Lady Gaga's Stripped-Down Oscars Performance Got Plenty of Love From Fans

By Stephen Andrew

Lady Gaga delivered a stripped-down performance of her Oscar-nominated song "Hold My Hand," during the 2023 Academy Awards, and it got plenty of love from fans. Gaga co-wrote and recorded the tune for the Top Gun: Maverick soundtrack, and was honored with a Best Original Song nomination at this year's Oscars. Each year, the nominated songs are performed, and for hers, Gaga chose to go makeup-free and rock ripped jeans and a t-shirt while sitting on a stool with her band around her.

The song was up against "Lift Me Up" by Rihanna, from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever; "This Is a Life" by David Byrne, from Everything Everywhere All at Once; "Applause" by Diane Warren, from Tell It Like a Woman; and "Naatu Naatu" by M. M. Keeravani and Chandrabose, from RRR, which was the ultimate winner. While Gaga may not have won her second Oscar — having previously won in the category for her song "Shallow" from A Star is Born (2018) — the iconic singer has still garnered a lot of praise from fans online. Scroll down to see the performance, as well as what Oscar-watchers had to say about it.

"Personal Connection"

"LOVE THIS!!! Love that they kept the up-close shot framed the whole entire time to provide that personal connection," one last fan wrote. "And I love that she brought that dive bar feel to the Oscars."

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"Outstanding Performance"

"I felt like this was a rehearsal, then realized her vocals don't need to be all done up with a flashy hair, make up or dress to make this an outstanding performance!" a YouTuber gushed.

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"Beautiful"

"This gave me very old school Stefanie Germanotta performing at a local hole in the wall vibez," a fan commented, noting Gag's real name. "I felt like I was right there, sitting at a table next to her as she pours out her heart in such a raw and moving way. Beautiful."

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"Super Effective and Spectacular"

"Love how she didn't make it as huge as she could have done with a large orchestra and spectacles," another person wrote. "The simplicity of just a small band and intimate made it super effective and spectacular as always!!!"

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"The Best"

"This is crazy. She's the best ever," somebody else commented. "Never seen anyone perform with this much emotion, or even pretend to."

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"Once in a Generation Talent"

"Damn... The raw power and emotion she manages here, completely unassisted," one other fan wrote. "A once in a generation talent."

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"Heart and Raw Vocals"

"She's already proven herself as a fantastic performer with amazing visuals, makeup, performance, and glamour," someone else offered. "So this feels full circle, to [just] see her showcase her pure vocal talent. [Just] a t-shirt, jeans, and converse shoes. Nothing else but her heart and raw vocals."

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"Naturally Talented"

"Man she's such a great performer," a fan commented on YouTube. "Just naturally talented no auto tune no crazy pyrotechnics just her beautiful voice!"

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