New York City based singer, DJ, and producer, Yaeji performed at Pandora’s relaunch of their ME collection, hosted by Addison Rae and Donte Colley. The new collection “taps into the power of Gen Z’s energy,” featuring fresh and new designs for modern consumers. The dinner party, which was hosted at Dumbo House in Brooklyn, started off with cocktail hour, during which guests at the event could create their very own Pandora bracelet at bracelet building stations.

The dinner, which presented attendees with beautiful views of the city skyline, also featured an opulent table-scape set up, incorporating elements of the Pandora ME collection as a decorative motif which was incorporated throughout the whole venue.

The guest list included well-known industry names like Barbie Ferreira, Imani Rudolph, Rowan Blanchard, Ty Sunderland, Laura Harrier, and more. The dinner ended with performances from Charli XCX, who performed new song, “SWEAT”, specifically written for the collection premiere, and Yaeji, a Korean-American artist who specializes in house inspired indie-pop.

Yaeji’s career has taken off since her first release in 2016, and with almost 1 million monthly Spotify listeners, she only continues to grow. Between collaborating with big name artists like Dua Lipa, releasing her most recent single, “Pac-Tive,” and performing at events like the Pandora release party, the 28-year-old New York City based artist has been booked and busy. Luckily, Flaunt had the opportunity to sit down with Yaeji to talk about the event, her artistry, and her plans for this upcoming year.

How was the Pandora ME event and your performance? How do you prepare for an event like this?

It was a sweet reunion with Charli XCX, and I finally met Donte Colley, who I’ve been a fan of for a while. I haven’t played any special events live, usually, in the past it’s been DJ sets, so for this Pandora ME event, I prepared my setlist beforehand for my performance. Whereas for DJ sets I select tracks on the spot while reading the crowd.

It was also fun to get dressed up to match the Pandora ME jewelry by my stylist Monica Kim.

Vintage John Galliano top, Vintage Helmut Lang pants, Vintage Maison Martin Margiela gloves, Vintage Maison Martin Margiela boots, and PANDORA ME Compass Mini Dangle, Moon Power Mini Dangle, Styling Pavé Double Link, Styling Link, Styling Round Connector, Link Chain Necklace, and Link Chain Bracelet.

How does it feel to be headlining festivals, like BRIC’s Celebrate Brooklyn!, and the Pandora ME event that take place in your current stomping ground?

Doing shows in Brooklyn is always special for me. It’s comfortable and it’s sweet. It’s close to home.

How does it feel to be performing again?

It feels the best it’s ever felt. I’ve always been a bit anxious before shows (and I still am), but now there’s so much joy. And I actively feel and live through the joy when I’m on stage. I’ve been rehearsing for shows a lot more and have been learning and performing choreo for the first time with my two dancers Hamly Tavarez and Tatiana Barber. Hamly choreographed the new live show I’ve been performing and it’s been a rewarding experience working with dancers.

You’ve had a pretty big year with making The New York Times’s T magazine Spotify playlist and being interviewed by Dua Lipa, to name a few things. What are some upcoming projects/performances you’re looking forward to? 

I’ve been working on a lot of new music. There’s a special musical collaboration coming up with music videos. I’m excited to share that with everyone!

I just finished my North America shows, but I’ll be performing one more show this year at a really fun dance music festival in Manchester called Homobloc on November 6th. I also have my regular monthly NTS Radio residency that I’ll continue to work on. I’m excited to do my first one live on air in the London studio next month when I’m in the UK.