Lady Gaga Has The World Ready To 'Smile' With Cozy 'One World: Together At Home' Intro

All day on Saturday (April 18), celebrities, artists, activists, and more have been broadcasting from residence as piece of Global Citizen's One World: With each other At Home special. We saw intimate, stimulating performances from Niall Horan, Kesha, Charlie Puth, and others — although it wasn't up until the show's primary telecast kicked off that we heard from one of the loudest voices in this entire endeavor: Lady Gaga.


The talent showcase of the One World event, which was organized to celebrate COVID-19 frontline workers and raise funds for the global response, was curated by Gaga herself. Fittingly, her voice was one of the opening initially we heard once the program started. "Tonight isn't a fundraiser, so put your wallets away," she mentioned in a message before the show started, calling the unique "our love letter to the world." "The artists are here to mention thank you."


Then, to remind us that there's still so much to be thankful for — namely the frontline workers — she covered "Smile," the Charlie Chaplin tune famously recorded by Nat King Cole. Because she's Lady Gaga, she imbued it with all of the great cabaret theatricality this moment deserves.


Seated at a gorgeous white piano in striped pants as well as a red lip, Gaga banged out the tune as candles burned atop the keys, setting a rather large mood. "I care so much about all the medical workers who are putting their lives at risk for us now she mentioned before diving in.


"I think of these each day, I pray for them each day, and I'm also thinking of all of you who are at residence who are wondering any time this is all going to be different. What I want to do tonight, if I can, is just give you the permission to, for a moment."


As one of the opening voices of the show, Gaga's was one of joy in spite of hardship. "Smile though your heart is aching / Smile although it's breaking," she sang in a jazzy timbre, accompanying herself on a gorgeous white piano. Any time there really are clouds in the sky, you'll get by / in case you smile through your fear and sorrow." That's how One World started, with a tone of gratitude and celebration. Find more about data about One World right here.