Lady Gaga on Coachella, LG7 and the ‘slightly subversive’ ‘Die With a Smile’
As a seasoned artist with a career spanning decades and genres, I can confidently say that Lady Gaga is a force to be reckoned with. From her humble beginnings in New York City to her meteoric rise to fame, she has consistently pushed boundaries and defied expectations.
Regardless of her consistent efforts to push the limits of acceptable taste in popular music, sometimes even crossing those boundaries, Lady Gaga consistently proves her exceptional vocal talent by releasing powerful ballads at regular intervals.
Consider the rustic tune “Million Reasons,” consider the patriotic anthem “Hold My Hand,” and most significantly, ponder over “Shallow,” their Academy Award-winning duet in the remake of “A Star Is Born” featuring Bradley Cooper. Each song offers a unique aspect of Gaga’s creative self while highlighting a voice capable of expressing both softness and strength.
The newest collaboration from her, titled “Die With a Smile,” features her alongside Bruno Mars as lovers in a world’s end scenario, set against a glistening and robust musical backdrop that blends elements of rock, country, and R&B. Written by Gaga, Mars, Andrew Watt, Dernst “D’Mile” Emile II, and James Fauntleroy, the song was produced by Gaga, Watt, and D’Mile. Released in August, coinciding with Gaga’s increased promotional efforts for her role in “Joker: Folie à Deux,” “Die With a Smile” has now surpassed 1.2 billion streams on Spotify. This week, it ranks as the top non-holiday tune on Billboard’s Hot 100 at No. 6.
Music
John Legend, Willow, St. Vincent, Amy Allen, and Daniel Nigro share insights into the projects that earned them nominations for this year’s 67th Grammy Awards in February.
Currently, the song is up for two awards at the 67th Grammy Awards happening in February: one category being pop duo/group performance, a category Lady Gaga previously won in 2019 with “Shallow” and again in 2021 with her collaboration with Ariana Grande titled “Rain on Me”; the other category is song of the year for which she has been nominated three times before.
38-year-old Lady Gaga, currently engaged to tech entrepreneur Michael Polansky, discussed the song (and the upcoming album referred to as LG7 by fans) along with her headlining gig at next year’s Coachella festival amidst video shoots this week at a Santa Monica recording studio. Clad in an ornate white gown featuring a long train and sharp shoulders, Gaga accessorized her braided blonde hair, tucked under a headband, to give off a slightly “Midsommar” vibe.
It seems that “Die With a Smile” originated from an after-hours phone conversation with Bruno, where we were brainstorming potential collaborations. Intrigued by his ideas, I headed over to him late in the evening and he shared this concept with me. Among his various ideas, I found one particularly appealing and suggested it could be a love song, as I believed our audience would appreciate hearing us in such a genre.
What particularly resonated with you in his work?
It was the lyrics — this concept of a song depicting what we might do if the world were ending. It struck me as something that people needed to hear. I compose music frequently, and often, I feel like I’m creating something that will appeal to certain individuals. However, there are times when you work on something, and you just sense it will touch a deeper chord in many different kinds of people. I felt that immediately.
Captivating harmonies in this tune. In fact, defining those chord progressions was one of our early steps. I settled at the piano and said, “Alright, Bruno, teach me the chords.” I’m not sure he realized just how musical I am.
× Did you all record our parts together for the song? For me, the essence and magic of this composition come from our shared creative process. To be honest, I’m not a big fan of collaborating remotely via phone calls or emails. Instead, we were all present in the studio, where I was at the piano during the writing phase, trying to understand his thoughts better. And when it came to singing, he guided me through every nuance of his intended delivery. I had quite firm ideas about the harmonies; I wanted them to have a distinct ’70s vibe.
The melody in the chorus seems to transcend its era, suggesting it hails from the 70s but also embodies something eternal – a true classic. In the studio, I often strive to break away from conventional classics.
You’re attempting to picture something completely novel, perhaps even peculiar or unconventional. For me, the allure lies in its uniqueness, yet it’s primarily about its aesthetic appeal and authenticity. It also has a sense of fluidity and grace.
The tune brings to mind a few timeless duets such as “On My Own” by Michael McDonald and Patti LaBelle, and “Endless Love” by Diana Ross and Lionel Richie. However, what resonates with me is the harmony between Carole King and James Taylor; their collaborations had an undeniable charm, a conversation between two souls. Yet, in 2024, the song “Die With a Smile” stands out as it carries messages that aren’t common in most records today.
This music doesn’t seem to align with what’s currently playing on the radio, but it’s just my style to stand out.
Music
Check out the 20 best albums of 2024 as selected by Times pop music critic Mikael Wood.
Throughout your career, you’ve often revisited the genre of ballads. Now, there’s a song from my upcoming album that didn’t make the cut, but I might release it as a single – though I won’t reveal its name just yet. You almost gave me away with your laughter! This piece is quite delicate and small, unlike most of my work. However, I do enjoy crafting big ballads where you can belt out lyrics about love in grand fashion. I appreciate emotional, dramatic music, whether it’s from artists like James Taylor, Carole King, or David Lee Roth.
Could you explain the unique visual approach you and Bruno took for “Die With a Smile”? We aimed to create a style reminiscent of variety shows, as if we were a beloved TV couple. However, I also told Bruno, “I’m still one of the guys.” The respect I have for Bruno Mars when collaborating is immense. I didn’t want to simply be his wife in the video. So, she takes charge in her own way. There’s an air that this duo has been performing together for a long time. It’s fascinating that despite this being our first collaboration, it feels like we’ve sung together before.
While you’re certainly skilled, there are moments when things don’t go as smoothly. There’s an ease between us, as if we were siblings. Rehearsing is another shared passion we both enjoy.
In the video, you’re puffing on a cigarette until the very last moment before your line, to give the impression of a character with a message. It’s also a bit rebellious—you’re discussing the end of the world while I’m smoking. There’s a hint of darkness in this scene.
Your question seems to be asking if “Die With a Smile” could exist within the world of the jazz standards album you created for the movie “Joker” or “Harlequin”. To put it in simpler terms, is there a connection between this song and those albums?
Is the song “Die With a Smile” related to the events on LG7? Indeed, it is! This song is part of the record, and it completes it in a way that feels like a missing puzzle piece. The album is a reflection of my deep love for music, encompassing various genres, styles, and dreams. It jumps between musical styles in an almost unconventional manner, mirroring the chaos in my life. However, it ultimately ends on a positive note, suggesting that love brings peace to my life amidst all the turmoil. Each song I wrote seemed to take me on a journey through different dreams about my past, filled with memories of mistakes I’ve made. But it concludes in a very joyful place.
In April, you’ll be the main act at Coachella, making it your second time performing there since 2017. When the news broke, you mentioned that you’ve always had an idea or vision that hasn’t been fully actualized at Coachella and that you’ve been eager to return and make things right. Could you provide more details about this? (In this case, “cancellation” refers to a past performance that was not able to take place.)
Beyoncé had to withdraw from the 2017 event due to pregnancy, leaving an opportunity for someone else to take over. At that point, I was eager to engage with music enthusiasts, and there was a lot of anticipation about capturing scenes for “A Star Is Born” at Coachella. However, given the tight two-week deadline, I couldn’t devote enough time to fully realize my vision for the show. I cherish music, performances, and fans, and I was thrilled about filming parts of our movie there. So, I stepped in and enjoyed the experience. But when you have a clear idea of how you want an event to unfold, it’s crucial to bring that vision to life.
Music
Check out this year’s top tunes, handpicked by music critics August Brown and Mikael Wood from The Times.
How do you feel about music festivals? For me, they’re all about the camaraderie of music. When I was younger, I used to attend Bonnaroo quite frequently. It’s a moment where you can temporarily step away from everything else and get swept up in the atmosphere created by everyone around you, the music, and the lights. I can’t think of anything that has had such a profound impact on my life as live music does. To me, it’s almost spiritual.
Last July, you wrapped up your jazz performances in the vibrant city of Las Vegas. Any chance we’ll see more of this in the future? Absolutely! Jazz is something deeply ingrained within me. It’s been a lifelong passion, and collaborating with Tony [Bennett] on it was nothing short of extraordinary. Creating “Harlequin” was an exceptional journey for me. The process of arranging that music, finding the perfect sound, was truly rewarding.
The song “Harlequin” has a certain wild, unpredictable vibe that’s hard to miss. It blends elements from surf-punk, doom-jazz, and New Orleans music, all seen through the eyes of a woman who embraces change and expresses herself freely. In many ways, it was a rebellious statement – I’ve been known for jazz throughout my career, but some people didn’t understand why I ventured into other genres. However, exploring different types of music is what energizes me as an artist. Working on “Harlequin” was a fascinating journey, collaborating with Tony, DJs, Gesaffelstein, and learning about various aspects of electronic music. It was also a pleasure working with Bruno. One criticism I’ve faced in my career is not sticking to one thing, but that’s the essence of who I am – variety and exploration are my lifeblood.
Read More
- MANA PREDICTION. MANA cryptocurrency
- EWT PREDICTION. EWT cryptocurrency
- LDO PREDICTION. LDO cryptocurrency
- COW PREDICTION. COW cryptocurrency
- Silver Rate Forecast
- VET PREDICTION. VET cryptocurrency
- CHR PREDICTION. CHR cryptocurrency
- EUR JPY PREDICTION
- Wicked: Part Two release date, cast, plot and everything you need to know
- ASTR PREDICTION. ASTR cryptocurrency
2024-12-19 14:32