Lady Gaga is generally thought of in terms of garish outfits and overall weirdness, and even her fairly straightforward duets album with Tony Bennett felt less straightforward with her involvement. At her core, however, she’s a very talented musician who can still control a stage even when stripped down to the basic elements of music. That’s what happened at the opening of the European Games, as Gaga wowed the crowd with a performance of John Lennon’s “Imagine.”
If you have no idea what the European Games are, don’t worry, because this is their first year. It’s basically a European-centric version of the Olympics, but with some weirder events along the way. Also, it’s taking place in Azerbaijan, which is one of the “transcontinental countries” that are considered to be a part of multiple continents, and which people don’t really think of as being “European.” However, this isn’t about a geography lesson. It’s about Lady Gaga’s simple, en pointe rendition of “Imagine.”
Some may point out, bemusedly, that Gaga was performing the song — with its wishes for a near-utopian society — in the capital city of a country with an appalling human rights record. Also, what’s with all the flowers? Or, you know, you can set that all aside and just listen to a great singer performing a well-known song in the middle of a massive stadium. The choice is yours.
(Via Rolling Stone)
