By: Johnny Decker
Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars collaborated and released their single, titled "Die With A Smile," on Friday, Aug. 15, 2024. These two vocal powerhouses created a soul-wrenching piece of music, blending their harmonies. Although these two artists have well established careers, they performed this song like their lives depended on it.
Not many people need an introduction to who these two staples in the music industry are, but a refresher is beneficial. Lady Gaga dominates the music charts, media and practically the world with her catchy beats and raunchy-yet-unique storytelling music videos. Her campy outfits and costumes are unforgettable. She has always remained in her dance-pop roots; however, the last few years the world has seen a more serious and professional side of Gaga, navigating her powerhouse vocals. People are gaining a new perception of her as an artist who has gone on to act in movies such as "A Star is Born," "House of Gucci" and her upcoming film, "Joker: Folie a Deux," where she will play Harley Quinn.
Lady Gaga performs at Arena Birmingham for the Joanne World Tour, Jan. 31 2018. (Photo/Steve Baker, Attribution 2.0 Generic Deed)
Mars became noticed on the music scene around the same time as Lady Gaga. His first hit was the song "Nothin' on You," which also had the singer and rapper B.o.B on it. He is known for his soulful voice and has immersed himself into multiple genres such as reggae, hip-hop, funk, disco, R&B, rock and soul. His dance sensibility and stage presence has been compared to the likes of Michael Jackson and Prince.
The song "Die With A Smile" starts off with a soft guitar riff with a bit of an echo, which complements Mars' opening line. The baseline and pre-chorus are introduced at the same time. The lyrics talk about how no one is promised tomorrow and that you should cherish the love you have. This is when the drums kick in. The chorus is the first time Mars' powerful and soulful vocals come in. Treasuring and having large amounts of gratefulness for whoever he may be singing about is the main theme of the chorus. He passionately sings about holding on tightly and never letting go, even if the world is ending, so he can be with his partner through challenging moments.
The song becomes a little quieter with the transition of the second verse from the first chorus. Gaga begins with her clear sounding vocals. This may have given the listeners a reminder of her singing abilities in her movie, "A Star is Born," and her album, "Joanne," which showcase her raw vocal talents. What gives the song even more quality is when both Mars and Gaga join in together and harmonize. They sing together in the pre-chorus and chorus. These two possess an ability to dig emotion out of themselves and transport it into the listeners' ears. The vocal talent they both have makes you just want to keep on listening.
The bridge does not have many words sung, but the instrumentals are what tell the audience that there will be a turning point in this song. The quiet guitar riff is all that plays after the bridge and there are elements of Gaga's somewhat raspy and "rock star" voice, which is dominant for a brief couple of lines. After all of the powerhouse moments and harmonies, the song becomes quieter with the calm guitar riff, just like the start of the song.
Both of these artists have their fair share of catchy tunes. Together, they sing with passion and activate their powerhouse talent. They seem to enjoy each other's company while they were singing in the recording and in the music video. The cinematography and fashion in the video have a 1970s aesthetic feel. This song is not a disappointment for these two iconic artists who were in their prime in 2010s. The song has been on the charts for three weeks. It is currently at number six right now, peaking at the number three spot. Hopefully whenever you turn on the radio, "Die With A Smile" will brighten your day.
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