The 95th Academy Awards, which was held on Sunday 12th March, gave us plenty of showstopping moments as usual with stunning looks, adorable celeb pair-ups, our favourites taking home the wins, and awe-worthy performances. Gaga, Rihanna, and the cast of RRR all provided entertainment for Hollywood’s biggest stars and the rest of us nobodies. Don’t worry if you were tucked up in bed instead of watching, Voir has all the lowdown on the musical numbers at the 2023 Oscars.
This year featured five performances from all the artists nominated for Best Original Song: Lady Gaga with ‘Hold my Hand’ from Top Gun: Maverick, Rihanna with ‘Lift Me Up’ from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Sofia Carson and Diane Warren with ‘Applause’ from Tell It like a Woman, Stephanie Hsu and David Byrne with ‘This is a Life’ from Everything Everywhere All At Once, and Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava with ‘Naatu Naatu’ from RRR.
Composer of ‘Naatu Naatu’ MM Keeravani made history by winning the award for Best Original Song. Previously the first Indian song ever to be nominated for an Oscar, it is now the first Indian song to have won. The song has gathered millions of views on TikTok and YouTube and it’s easy to see why with its charming infectious spirit. Kaala Bhairava, one of the singers of ‘Naatu Naatu’, told The Hollywood Reporter that the song is award-worthy because it was “rooted to its nativity” whilst MM Keeravani said the song was “the pride of every Indian” in his acceptance speech. Though Gaga lost to the song, the video of her wholesome joyous reaction to hearing that the track had won has melted Twitter’s collective heart.
Singers Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava set the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles alight with their ultra-peppy rendition of ‘Naatu Naatu’. Featuring more than 20 dancers performing the now iconic dynamic dance in Spring pastels the cast brought a breath of fresh air to the ceremony and received a standing ovation. Many were impressed that the performance translated onto the stage so well considering the dance in the film was shot over 15 days, with 150 dancers and a crew of 200 working 12 hours a day.
Gaga took to the stage for the fourth time at the Oscars this year giving a heartfelt rendition of her song ‘Hold My Hand’. She introduced the “deeply personal” song by telling the world, “you might find you can be your own hero even if you feel broken inside”. Changing out of her glam Versace gown, she chose to perform in a black T-shirt, jeans, and converse for a more casual look showing her versatility as a performer capable of earnest passion as well as her usual campy style. The last time Gaga performed at the Oscars was in 2019 when she teamed up with Bradley Cooper for the song ‘Shallow’ from A Star Is Born which won the award for Best Original Song later that night.
One of the highlights of the evening was Rihanna’s emotional tribute to Chadwick Boseman. Black Panther actress Danai Gurira made us all tear up with her introduction to the song as she remembered Boseman who sadly passed away in 2020. Gurira went on to call the Barbadian superstar “royalty in her own right”. Rihanna glowed as she performed pregnant in a custom-made look by Maison Margiela. She wore a stunning black bra embellished with draping crystals paired with matching black pants with a gold floral design.
Rihanna returned to the studio for the first time in six years to record ‘Lift Me Up’, which is also the first song that Rihanna has been nominated for an Academy Award in her career. The song deservedly achieved a standing ovation as well as a big cheer from boyfriend A$AP who seemed smitten with the singer as usual. According to Pop Crave when asked how her voice was feeling ahead of her performance Rihanna replied, “Beautiful. God-given.”
Whilst Mitski and David Byrne’s ‘This is a Life’ didn’t win best song, fans were enthralled by Stephanie Hsu and David Byrne’s trippy number featuring hot dog fingers, flashing lights multiverse style, and Stephanie’s beautiful bagel costume. Everything Everywhere All At Once took home the most awards with a whopping seven total and now is one of the highest Oscar-winning films of all time.
Words by: Molly Sutherland
Header Image: Rihanna, The Oscars 2023
