Jennifer Lopez, Lady Gaga, Celine Dion (And More) Shine During Virtual Coronavirus Relief Concert
Lady Gaga hosts star-studded ‘One World: Together At Home’ concert for coronavirus relief
On Saturday, April 18, 2020, the biggest names in music came together for the “One World: Together At Home” multi-hour digital concert broadcast presented by Global Citizen and the World Health Organization which aired around the world on every major network and streaming platform simultaneously. Your favorite singers came together to perform iconic songs from the safety of their homes while raising money to support COVID-19 relief efforts. The show was curated in part by Lady Gaga and featured performances from everyone from Lizzo to The Rolling Stones, each putting their own spin on what concerts look like in the social-distancing era.
Most of the artists sat in front of their laptop cameras and literally sang into their computer mics, while others recorded acoustic vocals in empty recording studios. Charlie Puth — on the other hand — sang at his desk in front of his unmade bed. It was a real mixed bag, but the sentiment was there and remember, this is for charity, not a competition.
Jennifer Lopez, on the other hand, infused her performance with high-quality production value, camera work, sparkle, and what we can only assume was auto-tune for Zoom. Also, J.Lo’s take on the Barbara Streisand classic “People” proved she can truly sing.
Also, as more and more entertainers are live-streaming or recording performances from their homes, J.Lo seriously raised the bar on what a digital performance looks like in the Zoom-age.
Other standout performances from the night included Lizzo’s stripped-down take on “A Change Is Gonna Come,” proving the singer is not just a high energy performer, flutist, and twerker — she’s got pipes.
Lady Gaga kicked off the telecast with “Smile,” and gave us serious “La Vie En Rose” vibes.
John Legend and Sam Smith’s duet on “Stand By Me” was dreamy.
The Rolling Stones socially-distant take on “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” was awesome.
Taylor Swift sat behind her trusty piano for a heartbreaking rendition of her song “Soon You’ll Get Better,” a song she wrote for her mom during her cancer battle.
At the end of the night, Lady Gaga and John Legend joined Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli for an emotional four-part harmony on their classic song “The Prayer.”
You can watch all the performances from the night (including ones from Billie Eilish, Stevie Wonder, and Eddie Vedder) on Global Citizen’s official YouTube page.
