EJAE, the singing voice behind Rumi on KPop Demon Hunters, revealed that Leonardo DiCaprio made her especially nervous while she performed “Golden” at the 2026 BAFTA Awards. In a new interview with The Times in the United Kingdom, the vocalist admitted that she still thinks about mistakes she made during the performance, including a small voice crack on one of the song’s difficult high notes. EJAE said the pressure became even stronger when she looked into the audience, made eye contact with DiCaprio, and noticed that the actor was not smiling.
The moment took place shortly before EJAE sang the lyric “born to be” and prepared for one of the most difficult parts of the well-known hit song. She explained that performing in front of a room full of major celebrities was already stressful, but seeing DiCaprio directly in front of her distracted her and made her more nervous. EJAE, known for being Rumi’s singing voice in the film as part of HUNTR/X, also helped write the hit song.
“He made me so nervous. It was already so nerve-wracking to be in front of all these celebrities, and then I look up and lock eyes with Leonardo DiCaprio? Come on,” she said.
Ejae reveals Beyoncé praised her voice as “incredible” after her BAFTA performance:
“I was beyond starstruck. Beyoncé is my idol and she said, ‘You have an incredible voice.’ I asked her, ‘Do you know ‘Golden?’ She was like, ‘Yeah, my girls sing it.’” pic.twitter.com/hEn8d70l9S
— Pop Base (@PopBase) August 13, 2026
Despite her concerns about the BAFTA performance, “Golden” became a major success. The song reached #1 on most major music charts, including the Billboard Hot 100, and later won the Oscar for Best Original Song and a Grammy for Best Song Written for Visual Media. The singer also said her new fame has created unexpected moments as well. At an afterparty, Jay-Z introduced himself to her with his real name, Shawn, while Beyoncé praised her voice and told EJAE that her daughters listened to “Golden” all the time.
