First she sang about Venus, now she’s collaborating with Mars.
As if trying to dethrone “Shallow” from its likely status as Lady Gaga’s most popular wedding song, Bruno Mars and the pop maven have released a duet called “Die With A Smile” (a James Bond-ass title if there ever was one). The song and accompanying music video arrived today (August 16) after both artists teased the collab on Instagram, wearing each other’s merchandise to stoke a flurry of rumors on social media.
“Die With A Smile” is a Bruno Mars tune through and through, dripping with suave pop-R&B, but Gaga’s Swiss army knife artistry adds some rawness to Mars’ Silk Sonic sensibilities. The song garlands us-against-the-apocalypse lyrics with swoonsome optimism: “If the party was over / And our time on Earth was through / I’d want to hold you just for a while / And die with a smile.”
“Bruno and I have a lot of mutual respect for each other and were talking about collaborating,” Gaga shares. “I was finishing up my own album in Malibu and one night after a long day he asked me to come to his studio to hear something he was working on. It was around midnight when I got there and I was blown away when I heard what he had started making. We stayed up all night and finished writing and recording the song. Bruno’s talent is beyond explanation. His musicianship and vision is next level. There’s no one like him.”
Adds Mars: “Getting to work with Gaga has been an honor. She’s an icon and she makes this song magical.”
“Die With A Smile” is being billed as a “standalone collaboration,” shutting down any speculation that it will be a part of new records from either Mars or Gaga. Although both artists are due for a new LP; Mars hasn’t released an album since 2021’s An Evening With Silk Sonic alongside Anderson .Paak, and Gaga played clips from her forthcoming project to crowds at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Tune in to the new collab below.
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