Q&A: Justine Skye on the Billboard Music Awards, making new music and why she enjoys performing live

Before her big day at the Billboard Music Awards on Sunday, singer-rapper-and-tastemaker Justine Skye helped commemorate eyewear brand Ray-Ban’s new Los Angeles boutique at the Grove by treating fans to a concert last week. Flanked by a DJ and two backup dancers, Skye performed a 40-minute set that included “Push Ya,” “Back for More,” and other songs off her debut album “Ultraviolet.” (At one point, Skye jumped off the stage and into the audience to encourage an impromptu dance party among the crowd.)

The Times caught up with Skye as she sipped tea at Ladurée before her show.

What’s your earliest memory of Ray-Ban?

Ray-Ban has been a huge part of my life as I’m sure they have been for a lot of people’s lives. They were my first pair of cool shades — not like the $1 shades you get at the corner store or at CVS. The first pair of real shades for a lot of people are Ray-Bans. My first pair were the classic Wayfarer in red. I wore them every single day. I had them in every color. It’s super nostalgic, but it’s not even nostalgic because I still wear Ray-Bans.

Do you have a favorite pair currently?

I’m feeling these [yellow-tinted] aviators. They’re giving me “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” vibes, which is funny because I’m going to Vegas this weekend. So I think I’m going to rock these there.

Tell me a little about what you’re wearing tonight.

It’s by Unknown, and this is a vintage Comme des Garçons top.

Did you build your outfit around the sunglasses? Which came first?

I had a bunch of sunglasses to choose from. Literally. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many sunglasses before in my life, and these automatically caught my attention. When my stylist came with [clothing] options, I saw this yellow outfit and was like, “This is perfect.” This was the first outfit that I tried on. I was, like, I have the shades. Let’s go with it.

Do you and your girlfriends, like Hailey Baldwin, ever swap sunglasses or borrow clothing from one another’s closets?

Oh yeah. All the time, especially if we’re sleeping over somewhere. It’s like, “Where’d you buy these shades?” or “This goes good with your outfit. OK, yeah. You should wear that.” We literally share everything unless it’s something new. Sometimes when you just get something, it’s like, “Ugh, I don’t want you to wear that yet.” [The last thing I borrowed was] probably some shades. Shades are literally my life, especially in the morning. When you sleepover, you’re like, “Let me just borrow some shades.”

I see you’re sipping tea. Do you always do that before performances?

I’m always tea-ed up. I always make sure I warm my vocals up, especially because it’s a little chilly out here at night.

What do you enjoy about live performances?

In general, I love being on stage and feeling the energy whether there’s one person in the crowd or a 1,000 or 10,000. It’s about going up there and having fun. Also, I’m from Brooklyn, N.Y., but I’ve been living back and forth — bicoastal for five years. So being able to perform at the Grove is super-cool for me because when I first started coming to L.A., this was my hangout spot. I’d be like, “Meet me at the Grove. We’re so cool.” I would always see people perform here for the holidays and for random performances throughout the summer. And now this is super-cool that I get to be one of those people especially for Ray-Ban’s first L.A. flagship store out here.

You mentioned you’re going to Vegas. What’s there?

The Billboard Awards. So that’ll be really cool on Sunday. I’m hosting the red carpet.

How are you preparing for that? Are you at all nervous?

I don’t really get nervous until people ask me if I’m nervous. And then I don’t get nervous until I’m five minutes into it and then the nerves go away because I get the hang of it.

What do you plan on wearing on the red carpet that night?

I don’t know. Me and my stylist need to figure that out. I’m, unfortunately, very last-minute with everything. Things happen so fast in the entertainment business. So I haven’t actually done my fitting yet, but I just know we’re going to kill it.

What do you usually look for in a red carpet look?

I gravitate towards comfort, mostly, but I know that’s [not always possible] when it comes to fashion. Beauty is pain; like, my earrings right now are killing me. But for the most part, that’s first thing I look for unless something is extremely eye-catching. I always want someone to be like, “Oh my gawd, what are you wearing?” Obviously, everyone’s not going to like everything, but when people are talking about your fit, you know you did something right.

Billboard Awards aside, what are you up to this summer?

Actually, I’m working on my second album. Literally, I’ve been in the studio. I’m out here for the summer because I’m recording every single day.

What can we expect from your upcoming album?

I just started recording this week. With every project and with every song that I do, I’m growing, especially when it comes to my relationships with guys or family and with myself as well too. I’m really taking the time to fully, fully tell that story. My inspiration comes solely from face-to-face interaction with people. I will tell a story, and then word for word, it’ll be in the song.

When do you hope to have the album out by?

It’s way too soon to say.