Lady Gaga Singing National Anthem

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I've watched this a half dozen times since Wednesday. One because you can see Barack and Michelle Obama cheering her on from the background. Two because she both made the song her own but didn't lengthen it. Three because she stood out with her dress and golden michrophone, yet made the song, "our song" the center of attention.

In an age with so many words on the internet, she surrounded this song with simplicity and silence by giving little press before and after the performance. In a way we can collectively process the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, through her moment in the stage.

At 2:42: Michelle Obama is looking right at her and smizing (eye-smiling at Gaga from behind her mask.)
At 2:54 President Obama is so moved he's physically joining Gaga in her final phrase by spiraling his arm overhead.
At 2:57 Michelle Obama is side-eying her husband in applause, as if to say "Gaga slayed that song!"
At 3:10 Gaga resumes humility by addressing Joe Biden with the slightest curtsey indicated by nod of the forehead "Mr. President".
At 3:11 Gaga formally addresses "Madame Vice President".
At 3:16 Gaga locks eyes with the Obamas to say "you were so wonderful".

She could see them during her performance. It was a group activity in a socially distanced time. For the Obamas and Gaga it was live, time unshifted music.



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Further Reading:

Kevin Fallon joyously reviews her performance in Lady Gaga: The Gayest Thing to Ever Happen at an Inauguration:   thedailybeast.com




This work by AJ Fish is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

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