After the Oscars producers said that Lady Gaga wouldn’t be performing her Best Original Song nominee “Hold My Hand” at the ceremony, she surprised everyone by delivering a performance that was highly unusual — at least for her.

Sporting a makeup-free face, her hair in a French braid, and a black t-shirt and torn black jeans, Gaga sang the song while sitting on a stool, surrounded by musicians who were similarly dressed down.  At the end, she got up to belt out the final part of the song.

Gaga introduced the song, from Top Gun: Maverick, by calling it “deeply personal.”   “I think we all need each other. We need a lot of love to walk through this life,” she said. “There are heroes all around you…but you can be your own hero, even if you feel broken inside.”

The Oscar producers initially said that Gaga wouldn’t be able to perform the song because she couldn’t create the kind of performance we’ve come to expect from her, due to her commitment to filming The Joker sequel.  It appears as though she came up with a way to present it that made even more of an impact.

If Gaga wins, it’ll be her second Best Original Song trophy: She previously won for “Shallow,” from A Star Is Born.

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