Lady Gaga's Pared-Back Surprise Oscars Performance Was Probably Not What You Were Expecting

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Most of us associate Lady Gaga with chucking everything but the kitchen sink (and, occasionally, even the sink too!) at her live performances – but she took a rather different approach during her surprise appearance at this year’s Oscars.

Prior to this year’s ceremony, the Academy Award-winning singer and actor was nominated in the Best Original Song category for Hold My Hand, her contribution to the Top Gun: Maverick soundtrack.

While she hadn’t initially been included on the list of performers, Gaga ended up surprising everyone, not just by taking to the stage, but also the way she came at her performance.

Switching out the elaborate dress she wore on the red carpet for a simple t-shirt and a pair of ripped skinny jeans, Gaga began her performance by quietly telling the audience: “I wrote this song with my friend Bloodpop for the film Top Gun: Maverick in my studio basement. It’s deeply personal for me.

“I think that we all need each other. We need a lot of love to walk through this life. And we all need a hero sometimes. There are heroes all around us in unassuming places. But you might find that you can be your own hero, even if you feel broken inside.” 

Gaga then launched into a stripped-back rendition of Hold My Hand, accompanied by simple instrumentation that allowed her voice to really shine through.

Back in 2019, the Poker Face singer won her first Oscar for Shallow, her duet with Bradley Cooper that was featured in their film A Star Is Born.

The two also performed the song live during the ceremony, which caused quite a stir at the time.

Prior to that, she took to the stage at the Academy Awards in 2015, where she performed a medley of songs from The Sound Of Music to celebrate the film’s 50th anniversary.

Click here for the full list of winners from this year’s Oscars.