As the final artist to take the stage at Thursday night’s (Jan. 30) FireAid benefit concert, Lady Gaga left her mark by debuting a brand-new song written with her fiancé, Michael Polansky, for the victims of the Los Angeles wildfires.
“Me and my friend Michael — my fiancé, my love — we wrote this song for you,” Gaga said to introduce her final song of the night, with her hair in a blunt black bob topped off by a wide-brim black hat. “It’s just for tonight. It’s just for you. I think we all need a lot of things right now, but I think something we may also need is time. Time is a healer.”
The intro matched the lyrics of the unexpectedly jaunty song, whose chorus repeats the line “All I need is time.” By the end of the performance, she led the crowd in a cathartic sing-along of the memorable refrain.
For her first two songs, Gaga channeled her A Star Is Born character Ally by performing the film’s Billboard Hot 100-topping smash hit “Shallow” (sans duet partner Bradley Cooper) as well as solo standout “Always Remember Us This Way.” The latter spoke to the themes of loss that reverberated throughout the night — loss of lives, loss of homes, loss of cherished mementos — with the lines: “So when I’m all choked up and I can’t find the words/ Every time we say goodbye, baby, it hurts.”
Lady Gaga will reportedly have more new music arriving this weekend, when she unveils a new song from her forthcoming March release Mayhem on Sunday timed with that night’s Grammy Awards, where she’s up for song of the year and best pop duo/group performance alongside Bruno Mars for their duet “Die With a Smile.”
Gaga was one of dozens of performers who performed across the Kia Forum and the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, on Thursday night to raise funds for wildfire relief as well as rebuilding efforts in the effected communities.
Those wanting to donate to Los Angeles wildfire relief funds are encouraged to visit fireaidla.org. For every donation pledge made during the concert, Connie and Steve Ballmer — owner of the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers and the Intuit Dome — will match it.
