‘Everything Everywhere’ to Jimmy Kimmel: What to expect at the Oscars
USA TODAY film critic Brian Truitt offers his predictions for the 95th Academy Awards. Jimmy Kimmel returns as the host for this year’s show.
Entertain This!, USA TODAY
While musical stardust is secondary during the Academy Awards, Sunday’s ceremony still offered enough auditory high-wattage to entertain in between all those film clips.
Lady Gaga added some drama to the proceedings, deciding at the 11th hour to sing “Hold My Hand,” her nominated song from “Top Gun: Maverick.” The show’s executive producer Glenn Weiss announced last week that the superstar was unable to perform because of her filming schedule on “Joker: Folie à Deux,” in which she plays Harley Quinn.
Her inclusion solidified a marquee performance lineup of 2023 best original song nominees. Including:
- A fresh-from-Super-Bowl triumph Rihanna performing “Lift Me Up” from “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”
- David Byrne, Stephanie Hsu and Son Lux offering the ethereal “This Is A Life” from “Everything Everywhere All at Once”
- Perennial Oscar favorite Diane Warren paired with Sofia Carson for “Applause” from “Tell It Like A Woman”
- The hip-twisting, heel-kicking duo of Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava making their Oscar debut with “Naatu Naatu” from “RRR.”
Here’s a look at how the live performances landed:
Sofia Carson and Diane Warren ‘Applause’
Standing center stage in a beige cape and gown, singer/actress/former Disney star Sofia Carson infused the slight ballad with plenty of emotion.
With a string section adding texture and iconic songwriter Diane Warren backing her on piano, Carson stood under a halo of light. Midway through, she edged to the front of the stage to speak-sing to “all the women in the world … give yourself some applause” before diving into the big-note chorus with a choir backing her.
It isn’t one of Warren’s most robust compositions – she was finally bestowed with an honorary Oscar for the 2022 season – but the “Tell It Like A Woman” offering showcases her predilection for writing soaring, inspirational songs.
The pair embraced at song’s end, with Carson making sure Warren got some well-deserved … applause.
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