While musical stardust is secondary during the Academy Awards, Sunday’s ceremony still offered enough auditory high-wattage to entertain in between allthose film clips.
From the heel-kickingfootworkduring best original song winner"Naatu Naatu" to the stripped-down presentation from Lady Gaga, who was a last-minute addition to the lineup, on "Hold My Hand" to Rihanna's sleek rendition of "Lift Me Up," several of the 2023 contenders flourished.
"Naatu Naatu" from "RRR"also made history as the first song from an Indian film to be nominatedand win.During his warm acceptance speech, composer M.M. Keeravani namechecked The Carpenters and interpolated the duo's "Top of the World," saying there was only one wish on his mind: " 'RRR' has to win, pride of every Indian, and must put me on the top of the world.”
In addition to the nominee performances, Lenny Kravitz performedhis 2004 ballad, "Calling All Angels," during the In Memoriam segment, singing lyrics such as, "I miss you dearly, can you hear me on your cloud?," as photos ofdeceased members of the entertainment community scrolled.
Here’s how we rank the liveperformances:
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5. David Byrne, Stephanie Hsu and Son Lux ‘This Is A Life’
The combination of experimental trio Son Lux, Oscar-nominated actress Stephanie Hsu and ever-quirky Talking Heads frontman David Byrne meshed for an expectedly idiosyncratic performance.
The song, a combination of lilting and plodding, is an appropriate fit for the equally unusual “Everything Everywhere All At Once.” Byrne – sporting the hot dog fingers that have become a touchpoint of the movie – and Hsu, in a feathered dress, were surrounded by a cadre of dancers-turned-acrobats as they unspooled the few lyrics of the song, which is more of a series of phrases absent a fully-formed melody.
The pair, initially performing a few feet apart in front of Son Lux, met in the middle of the small stage to clasp hands (or, in Byrne’s case, rubbery fingers) as the dancers fell to the ground in a coordinated circle.
Hsu filled in for the song’s original female contributor, Mitski, who co-wrote the piece with Byrne and Son Lux’s Ryan Lott.
Byrne previously won an Oscar in 1987 for best original score for “The Last Emperor.”
4. 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.
3. Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava ‘Naatu Naatu’
The first full-scale performance spectacle among this year’s crop, the “RRR”nominee display was not only as lavish as a Broadway production, but a showcase for some spectacularly fleet footwork.
The coordinated heel-and-hip-heavy moves traditional to Bollywood requires amazing leg strength and likely inspired more than a few viewers to hit the leg press tomorrow.
“Naatu Naatu” might not be the most deeply emotional of the nominated songs, but the infectious joy it inspires – and the fact that somehow, suspenders became a notable prop in the performance –is worthy of the attention it garnered as the Oscar frontrunner that turned into a win.
2. Rihanna ‘Lift Me Up’
Fresh from her Super Bowl triumph, a stunning Rihanna – hair cascading over her shoulders, black-and-silver top accenting the baby bump she unveiled last month – stocked the shimmery ballad with grace and sensitivity.
Backed by an orchestra and several backup singers, Rihanna used her hands, sheathed in elbow-length black gloves, to dramatize the “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” song, performed on a set decorated in the motif of the movie. Written in part as a tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman,star of the first "Black Panther," the understated song shuddered with emotion.
Rihanna bounced in place while singing the lyric “I need love” as the chorus of singers swelled behind her, then brought the performance to a quiet close – sparking a deserved ovation from the audience.
1. Lady Gaga ‘Hold My Hand’
Lady Gaga fans got a nice surprise Sunday afternoon when it was announced, despite the Oscars’ producer saying she couldn’t perform due to filming commitments, the multihyphenate would, indeed, take the stage to sing her "Top Gun: Maverick” song.
Likely with little time to prepare a Gaga-esque spectacle, the world-class belter, clad in a dark T-shirt, ripped pants and Converse, relied on her mega-vocals in the most affecting performance of the show.
“We need a lot of love to walk through this life and we all need a hero sometimes,” Gaga said before starting the song, her voice quivering with emotion. “There are heroes all around us in unassuming places. You might find you can be your own hero, even if you feel broken inside.”
The camera stayed close to her makeup-free face, so close that you could see her chapped lips and dark roots of her braided blond hair.
With a piano as her primary backup – and eventually, the rest of her equally casually clad band joining in – Gaga furrowed her brow and soared, electrifying the otherwise mundane ballad.
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