After days of rumors that Lady Gaga would be performing at the 2024 Olympics, the pop superstar was the first artist to take the stage in Paris during the Opening Ceremony Friday (July 26).
The show-stopping display opened on a gold staircase with a slew of dancers clad in black, holding fluffy pink pom poms that concealed the headliner’s face. After teasing her presence by doing a saucy dance with only her legs visible, the poms cleared from her face to show that Gaga, indeed, had arrived.
The Grammy winner continued to belt out the French-language “Mon Truc en Plume” (“My Thing With Feathers”) in a minutes-long, highly choreographed routine, at one point playing piano. In honor of the Games’ host country this year, the star opted for a vintage, Parisian cabaret-style performance, hamming up her movements with every opportunity.
Gaga’s appearance came partway through the procession of the Olympic athletes on the Seine, with each country’s team arriving to the ceremony on boats waving patriotic flags. Elsewhere in the ceremony, the Olympic cauldron will be symbolically lit following a months-long torch relay, in which Snoop Dogg, BTS’ Jin and Pharrell Williams participated.
The A Star Is Born actress was previously rumored to be performing a duet of “La Vie en Rose” with Celine Dion, who is also reportedly set to take the stage on the Seine Friday. In the days leading up to her performance, Gaga was spotted greeting fans in Paris outside of her hotel.
Her trip to France comes in the midst of the singer teasing that her upcoming seventh album is in the works. She recently shared photos from the studio and wrote, “Happy as ever making music … feel so grateful, heart is peaceful. It’s like meditation. I can’t wait for you to hear what I’m working on.”
The singer is also closing in on the release of Joker: Folie à Deux, in which she stars as Harley Quinn opposite Joaquin Phoenix in the titular role. A teaser trailer for the dark movie musical dropped earlier this year, promising an Oct. 4 theatrical release date.
