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Lady Gaga Stuns 2023 Oscars Audience With Stark, Surprise Performance Of "Hold My Hand" From 'Top Gun: Maverick'

Tom Cruise may have skipped the show due to filming constraints, but Lady Gaga appeared to perform an astonishing, unadorned "Hold My Hand" from 'Top Gun: Maverick' at the 2023 Oscars.

Tom Cruise is physically distant from the 2023 Oscars. In fact, he's in the United Kingdom filming Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part II . But Lady Gaga proved more than a worthy ambassador, performing "Hold My Hand" from the blockbuster action sequel.

The emotionally bare performance arrived in the wake of major speculation. Initially, it was just a rumor: she wasinitially reported to be skipping the awards show due to demands on filming "Joker: Folie à Deux." During a creative team press conference on March 8, Oscars executive producer and showrunner Glenn Weiss stated that Gaga would not be performing.

But the 13-time GRAMMY winner came through with an astonishing rendition of "Hold My Hand" — one of six nominations that Top Gun: Maverick received, including Best Picture.

Keep watching this space for more music-related wins at the 2023 Oscars!

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Photo: John Esparza

New Music Friday: Listen To Songs From Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars, LISA & Rosalía, Benson Boone & More

Between Post Malone's first country album and an unexpected collab from two of pop's biggest names, today is chock-full of thrilling new music. Listen to new tracks from YG, Jean Dawson and Lil Yachty and more.

Summer may be slowly edging toward fall, but the red-hot streak of this summer's musical output shows no signs of slowing down.

This New Music Friday (Aug. 16), Post Malone goes country with his sixth studio album F-1 Trillion , Meghan Trainor adds four songs (and rearranges the track list) to the deluxe edition of her latest LP Timeless , and global girl group KATSEYE unveil their debut mini-album SIS (SOFT IS STRONG) . Plus, Muscadine Bloodline share their fourth full-length The Coastal Plain and Nikka Costa drops Dirty Disco , her first album in eight years.

When it comes to singles, there's just as many new songs to explore — from superstar collabs like ROSALÍA and LISA's empowered "NEW WOMAN" to the latest releases from Hozier and Peggy Gou. 

Below, dive into eight more new releases from pop and K-pop to rap, rock, country, dance, and more.

Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars — "Die With a Smile"

Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars gave the world just 12 hours notice that they were dropping "Die With a Smile" this week, sending Little Monsters and Hooligans alike into a tizzy as they braced themselves for the surprise duet.

Mars' sensual vocals lead off the moony, apocalyptic love song, which marks Mars' first release since his GRAMMY-winning work with Anderson .Paak as Silk Sonic. Strumming an electric guitar, the 15-time GRAMMY winner vows, "I, I just woke from a dream/ Where you and I had to say goodbye/ And I don't know what it all means/ But since I survived, I realized/ Wherever you go, that's where I'll follow." 

As for Mother Monster's oeuvre, "Die With a Smile" lands somewhere between Joanne and "Shallow" as her fans wait impatiently for LG7 . Not to be outdone, Gaga takes over on the second verse, supported by Mars' swooning harmonies as the duo crescendo the intensity of their devotion to meet the literal end of the world.

LISA & ROSALÍA — "NEW WOMAN"

On New Music Friday eve, BLACKPINK member LISA added to her blossoming collection of solo bangers with "NEW WOMAN," an empowering shapeshifter of a duet that sees her joining forces with ROSALÍA.

"Hit it when I serve/ B—, you better swerve/ Revving up my aura/ Focus on my mind/ Taking my time/ I'm a new woman, woman," the K-pop star proudly announces on the chorus of the song before Rosalía slams on the brakes to sing and rap her way through a sultry verse in her native Spanish that translates, in part, to "I was born pure, yes/ Not an era will be a flop in my future/ W—, I'm Rosalía, I only know how to serve."

The accompanying Dave Meyers -directed video is filled with high-fashion looks (thigh-high boots on fire, that massive, floor-sweeping pearl necklace…or is it made of ball bearings?), Y2K nostalgia (flip phones!) and a bevy of quirky, genuinely off-beat moments that will be sure to help drive the conversation as LISA continues to establish herself — and her nascent LLOUD partnership under RCA Records — as a global force in control of her musical destiny.

Benson Boone — "Pretty Slowly"

Fresh off "Death Wish Love" — his folksy contribution to the Twisters soundtrack — Benson Boone uses his newest single "Pretty Slowly" to celebrate his sudden rise as one of pop music's shiniest new stars.

The deceptively upbeat track's lyrics reflect on the dissolution of a relationship lost to all the recent, stratospheric changes in his life as he croons, "Oh, how come all the best things fall apart/ And it started pretty slowly/ When you asked about the old me/ Oh, is he gone? Oh, is he gone/ Oh, I don't know/ I think I left him somewhere I no longer go."

However, the song's accompanying music video acts as a both a victory lap in the wake of his debut album, Fireworks & Rollerblade, from earlier this summer and and energetic peek into the "Beautiful Things" breakout's high-octane live show — complete with thousands of ecstatic fans and his signature, onstage backflips .

YG — 'Just Re'd Up 3'

More than a decade after his 2013 mixtape Just Re'd Up 2 , YG adds to the series with the long-awaited Just Re'd Up 3 .

The Compton native has released six other albums and a litany of other mixtapes and collaborative projects in the interim, and his decade-plus in the spotlight allows him to recruit a wide array of contemporaries for the two-disc LP — from Saweetie ("SHE PRETTY") and Ty Dolla $ign ("IT'S GIVIN," "RESCUE ME") to Tee Grizzley and G Herbo ("MALIBU") and Lil Yachty and Babyface Ray ("STUPID").

Jean Dawson & Lil Yachty — "Die For Me"

"Die For Me," Jean Dawson's new collaboration with Lil Yachty, blends the experimental leanings of the L.A.-based polymath (and musical arranger on Beyoncé 's COWBOY CARTER ) with the bubblegum trap rapper's one-of-a-kind flow — and the result is magnetic.

Sonically, the swirling track feels like a logical follow-up to Bad Cameo , the "Poland" rapper's recent collaborative album with James Blake . After Dawson warbles the hook ("Don't show up at my funeral/ If you won't die for me"), Lil Yachty grabs the mic for a blunt-force eulogy that demands repeated listening.

Morgan Wade — ' Obsessed'

Morgan Wade preceded her fourth album, Obsessed , with delicate, heart-on-her-sleeve singles like "2AM in London" and "Time to Love, Time to Kill." Arriving almost a year to the day since her previous full-length Psychopath , the country upstart — and occasional Real Housewives of Beverly Hills guest star — is just as vulnerable on the rest of the album.

Showing off her aptitude for laying bare emotional storytelling and heart-crushing nostalgia, Wade cleverly exposes her fragilities and regrets across the album's 14 tracks — whether she's gender-flipping Shakespeare and competing with Romeo on the forbidden "Juliet," finding somber inspiration in fairy tales on the wistful "Hansel and Gretel," or duetting with Kesha on the repentant "Walked on Water."

Falling In Reverse — 'Popular Monster'

Seven years since 2017's Coming Home , Falling In Reverse are back with their fifth studio album, Popular Monster . The LP's rollout has been spread across nearly half a decade, with the title track being released as the lead single way back in November 2019. Six additional singles have followed in the lead-up to the long-awaited project, including collaborations with Tech N9ne and Slaughter to Prevail vocalist Alex Terrible ("Ronald") and Jelly Roll ("All My Life"), as well as a reimagined cover of Papa Roach's "Last Resort."

And while Popular Monster 's cover art is plastered with frontman Ronnie Radke's 2012 mugshot for alleged domestic assault, the release is hardly a solo project. In fact, it's the first Falling in Reverse album to feature Max Georgiev on guitar, Tyler Burgess on bass and Luke Holland on drums. (Derek Jones, the band's late rhythm guitarist, also contributed to the title track before his untimely death in 2020 from a subdural hematoma.)

DJ Snake & Fridayy — "Complicated"

Fridayy is practically begging to keep things simple on "Complicated," his yearning, pulsating new collaboration with DJ Snake . "Tell me what you want/ Girl, I want to know/ Please don't make it complicated/ We ain't gotta complicate it," he repeats over the DJ's hypnotic rhythms filled with Spanish guitar and distant jungle sounds.

Eventually, the three-time GRAMMY nominee's desperate pleas morph into an atmospheric echo as DJ Snake's handiwork takes center stage, plunging the track into a spellbinding synth breakdown that dances all the way to the finish.

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2024 Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony: Watch Celine Dion, Lady Gaga, Gojira & More Perform

The Olympic Games have long featured iconic musical performances – and this year is no different. Check out the performers who took the stage in the City of Light during the 2024 Olympics Opening Ceremony in Paris.

The 2024 Paris Olympics came to life today as the Parade of Nations glided along the Seine River for the opening ceremony. The opening spectacular featured musical performances from Lady Gaga , Celine Dion , and more. Earlier in the week, some of music’s biggest names were also spotted in the city for the Olympics, including Olympics special correspondent Snoop Dogg , BTS ' Jin , Pharrell Williams , Tyla , Rosalía , and Ariana Grande .

Read More: When The GRAMMYs & Olympics Align: 7 Times Music's Biggest Night Met Global Sports Glory

Below, see a full breakdown of some of the special musical moments from the 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremony.

In a grand entrance, Lady Gaga emerged behind a heart-shaped plume of feathers on the golden steps of Square Barye, captivating the audience with her cover of the French classic "Mon truc en plumes." Accompanied by cabaret-style background dancers, she flawlessly belted out the song, executed impressive choreography, and even played the piano.

Lady Gaga’s connection to the song is notable, as Zizi Jeanmarie, the original artist, starred in Cole Porter’s musical "Anything Goes," which was Lady Gaga’s debut jazz release.

"Although I am not a French artist, I have always felt a very special connection with French people and singing French music — I wanted nothing more than to create a performance that would warm the heart of France, celebrate French art and music, and on such a momentous occasion remind everyone of one of the most magical cities on earth — Paris," Lady Gaga shared on Instagram .

Celine Dion

Closing out the ceremony with her first performance in four years since being diagnosed with stiff-person syndrome, Celine Dion delivered a stunning rendition of Edith Piaf’s everlasting classic, "L’Hymne à l’amour" from the Eiffel Tower. Her impressive vocals made it seem as though she had never left.

This performance marked Dion’s return to the Olympic stage; she previously performed "The Power of the Dream" with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and composer David Foster for the 1996 Olympics.

Axelle Saint-Cirel  

Performing the National Anthem is no small feat, yet French mezzo-soprano Axelle Saint-Cirel knocked it out of the park.

Dressed in a French-flag-inspired Dior gown, she delivered a stunning rendition of "La Marseillaise" from the roof of the Grand Palais, infusing the patriotic anthem with her own contemporary twist.

With the stirring lyrics, "To arms, citizens! Form your battalions. Let’s march, let’s march," Saint-Cirel brought the spirit of patriotism resonated powerfully throughout the city.  

Making history as the first metal band to perform at the Olympics Opening Ceremony is just one way Gojira made their mark at the event.

The French band took the stage at the Conciergerie, a historic site that once housed French kings during medieval times and later became a prison during the French Revolution, famously detaining Marie Antoinette – Creating a monumental moment as the first metal band to perform at the ceremony, but also stirring the pot as they used the chance to nod toward politics.  

Performing a revamped version of "Ah! Ça Ira," an anthem that grew popular during the French Revolution, the artists aren’t new to using their songs as a vehicle for political messages. The GRAMMY-nominated group are outspoken about issues concerning the environment, particularly with their song, "Amazonia," which called out the climate crisis in the Amazon Rainforest. Using music to spread awareness about political issues is about as metal as it gets.  

Aya Nakamura

Currently France’s most-streamed musician , Aya Nakamura went for gold in a striking metallic outfit as she took the stage alongside members of the French Republican Guard. As there were showstopping, blazing fireworks going off behind her, she performed two of her own hit songs, " Pookie " and "Djadja," then followed with renditions of Charles Aznavour’s "For Me Formidable" and "La Bohème."  

Although there was backlash regarding Nakamura’s suitability for performing at the ceremony, French President Emmanuel Macron dismissed the criticism. "She speaks to a good number of our fellow citizens and I think she is absolutely in her rightful place in an opening or closing ceremony," Macron told the Guardian .

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Lady Gaga's Biggest Songs: 15 Tracks That Show Her Avant-Garde Pop Prowess

As fans relive the exhilarating spectacle of Lady Gaga's 2022 stadium tour with a new HBO Max concert film, 'GAGA CHROMATICA BALL,' jam out to 15 of her signature songs, from "Poker Face" to "Rain on Me."

Nearly two years after bringing her 2020 album Chromatica to life with a sold-out stadium tour, Lady Gaga is bringing The Chromatical Ball to your living room. GAGA CHROMATICA BALL , an HBO Original special that premieres May 25 exclusively on MAX, will take Little Monsters into the mesmerizing, colorful world the 13-time GRAMMY winner crafted with her sixth studio set. 

The Chromatica Ball was a joyful cultural triumph as the world emerged from lockdown, hitting 20 stadiums across Europe, North America and Asia in the summer of 2022. While it was named after Chromatica and featured the majority of the dance-driven album's track list — including the smash Ariana Grande duet, "Rain On Me," and lead single "Stupid Love" — the tour was a celebration of the breadth of her acclaimed career as a whole, which has spanned decades, genres, styles, and entire industries. 

GAGA CHROMATICA BALL documents Lady Gaga's sold-out September 2022 show at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, which was one of the biggest venues on the tour. Showcasing a stage inspired by brutalist architecture and a set list stretching from the pop star's 2008 debut album, The Fame , to her Top Gun: Maverick track, "Hold My Hand," the film will also take fans inside the raw passion Gaga brings to each and every live show. 

In celebration of the concert film, GRAMMY.com revisits 15 of Gaga's most career-defining songs to date, from early hits like "Poker Face" to stunning deep cuts like Chromatica 's "Free Woman."

"Just Dance" (feat. Colby O'Donis), The Fame (2008)

Lady Gaga burst onto the scene in 2008 with a fully realized point of view and pop star persona, but her debut single actually wasn't an immediate smash on the charts. Instead, "Just Dance" served as the sleeper hit that kick-started Gaga's legendary career, landing at the precipice of the Billboard Hot 100 after a 22-week climb from its initial entry at No. 76 to the nascent pop star her very first No. 1 hit. 

A polished dance floor banger produced by RedOne and co-written with Akon , "Just Dance" perfectly crystallizes the dance-pop resurgence of the late 2000s that Gaga not only helped spearhead, but masterfully rode into the upper echelon of 21st century pop stardom. Notably, the song also earned Gaga the first GRAMMY nomination of her career for Best Dance Recording in 2009 — a full year before her debut album would announce itself as a major force at the 2010 ceremony.

"Poker Face," The Fame (2008)

If "Just Dance" set expectations sky high for the music Gaga had up her well-manicured sleeve, "Poker Face" majorly surpassed them — and subsequently, became one of the defining pop songs of the decade. With its relentless rhythm, sing-song  "Po-po-po-poker face, po-po-poker face" refrain, and winkingly naughty lyrics ("'Cause I'm bluffin' with my muffin," anybody?), the song proved Gaga knew how to expertly construct an earworm while delivering a high-concept visual spectacle in spades. 

"Poker Face" became the singer's second consecutive No. 1 single on the Hot 100, marking the first time a brand-new artist had accomplished the feat since Christina Aguilera 's one-two punch of "Genie in a Bottle" and "What a Girl Wants" a full decade prior. By year's end, "Poker Face" had become top-selling single of 2009 across the globe, and the following year, it earned Gaga her first nods for both Song Of The Year and Record Of The Year at the 2010 GRAMMYs, with The Fame also being nominated for Album Of The Year.

Though the song and LP ultimately lost in the major categories, they respectively took home the golden gramophones for Best Dance Recording and Best Electronic Dance Album, officially making Gaga a GRAMMY-winning artist after less than two years in the industry. 

"The Fame," The Fame (2008)

While it was never released as an official single, the title track off Gaga's 2008 debut album serves as something of an early thesis statement for the avant garde star who so confidently declared , "POP MUSIC WILL NEVER BE LOWBROW" as she burst from New York City's underground scene to the global stage.

Gaga lays bare her ambitions with brazen clarity on the punchy electronic track, as she gushes over her single-minded love for "runway models, Cadillacs and liquor bottles" and sings, "Give me something I wanna be/ Retro glamor, Hollywood, yes we live for the fame/ Doin' it for the fame/ 'Cause we wanna live the life of the rich and famous." Later on the song's bridge, the pop star vows, "Don't ask me how or why/ But I'm gonna make it happen this time," and in retrospect, there's no denying Gaga accomplished everything she set out to achieve at the start of her career. 

"Bad Romance," The Fame Monster (2009)

The Fame heralded Gaga as the next big thing in pop music. But rather than spend a couple years fine-tuning her follow-up, the newly minted star decided to double down while the iron was red hot by reissuing the album as The Fame Monster , complete with eight new songs. And in doing so, she catapulted herself to superstar status with just five syllables: "Ra-ra-ah-ah-ahh." 

If the Gaga of "Just Dance" and "Poker Face" was a flashy striver fighting her way to the center of the cultural zeitgeist, "Bad Romance" presented Gaga as a high-fashion pop queen ready to turn her coronation into a victory lap. Not only did "Bad Romance" score Gaga her fifth consecutive top 5 hit on the Billboard 200, it also won her the GRAMMYs for Female Pop Solo Performance and Music Video/Short Form in 2011. ( The Fame Monster , meanwhile, took home the golden gramophone for Pop Vocal Album — the first of Gaga's four nominations and counting in the category.)

"Telephone" (featuring Beyoncé), The Fame Monster (2009)

"Hello, hello, baby, you called, I can't hear a thing…" On its face, "Telephone" may sound like a garden variety electro-pop bop, but Gaga turned the track into an unforgettable club banger of the highest order by recruiting the one and only Beyoncé . The two superstars play off one another with panache as they shrug off responsibility and incessant calls from home in favor of giving into the music.

The single's murderous, Jonas Åkerlund-directed visual remains one of the most iconic in Gaga's storied visual history. Fourteen years after Gaga and Honey B drove off in the Pussy Wagon with the promise to never come back, Little Monsters and the Beyhive are still clamoring for a follow-up. Need proof? Just look at the internet frenzy Queen Bey caused when she appeared driving a similarly hued taxi in a teaser for the album that became COWBOY CARTER earlier this year.

"Born This Way," Born This Way (2011)

Almost from the moment she emerged onto the national consciousness, Gaga was considered a gay icon in the making, proudly advocating for the queer community — and in turn, cultivating a passionate, devoted LGBTQ+ fan base who worshiped at the feet of Mother Monster. So, naturally, she used her 2010 sophomore album to gift the masses with the Pride anthem of a generation . 

Drawing comparisons to Madonna 's "Express Yourself," "Born This Way" became a defining hit of the 2010s and helped empower listeners from the clubs, to the streets, to the inside of the closet to embrace what makes them special and fearlessly declare, "Baby, I was born this way!" Additionally, the gay anthem holds the distinction of being the 1,000th No. 1 hit in the history of the Billboard Hot 100, as well as Gaga's first single to bow at the top of the chart upon its debut.

"Yoü And I," Born This Way (2011)

Though she would go on to explore the genre further in 2016's Joanne , Gaga pretty much perfected her interpretation of classic Americana with the country-rock stomp of "Yoü and I" in 2011. Released as the fourth single from Born This Way , the gutsy power ballad found the singer driving a muscle car right through the glitzy, electro-pop aesthetic of her past as she wailed, "This time I'm not leavin' without you" over a sample of Queen 's "We Will Rock You" and an original electric guitar line by none other than Brian May himself.

The music video for "Yoü And I," meanwhile, was classically high-concept in the most Gaga of terms. It saw the star transform into a number of alter egos including Yüyi the mermaid and the snarling, chain-smoking Jo Calderone. Whether running through the Nebraska cornfields of the song's setting or being brought back to life a la bride of Frankenstein by future ex-fiancé Taylor Kinney, Gaga proved that she could make a visit to America's heartland as avant-garde as ever.

"Marry The Night," Born This Way (2011)

Among Born This Way 's litany of hits, "Marry the Night" is widely regarded among Little Monsters as something of a cult favorite. Though it didn't ascend quite as high up the charts as preceding singles like "Judas" or "The Edge of Glory," the track's music video might just be the most autobiographical visual the New York City native has ever released. 

As the fantastical clip opens on an unconscious Gaga lying prone in a hospital bed wearing "next season Calvin Klein" and custom Giuseppe Zanoti, the singer lays out her entire approach to her artistry. "When I look back on my life, it's not that I don't want to see things exactly as they happened, it's just that I prefer to remember them in an artistic way," she explained. "And truthfully, the lie of it all is much more honest because I invented it…

"It's sort of like my past is an unfinished painting," she continues. "And as the artist of that painting, I must fill in all the ugly holes and make it beautiful again. It's not that I've been dishonest; it's just that I loathe reality." Gaga's rejection of the ordinary in favor of artistic reinterpretation has given fans not only the creative explosion of "Marry the Night," but the entirety of the pop star's avant-garde oeuvre.

"The Lady Is a Tramp" (with Tony Bennett), Duets II (2011)

Smack dab in the middle of Gaga's Born This Way era, Tony Bennett invited Gaga to duet on his 2011 album, Duets II . The pair's charming, spunky rendition of the Rodgers and Hart classic "The Lady is a Tramp" not only opened the album, but it showcased an irrepressible chemistry between the two stars that led to two more collaborative full-length albums, 2014's Cheek to Cheek and 2021's Love For Sale — both of which won GRAMMYs for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album. 

The song ultimately became something of a cheeky hallmark to how much Gaga and Bennett adored one another; even after they'd released an album full of jazz standards like Cole Porter 's "Anything Goes" and Irving Berlin's "Cheek to Cheek," the young pop ingénue chose to sing "The Lady Is a Tramp" for Bennett's 90th birthday celebration at Radio City Music Hall, dedicating it to her friend as he beamed from the front row.

The pair's sweet friendship would continue on all the way until Bennett's death in 2023 following a years-long battle with Alzheimer's disease. In a heartfelt social media tribute , Gaga shared the impact of Bennett's friendship: "Sure he taught me about music, about showbiz life, but he also showed me how to keep my spirits high and my head screwed on straight."

"Applause," ARTPOP (2013)

She lives for the applause! For the lead single for her 2014 album ARTPOP , Gaga shined a spotlight back on the parasocial relationship and adoration that comes with fame. This time, though, the pop star demands listener participation rather than simple voyeurism as she belts, "Give me that thing that I love/ Put your hands up, make 'em touch!" 

In the song, Gaga also shares the complex philosophy behind the album's title ("Pop culture was in art, now art's in pop culture in me.") But between shouting out famed sculpturist Jeffrey Koons (whom she commissioned to create the iconic ARTPOP cover art ) and referencing everything from Botticelli's The Birth of Venus to the pop iconography of Andy Warhol in the surrealist music video, Gaga's message was deceptively simple: She lives for the A-P-P-L-A-U-S-E, baby.

"Aura," ARTPOP (2013)

When it came time to present the highbrow themes of ARTPOP to the masses, Gaga chose to open the 2013 iTunes Festival with "Aura," a frenetic exploration of fame, celebrity, suppression and identity built over a skittering sonic palette inspired in equal parts by Middle Eastern music, spaghetti Westerns and mariachi.

Though she initially faced some backlash over accusations that she had appropriated the wearing of a Muslim burqa in the song's lyrics, "Aura" effectively set the stage for ARTPOP as a piece of sophisticated performance art unlike anything Gaga had created before — all while promising fans a glimpse "behind the curtain" at the girl underneath the camp and artistry. And though ARTPOP may have been more than a bit misunderstood at the time of its release, it arguably remains the boldest and bravest album in Gaga's manifold discography.

"Joanne," Joanne (2016)

Gaga found inspiration for her fifth studio album from the life and death of her late aunt (and namesake), Joanne Stefani Germanotta. The singer never met her relative, but Joanne's spirit was imbued throughout the album, from its homespun lyricism to its stripped-back sonic palette that found the singer exploring the sounds of country, soft rock and Americana.

Nowhere on the record is Gaga's profound connection to her aunt more evident than the title track, which she recorded two different versions of and released as the album's third and final single. "Take my hand, stay Joanne/ Heaven's not ready for you/ Every part of my aching heart/ Needs you more than the angels do," she sings softly over a spare piano line on "Joanne (Where Do You Think You're Goin'?)."

With its roots in her family tree, the song clearly holds a special place in Gaga's heart — especially considering she chose to mix it with "Million Reasons" for her performance at the 2018 GRAMMYs. (A full year later, she took home the GRAMMY for Best Pop Solo Performance in 2019 for the acoustic piano version.)

"Shallow" (with Bradley Cooper), A Star Is Born (2018)

"I can see myself in the movies/ With my picture in city lights," Gaga memorably sang in "The Fame." And a decade later, she manifested her dream into reality with a starring role in the 2018 remake of A Star Is Born . 

Opposite Bradley Cooper , the singer proved she had plenty of star quality on the silver screen on top of her status as a pop supernova. The movie musical's soundtrack was also dominated by Gaga's vulnerability and vocal abilities, fully giving herself over to the story of a star-crossed love that ends in superstardom and tragedy — particularly on the emotional keystone that is "Shallow." In fact, by the time she lets out her famous, guttural wail in the song's emotional bridge, it's easy to forget that "Shallow" is, in fact, a duet rather than a dazzling showcase of Gaga's chops. 

On top of being an essential touchstone in Gaga's canon, "Shallow" is also memorable for being the song that turned Mother Monster into an Oscar winner after she, co-writer Mark Ronson and the rest of their collaborators took home the trophy for Best Original Song at the 2019 Academy Awards. (The song also won a GRAMMY for Best Pop/Duo Group Performance that year.)

"I've worked hard for a long time," Gaga said through tears while accepting her Oscar. "And it's not about winning, but what it's about is not giving up. If you have a dream, fight for it. There's a discipline for passion, and it's not about how many times you get rejected or you fall down or you're beaten up. It's about how many times you stand up and are brave and you keep on going." 

"Rain On Me" (with Ariana Grande), Chromatica (2020)

Gaga's Chromatica era began with "Stupid Love" and its colorful, Power Rangers-chic video, but the star hit peak pop excellence by joining forces with Ariana Grande on the album's second single "Rain on Me." 

"I'd rather be dry but at least I'm alive/ Rain on me, rain, rain," the two superstars harmonized on the house-fueled disco fantasia's upbeat refrain, before letting the beat drop and giving in to the impulse to dance it out. Released in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, the track provided hope, joy and a message of hard-fought resilience at a scary, unpredictable and unprecedented time when it felt like the world was ending as we knew it.

The following year, Gaga and Grande won the GRAMMY for Best Pop/Duo Group Performance at the 2011 ceremony, becoming the first female collaborators to take home the award in GRAMMYs history. 

"Free Woman," Chromatica (2020)

"Free Woman" was a bit overlooked when it was released as Chromatica 's fourth and final single in the spring of 2021, but the narrative Gaga shares on the jubilant track is central to her personal history and experiences in the music industry. Over a thumping Eurodance-leaning beat, she recounts the PTSD she suffered from after being sexually assaulted by an unnamed producer early in her career.

Gaga also offers a rallying cry for her beloved LGBTQ+ fan base on the song, particularly those in the trans community, as she belts, "This is my dance floor I fought for/ Ain't hard, that's what I'm livin' for…We own the downtown, hear our sound." Ultimately, that empowering lyric is a notion that encapsulates the overarching theme of Gaga's career thus far — one that fans around the world can revel in again and again with GAGA CHROMATICA BALL .

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How Amy Winehouse's 'Back To Black' Changed Pop Music Forever

Ahead of the new Amy Winehouse biopic 'Back To Black,' reflect on the impact of the album of the same name. Read on for six ways the GRAMMY-winning LP charmed listeners and changed the sound of popular music.

When Amy Winehouse released Back To Black in October 2006, it was a sonic revelation. The beehive-wearing singer’s second full-length blended modern themes with the Shangri-Las sound, crafting something that seemed at once both effortlessly timeless and perfectly timed. 

Kicking off with smash single "Rehab" before blasting into swinging bangers like "Me & Mr. Jones," "Love Is A Losing Game," and "You Know I’m No Good," Black To Black has sold over 16 million copies worldwide to date and is the 12th best-selling record of all time in the United Kingdom. It was nominated for six GRAMMY Awards and won five: Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year, Best New Artist, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, and Best Pop Vocal Album. 

Winehouse accepted her golden gramophones via remote link from London due to visa problems. At the time, Winehouse set the record for the most GRAMMYs won by a female British artist in a single year, though that record has since been broken by Adele , who won six in 2011.

Written in the wake of a break-up with on-again, off-again flame Blake Fielder-Civil, Black To Black explores heartbreak, grief, and infidelity, as well as substance abuse, isolation, and various traumas. Following her death in 2011, Back To Black became Winehouse’s most enduring legacy. It remains a revealingly soulful message in a bottle, floating forever on the waves. 

With the May 17 release of Sam Taylor-Johnson’s new ( and questionably crafted ) Winehouse biopic, also titled Back To Black , it's the perfect time to reflect on the album that not only charmed listeners but changed the state of a lot of popular music over the course of just 11 songs. Here are five ways that Back To Black influenced music today.

She Heralded The Arrival Of The Alt Pop Star

When Amy Winehouse hit the stage, people remarked on her big voice. She had classic, old-time torch singer pipes, like Sarah Vaughn or Etta Jones , capable of belting out odes to lost love, unrequited dreams, and crushing breakups. And while those types of singers had been around before Winehouse, they didn’t always get the chance — or grace required — to make their kind of music, with labels and producers often seeking work that was more poppy, hook-packed, or modern.

The success of Back To Black changed that, with artists like Duffy , Adele , and even Lady Gaga drawing more eyes in the wake of Winehouse’s overwhelming success. Both Duffy and Adele released their debut projects in 2007, the year after Back To Black , bringing their big, British sound to the masses. Amy Winehouse's look and sound showed other aspiring singers that they could be different and transgressive without losing appeal.

Before she signed to Interscope in 2007, "nobody knew who I was and I had no fans, no record label," Gaga told Rolling Stone in 2011 . "Everybody, when they met me, said I wasn’t pretty enough or that my voice was too low or strange. They had nowhere to put me. And then I saw [Amy Winehouse] in Rolling Stone and I saw her live. I just remember thinking ‘well, they found somewhere to put Amy…’" 

If an artist like Winehouse — who was making records and rocking styles that seemed far outside the norm — could break through, then who’s to say someone else as bold or brassy wouldn’t do just as well? 

It Encouraged Other Torch Singers In The New Millenium

Back To Black might have sounded fun, with swinging cuts about saying "no" to rehab and being bad news that could seem lighthearted to the casual listener. Dig a little deeper, though, and it’s clear Winehouse is going through some real romantic tumult. 

Before Back To Black was released, Fielder-Civil had left Winehouse to get back together with an old girlfriend, and singer felt that she needed to create something good out of all those bad feelings. Songs like "Love Is A Losing Game" and "Tears Dry On Their Own" speak to her fragile emotional state during the making of the record, and to how much she missed Fielder-Civil. The two would later marry, though the couple divorced in 2009.

Today, young pop singers like Olivia Rodrigo , Taylor Swift , and Selena Gomez are lauded for their songs about breakups, boyfriends, and the emotional damage inflicted by callous lovers. While Winehouse certainly wasn’t the first to sing about a broken heart, she was undoubtedly one of the best.

It Created A Bit Of Ronsonmania

Though Mark Ronson was already a fairly successful artist and producer in his own right before he teamed with Winehouse to write and co-produce much of Back To Black, his cred was positively stratospheric after the album's release. Though portions of Back To Black were actually produced by Salaam Remi (who’d previously worked with Winehouse on Frank and who was reportedly working on a follow-up album with her at the time of her death), Ronson got the lion’s share of credit for the record’s sound — perhaps thanks to his his GRAMMY win for Best Pop Vocal Album. Winehouse would even go on to guest on his own Version record, which featured the singer's ever-popular cover of "Valerie."

In the years that followed, Ronson went on to not only produce and make his own funky, genre-bending records, but also to work with acts like Adele, ASAP Rocky , and Paul McCartney , all of whom seemingly wanted a little of the retro soul Ronson could bring. He got huge acclaim for the funk-pop boogie cut "Uptown Funk," which he wrote and released under his own name with help from Bruno Mars , and has pushed into film as well, writing and producing over-the-top tracks like A Star Is Born ’s "Shallow" and Barbie ’s "I’m Just Ken."  To date, he’s been nominated for 17 GRAMMY Awards, winning eight.

Ronson has always acknowledged Winehouse’s role in his success, as well, telling "BBC Breakfast" in 2010 , " I've always been really candid about saying that Amy is the reason I am on the map. If it wasn't for the success of Back To Black , no one would have cared too much about Version ."

Amy Showcased The Artist As An Individual

When the GRAMMY Museum hosted its "Beyond Black - The Style of Amy Winehouse" exhibit in 2020, Museum Curator and Director of Exhibitions Nicholas Vega called the singer's sartorial influence "undeniable." Whether it was her beehive, her bold eyeliner, or her fitted dresses, artists and fans had adopted elements of Winehouse’s Back To Black style into their own fashion repertoire. And though it’s the look we associate most with Winehouse, it was actually one she had truly developed while making the record, amping up her Frank -era low-slung jeans, tank tops, and polo shirts with darker eyeliner and much bigger hair, as well as flirty dresses, vibrant bras, and heels.

"Her stylist and friends were influential in helping her develop her look, but ultimately Amy took bits and pieces of trends and styles that she admired to create her own look," Vega told GRAMMY.com in 2020. While rock ‘n’ rollers have always leaned into genre-bending styles, Winehouse’s grit is notable in the pop world, where artists typically have a bit more of a sheen. These days, artists like Miley Cyrus , Billie Eillish , and Demi Lovato are willing to let their fans see a bit more of the grit — thanks, no doubt, to the doors Winehouse opened.

Winehouse also opened the door to the beauty salon and the tattoo studio, pushing boundaries with not just her 14 different vintage-inspired tattoos — which have become almost de rigeur these days in entertainment — but also with her signature beehive-like bouffant, which hadn’t really been seen on a popular artist since the ‘60s.It’s a frequent look for contemporary pop divas, popping up on artists like Ariana Grande , Lana Del Rey , and Dua Lipa .

The Dap-Kings Got The Flowers They Deserved

Six of Back To Black ’s 11 songs , including "Rehab," got their "retro" sound via backing from t he Dap-Kings , a Brooklyn-based soul act Ronson recruited for the project. 

While Winehouse’s lyrics were mostly laid down in London, the Dap-Kings did their parts in New York. Ronson told GRAMMY.com in 2023 that the Dap-Kings "brought ['Rehab'] to life," saying, "I felt like I was floating because I couldn’t believe anybody could still make that drum sound in 2006." Winehouse and the Dap-Kings met months later after the record was released, and recorded "Valerie." The band later backed Winehouse on her U.S. tour. 

Though the Dap-Kings were known in hip musical circles for their work with late-to-success soul sensation Sharon Jones , Back To Black ’s immense success buoyed the listening public’s interest in soul music and the Dap-Kings' own profile (not to mention that of their label, Daptone Records).

"Soul music never went away and soul lovers never went away, but they’re just kind of closeted because they didn’t think it was commercially viable," Dap-Kings guitarist Binky Griptite said in the book It Ain't Retro: Daptone Records & The 21st Century Soul Revolution . "Then, when Amy’s record hit, all the undercover soul fans are like, I’m free. And then that’s when everybody’s like, Oh, there’s money in it now."

The success of Back To Black also seems to have firmly cemented the Dap-Kings in Ronson’s Rolodex, with the group’s drummer Homer Steinweiss, multi-instrumentalist Leon Michaels, trumpeter Dave Guy , and guitarist/producer Tom Brenneck appearing on many of his projects; the Dap-Kings' horns got prominent placement in "Uptown Funk."

Amy Exposed The Darker Side Of Overwhelming Success

Four years after Winehouse died, a documentary about her life was released. Asif Kapadia’s Amy became an instant rock-doc classic, detailing not only Winehouse’s upbringing, but also her struggles with fame and addiction. It won 30 awards after release, including Best Documentary Feature at the 88th Academy Awards and Best Music Film at the 58th GRAMMY Awards.

It also made a lot of people angry — not for how it portrayed Winehouse, but for how she was made to feel, whether by the British press or by people she considered close. The film documented Winehouse’s struggles with bulimia, self-harm, and depression, and left fans and artists alike feeling heartbroken all over again about the singer’s passing. 

The documentary also let fans in on what life was really like for Winehouse, and potentially for other artists in the public eye. British rapper Stormzy summed it up well in 2016 when he told i-D , "I saw the [documentary, Amy] – it got me flipping angry... [Amy’s story] struck a chord with me in the sense that, as a creative, it looks like on the outside, that it’s very ‘go studio, make a hit, go and perform it around the world, champagne in the club, loads of girls’. But the graft and the emotional strain of being a musician is very hard. No one ever sees that part." 

These days, perhaps because of Winehouse’s plight or documentaries like Amy , the music-loving population seems far more inclined to give their favorite singers a little grace, whether it’s advocating for the end of Britney Spears ’ conservatorship or sympathizing with Demi Lovato’s personal struggles. Even the biggest pop stars are still people, and Amy really drove that point home.

We Only Said Goodbye With Words: Remembering Amy Winehouse 10 Years Later

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• 4 Lady Gaga's Biggest Songs: 15 Tracks That Show Her Avant-Garde Pop Prowess
• 5 How Amy Winehouse's 'Back To Black' Changed Pop Music Forever

Tom Cruise: Lady Gaga’s ‘Hold My Hand’ Became the ‘Heartbeat of Our Film’

By Emily Zemler

Emily Zemler

Tom Cruise appeared on The Late Late Show to discuss his new movie, Top Gun : Maverick , and spent a significant amount of his interview singing Lady Gaga ‘s praises. The actor said the singer’s contribution to the soundtrack, “Hold My Hand,” became the “heartbeat of our film.”

“She’s incredible,” Cruise told host James Corden. “She’s not just on the soundtrack. She actually helped to compose the score and it was incredible.”

Cruise recounted how Gaga brought her song to him and Hans Zimmer, who also composed the music for the film, after they were struggling to find the right fit. “Obviously making the soundtrack and the music in every movie is very important and this one was very particular,” he said. “There was just a sound and something we were looking for and it just wasn’t right. She presented her song to us and it just opened up the whole movie.”

He added, “It just opened those doors to the emotional core of the film that we had. In that moment, things just came together in such a beautiful way. Her song that she’d written just fell right in and became, really, the underlying score and the heartbeat of our film.”

“Hold My Hand,” produced by Lady Gaga and longtime collaborator BloodPop, with additional production by Benjamin Rice, was released last week. The version of the song that appears in the film features additional production and scoring by Harold Faltermeyer and Zimmer.

“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,” Lady Gaga  explained on Twitter . “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.”

The long-awaited sequel to 1986’s  Top Gun  was originally scheduled for release in 2019, but was postponed to “work out all the complex flight sequences.” It was  delayed once more due to the pandemic. The film stars Tom Cruise, Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, John Hamm, and Glen Powell, among others. It premieres on May 27.

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Lady Gaga Shares New Video for “Hold My Hand”: Watch

Earlier this week, Lady Gaga released a new song called “ Hold My Hand ,” from the new Tom Cruise movie Top Gun: Maverick . Now Gaga has shared a new video for the track, which features the pop star singing on an airstrip, a motorcycle, and more between footage from both the new film and 1986’s Top Gun . The “Hold My Hand” video is helmed by Joseph Kosinski, who also directed Top Gun: Maverick . Check it out below.

Gaga first teased the song last week, commenting, “I’ve been working on it for years.” Top Gun: Maverick hits theaters on Friday, May 27.

Check out “ 5 Takeaways From Lady Gaga’s New Album, Chromatica ” on the Pitch.

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Tom Cruise Cries in Lady Gaga’s ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Music Video for ‘Hold My Hand’ Ballad

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The loss of Goose (Anthony Edwards) still haunts the “Top Gun” films, despite Pete “Maverick” Mitchell ( Tom Cruise ) flying high once more.

Oscar winner Lady Gaga announced original song “Hold My Hand” for “ Top Gun: Maverick ,” the sequel to the hit 1986 film, in theaters May 27. The “House of Gucci” star released the emotional music video for the ballad on May 6, ahead of the “Top Gun: Maverick” premiere at Cannes in a few weeks.

Director Joseph Kosinski filmed Gaga belting the moving single while at an airfield in the desert. Flashbacks to the original film, helmed by Tony Scott, revisit Goose’s heartbreaking death as Cruise’s Maverick holds him. The follow-up film is set 30 years after the original, with Maverick now training a detachment of TOPGUN graduates, including Goose’s son Lt. Bradley Bradshaw (Miles Teller) aka Rooster, for a dangerous, specialized mission.

The lyrics for “Hold My Hand” include: “I see that you’re bleeding / You don’t need to show me again. But if you decide to, I’ll ride in this life with you / I won’t let go ’til the end.”

“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,” Gaga, who also contributed to the “Top Gun: Maverick” score along with Oscar-winning composer Hans Zimmer, Lorne Balfe, and Harold Faltermeyer, tweeted .

The “A Star Is Born” Academy Award winner continued, “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…This song is a love letter to the world during and after a very hard time.”

Lead star Cruise praised Gaga’s dedication to the film while on “ The Late Late Show ,” saying that the song “opened up the whole movie” and grounded the “emotional core” of the epic film.

“The song she’d written just fell right in and became, really, the underlying score and the heartbeat of our film,” Cruise said.

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Listen to Lady Gaga's new song, 'Hold My Hand,' from 'Top Gun: Maverick'

The long-awaited "Top Gun" sequel flies into theaters May 27.

Lady Gaga's new song, "Hold My Hand," from the new Tom Cruise movie "Top Gun: Maverick" is finally here.

The "A Star Is Born" actress' vocals shine in this ballad, in which she instills a message of hope, encouragement and support.

MORE: Lady Gaga unveils 'Hold My Hand,' a new song for 'Top Gun: Maverick'

"So cry tonight/ But don't you let go of my hand," the pop star pleads in the chorus. "You can cry every last tear/ I won't leave 'til I understand/ Promise me, just hold my hand."

Last week, Lady Gaga took to social media to share the artwork for "Hold My Hand" and revealed that she'd been "been working on it for years, perfecting it, trying to make it ours."

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"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," she explained in the caption. "This song is a love letter to the world during and after a very hard time. I've wanted you to hear it for so long."

"Hold My Hand," which was produced by Gaga, Bloodpop and Benjamin Rice, is available to stream now.

The long-awaited "Top Gun" sequel flies into theaters May 27.

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Lady Gaga and Tom Cruise Go Flying in the "Hold My Hand" Music Video

New Lady Gaga music has arrived, but no, it's not a new album. On May 3, the multihyphenate released a new song, "Hold My Hand," which she wrote and recorded for the upcoming film " Top Gun: Maverick ." Gaga shared the song's music video, which stars herself and "Top Gun" star Tom Cruise , on May 6.

Gaga first announced the track on social media on April 27, tweeting, "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. 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." She went on to thank main star Tom Cruise , musician Hans Zimmer, and director Joseph Kosinski for the opportunity.

Leading up to the reveal, Gaga seemingly shared lyrics from the song on Twitter. One line read , "Hold my hand everything will be ok I heard from the heavens that clouds have been grey," while another read , "Pull me close wrap me in your aching arms I see that you're hurtin'."

The singer's social media announcement continued, "This song is a love letter to the world during and after a very hard time. I've wanted you to hear it for so long. And I'm so excited to give it to you on May 3." On April 29, she tweeted a 10-second snippet of the forthcoming track, again teasing the song's release date.

While "Top Gun: Maverick" was originally scheduled to be released in July 2019, it was initially delayed due to the movie's complicated flight sequences and then further postponed as a result of the pandemic. It will now hit theaters on May 27.

Gaga is no stranger to penning songs for movies. She wrote all the music for "A Star Is Born," winning an Oscar — along with Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando, and Andrew Wyatt — for best original song for "Shallow." The original "Top Gun" film had one of the most popular soundtracks of all time, including Berlin's "Take My Breath Away," which won an Oscar in 1986. No other songs on the "Top Gun: Maverick" soundtrack have yet been announced, but it won't be a surprise if the movie has a few more music superstars up its sleeve.

Listen to Lady Gaga's new song from "Top Gun: Maverick" here.

Lady Gaga's "Hold My Hand" Music Video

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Watch Lady Gaga's Melodramatic Music Video for 'Top Gun: Maverick' Power Ballad 'Hold My Hand'

Lady Gaga unveiled the music video for 'Hold My Hand' from Top Gun: Maverick , directed by the film's director Joseph Kosinski, on Friday

Lady Gaga is preparing to take flight in her new music video.

On Friday, the 36-year-old pop icon unveiled the melodramatic visual for her latest single " Hold My Hand " from the upcoming film Top Gun: Maverick .

Directed by Joseph Kosinski , the film's director, the clip opens with black-and-white shots of Gaga posing next to military jets and equipment as she performs the drum-heavy power ballad. Scenes from Top Gun: Maverick are superimposed into the music video, which also features outdoor shots of the musician playing a piano on the airport location's tarmac while a fighter jet whips around her in the sky.

" #HOLDMYHAND OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO ✈️ TOMORROW AT 9AM PT Directed by Joseph Kosinski, director of Top Gun: Maverick," the "Bad Romance" performer wrote on Instagram ahead of the video's debut. "Fun fact: the original Top Gun came out in 1986, the year I was born ☺️"

Last week, Gaga released "Hold My Hand" and encouraged fans to "have faith in humanity" in an Instagram post about the uplifting track.

"I wanted to say that I wrote the song for the INCREDIBLE movie #topgun #topgunmaverick but also for people who feel like they're not gonna be ok or WE ARE never gonna be ok and that life taught me through hard times to have faith in humanity when it's hard to have faith in yourself," Gaga wrote alongside a selfie posted May 2.

"When you feel lonely, sad, removed from the world, far away from yourself and others #holdmyhand One day you may even be strong enough to hold your own 🤝," continued the caption. "I love you with my whole heart for all the years I've been blessed to sing, write songs, produce and perform for you. Thank you 🙏 here we go!!! 🖤✈️"

Written and produced by Gaga and Bloodpop , with additional production from Benjamin Rice — all of whom worked on the bulk of 2020's Chromatica album — "Hold My Hand" boasts subtle electric guitar, piano, and synth instrumentation anchored by a powerful drumbeat in the song's chorus and additional strings during its bridge.

The lyrics of "Hold My Hand" find Gaga passionately serenading a loved one who's hurt and in need of help. "I see that you're hurtin', why'd you take so long / To tell me you need me? I see that you're bleedin' / You don't need to show me again," she sings in the track's pre-chorus. "But if you decide to, I'll ride in this life with you / I won't let go 'til the end."

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"So cry tonight / But don't you let go of my hand / You can cry every last tear," belts Gaga during its hook. "I won't leave 'til I understand / Promise me, just hold my hand."

Ahead of the single's release, Top Gun: Maverick star Tom Cruise paid Gaga a visit during her Jazz & Piano residency at the Park MGM's Dolby Live theater in Las Vegas. "Thank you for coming to the show last night. I love you my friend @tomcruise ," the singer wrote on Instagram alongside photos of her and Cruise, 59 , kissing each other on the cheek.

Gaga announced "Hold My Hand" on April 27 and penned a lengthy Instagram caption about making the song alongside its cover artwork, which sees the musician posing on a plane with "LG" printed on it.

"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. I've been working on it for years, perfecting it, trying to make it ours," wrote the "Rain on Me" singer. "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."

Gaga continued, "I'm so grateful to Tom and Hans [Zimmer] and Joe [Kosinski] for this opportunity — and it's been a beautiful experience working with them. Me, BloodPop, Ben Rice and everyone else who worked on it with us are so excited to share it with you. This song is a love letter to the world during and after a very hard time. I've wanted you to hear it for so long. And I'm so excited to give it to you on May 3. 'Hold My Hand.'"

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Tom Cruise revisits Goose's Top Gun death in Lady Gaga's 'Hold My Hand' music video

Anthony Edwards' emotional death replays in Cruise's memory in the music video for Gaga's Top Gun: Maverick soundtrack song.

Get ready to cry over Goose's death all over again — this time as Tom Cruise revisits classic Top Gun movie moments from the 1986 film in Lady Gaga 's new "Hold My Hand" music video.

The clip, directed by Top Gun: Maverick helmer Joseph Kosinski, follows Gaga as she sings at an airfield in the middle of the desert, while flashes of Cruise — who reprises his role in the 2022 sequel as Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchel — show the actor reminiscing on key moments from the Tony Scott-directed original. One moment sees Cruise staring at photos from his past before cutting to a shot of him holding Goose ( Anthony Edwards ) in the ocean as the character dies.

Cruise has said that Gaga's work on the film was key to highlighting the sequel's heart.

"There was a sound we were looking for.... she presented her song to us and it just opened up the whole movie," he said on The Late Late Show . "It opened those doors to the emotional core of the film that we had. That moment, things just came together in such a beautiful way. The song she'd written just fell right in and became, really, the underlying score and the heartbeat of our film."

Gaga previously said that the song was a "love letter to the world" amid difficult times.

"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," she wrote on Instagram upon announcing the track. "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."

In addition to penning "Hold My Hand" as an original song for the film, Gaga also contributed to the Top Gun: Maverick score with Oscar-winning composer Hans Zimmer , Lorne Balfe, and Harold Faltermeyer, who worked on the original Top Gun soundtrack in 1986.

Gaga also told EW that she's considering her next musical moves as a solo act in a November 2021 interview amid the promotional cycle for her second jazz album with Tony Bennett, Love for Sale .

"There's always music in my heart, in the works. It's just about [asking], 'What will it be?'" she explained when asked about releasing new pop music for the first time since unveiling her Grammy-winning 2020 album Chromatica . "I'm not ready to answer that yet. But what I will say is that... I'm always thinking about music. It just comes out in different forms."

Top Gun: Maverick is in theaters on May 27. Watch Gaga's "Hold My Hand" music video above.

Check out more from EW's The Awardist , featuring awards analysis, exclusive interviews, and our podcast diving into all the highlights from the year's movies and performances.

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Tom Cruise Gives His Honest Review Of Lady Gaga’s New Song For Top Gun: Maverick

On May 6, Gaga released the ballad’s music video.

Tom Cruise is in full promotional mode as he gears up for his new movie Top Gun: Maverick , which flies into theaters on May 27. After arriving via helicopter at the film’s world premiere in San Diego this week, which took place on an aircraft carrier, the action star revealed how it was working with Lady Gaga on the movie’s music. The 13-time Grammy winner wrote the film’s soaring ballad “Hold My Hand,” and she released the music video for it on May 6.

“[Gaga] sent the song over … it was perfect,” Cruise told Extra . “I called her and I said, ‘You don’t understand. Your story, this story, how it comes together, it became the heartbeat of the score’.”

Cruise also talked about visiting Gaga in person at her Enigma residency . “I went to Vegas to thank her. We were working on the music at that point, and then I was going to come back and see her jazz show, and then the pandemic hit,” he said. “The next live show I was able to see was her jazz show. It was two years [later in May 2022]. It was a moment of celebration for us that finally people get to hear her music, and our film. It’s our film, together. ... And it builds up. The story of how her score is laid in to just build to that moment, I feel grateful to her for that.”

Gaga wrote “Hold My Hand” specifically for Top Gun: Maverick , though she didn’t reveal that she was involved until April 27 when she announced the single on Twitter , saying, “When I wrote this song ... 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. I’ve been working on it for years, perfecting it, trying to make it ours.” Gaga was involved in creating all the music for Top Gun: Maverick . A look at the soundtrack album , which is slated to drop May 27, shows she is credited on nine of the 12 tracks. Credited alongside Gaga are composers Hans Zimmer and Harold Faltermeyer.

Just days before the Top Gun: Maverick premiere, Gaga posted photos with Cruise at her Vegas residency Jazz + Piano. She captioned the snaps, which featured her planting a kiss on his cheek, “Thank you for coming to the show last night. I love you my friend @tomcruise.”

Gaga has a history of writing songs for movies. She was nominated for her first Academy Award in 2015 for “Til It Happens to You.” Co-written and produced by Diane Warren , the track was featured in the documentary The Hunting Ground , and it earned the pair an Oscar nod for Best Original Song. Three years later, Gaga was a double nominee, as she was up for Best Actress for her performance in A Star Is Born , while one cut from the film’s soundtrack, “Shallow,” competed for Best Original Song. Gaga and her collaborators Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando, and Andrew Wyatt all collected the latter prize.

After performing “Shallow” at the Academy Awards with duet partner and A Star Is Born co-star Bradley Cooper, the single shot to No. 1 on Billboard ’s Hot 100, giving her another chart-topper and turning Cooper into a pop star nearly overnight. The song went on to earn them several Grammy nominations, and they shared the win for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.

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Tom Cruise Praises Lady Gaga’s ‘Top Gun’ Song, Reveals She Helped Compose the Score: ‘Her Talent Is Just Boundless’

"Her song that she'd written just fell right in and became really the underlying score and the heartbeat of our film," the actor told James Corden about Gaga.

By Hannah Dailey

Hannah Dailey

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Someone get Tom Cruise an official Lady Gaga fan club membership, stat. He definitely earned it during his Tuesday (May 3) appearance on The Late Late Show With James Corden , where he spent a big chunk of his interview praising Lady Gaga — who’s a featured artist on the soundtrack for his upcoming movie Top Gun: Maverick  — for her artistry, performance ability, songwriting talent and more.

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As announced in April by the 36-year-old pop star herself, Gaga had the task of writing the theme song for Cruise’s May 26-slated sequel to the original 1986 Top Gun  film. The result was “Hold My Hand,” an uplifting lyrical ballad that the Mission: Impossible actor told Corden was the element that tied the entire movie together. “There was just a sound and something we were looking for, it just wasn’t right,” he recalled. “She presented her song to us and it just opened up the whole movie. She’s amazing.”

Is Lady Gaga's 'Hold My Hand' Already an Oscar Front-Runner?

“It just opened those doors to the emotional core of the film that we had,” he continued, explaining that they had approached Gaga after most of the film had been shot. “Things just came together in such a beautiful way. Her song that she’d written just fell right in and became really the underlying score and the heartbeat of our film.”

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He also revealed to Corden that the “Rain On Me” singer’s musical contributions to  Top Gun: Maverick  don’t stop at “Hold My Hand.” “She’s not just on the soundtrack, she actually helped to compose the score,” he said, speaking about the film’s Hans Zimmer-crafted music.

Luckily for the Oscar-nominated actor, it looks like his admiration for Gaga goes both ways. On Monday (May 2), she posted photos with him — writing “I love you my friend” — from when he attended her Las Vegas show, something he also took time to rave about during his talk with Corden.

“It was incredible,” Cruise said of her performance. “Last time I saw a live concert, it was Lady Gaga two years ago. I went to go thank her when we were starting to work on the final pieces of Top Gun. She’s extraordinary. She’s an actress, a jazz singer, pop singer — her talent is just boundless.”

Watch Tom Cruise talk about his appreciation for Lady Gaga below:

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Lady Gaga gives Tom Cruise a kiss thanking him for stopping by her concert

Lady Gaga had the support of a very special guest at her concert Sunday night: Tom Cruise! The Top Gun: Maverick star, 59, stopped by the Park MGM in Las Vegas to support Gaga, 36, as she performed at the resort's Dolby Live amphitheater. Gaga — who recently announced she'd be releasing a new song this week for Top Gun: Maverick — shared two photos to Instagram on Monday of herself and Cruise planting a kiss on each other's cheeks. "Thank you for coming to the show last night. I love you my friend @tomcruise," the singer wrote.

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