Lady Gaga’s Oscars Performance Of ‘Hold My Hand’ Was A Stripped-Down Display Of Vulnerability

Lady Gaga sure does know how to make a statement. Whether she’s advocating on behalf of the arts or just penning a deeply moving track, Gaga gives her all. During her performance of “Hold My Hand” during the 95th annual Oscars, the singer did just that.

Initially, the entertainer was not slated to perform, reportedly due to her demanding filming schedule for the Joker sequel, Gaga surprised attendees in more ways than one. After walking the red carpet in a stunning drop-waist Versace gown, however, when she took the stage to perform, Gaga changed into something a bit more comfortable and removed her makeup.

As the singer began the stripped-down performance of the track, she opened with, “I think we all need each other, we need a lot of love to walk through this life. And we all need a hero sometimes. There’s heroes all around us in unassuming places. But you might find that you can be our own hero even if you feel broken inside.”

Watch her full performance below.

As the camera panned out, the background screen revealed an in memoriam message, “In memory of Tony Scott.” Scott was the director of the original Top Gun film, released in 1986. The late director took his own life in August 2012.

Back in the song was released, Gaga took to Instagram to chronicle the creative process, writing, “When I wrote this song for Top Gun: Maverick, I didn’t even realize the multiple layers it spanned across the film’s heart, my own psyche, and the nature of the world we’ve been living in.”

Continuing to add, “I’ve been working on it for years, perfecting it, trying to make it ours. I wanted to make music into a song where we share our deep need to both be understood and try to understand each other — a longing to be close when we feel so far away and an ability to celebrate life’s heroes.”