ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ went on to win an Oscar, a Golden Globe, a Critics’ Choice Award, and a Grammy, solidifying its status as one of the most decorated animated films in recent memory, even though it was controversially deemed ineligible for a Best Animated Film nomination at the BAFTAs due to lacking a qualifying theatrical release.
For EJAE, the slip at the BAFTAs may still sting in hindsight, but it hasn’t hindered her momentum in the slightest.
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