Lady Gaga leaves fans tickled pink with high-energy performance at 2024 Paris Olympic opening ceremony
Lady Gaga had viewers of the 2024 Summer Olympics opening ceremony in Paris tickled pink.
The Oscar-winning singer, 38, performed a rendition of the French song “Mon Truc En Plume,” or “My Thing Made of Feathers.”
“Bonsoir, bienvenue en Paris!” Gaga declared enthusiastically as she kicked off her performance, clearly elated.
Gaga appropriately made her entrance to the Paris opening ceremony surrounded by dancers holding giant pink feathers and matching umbrellas as she descended a grand flight of golden stairs along the banks of the Seine.
The stairs were emblazoned on the side with “Enchante” — the French word for “enchanted,” which was also the theme for the section of the opening ceremony in which Gaga performed. Pink was also a prominent part of the theme.
Gaga’s dancers were dressed in all-black pants and turtlenecks.
Gaga also wore all black, sporting long opera gloves, a corset and a cape with a black feather coat, which she shed early on as she took. Her clothes were designed by Dior.
The American chanteuse was joined by a full jazz band. Gaga is known for her love of jazz music and even jumped on the piano herself.
Gaga’s opening ceremony number was a clear homage to French singer Zizi Jeanmaire’s cabaret-style rendition of “Mon Truc En Plumes” — black ensemble and dancers with feathers included — which she performed often, including once on The Ed Sullivan Show on January 10, 1965.
Gaga spoke about how Jeanmaire inspired her in a lengthy social media post shortly after she sang along the Seine.
“I feel so completely grateful to have been asked to open the Paris @Olympics 2024 this year,” Gaga wrote. “I am also humbled to be asked by the Olympics organizing committee to sing such a special French song—a song to honor the French people and their tremendous history of art, music, and theatre.”
I feel so completely grateful to have been asked to open the Paris @Olympics 2024 this year. I am also humbled to be asked by the Olympics organizing committee to sing such a special French song—a song to honor the French people and their tremendous history of art, music, and… pic.twitter.com/FMNyiosHUR
— Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) July 26, 2024
The jazz lover added that “this [was] not the first time [she and Jeanmaire] crossed paths.”
“Zizi starred in Cole Porter’s musical ‘Anything Goes’ which was my first jazz release,” the lady born Stefani Germanotta said.
“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.”
Gaga revealed that she “rented pom poms from Le Lido archive—a real French cabaret theater” and “collaborated with Dior to create custom costumes, using naturally molted feathers.”
Of her dancing, she wrote, “I studied French choreography that put a modern twist on a French classic. I rehearsed tirelessly to study a joyful French dance, brushing up on some old skills—I bet you didn’t know I used to dance at a 60’s French party on the lower east side when I was first starting out!”
“I hope you love this performance as much as I do,” she continued. “And to everyone in France, thank you so much for welcoming me to your country to sing in honor of you—it’s a gift I’ll never forget!”
The show-stopping moment ended days-long speculation that Gaga would be singing at the Paris Olympics opening ceremony.
Earlier in the day, she was seen getting in one final rehearsal of her big entrance with feathered fans and all! The moment tipped her hand a bit, but fans didn’t have to wait long to see the official performance.
The “Joker: Folie à Deux” star greeted fans in Paris throughout the week, including well-wishers outside of the Royal Monceau hotel on the Champs Elysee, the same hotel where Celine Dion has been staying.
Dion similarly was spotted blowing kisses and showing her fans some love as they camped near the entrance to the luxe locale.