Products You May Like
Lady Gaga opened the Olympics with an appropriately Gaga touch—i.e. a parade of bubblegum-pink feathers—as she performed (in French!) along the banks of the Seine during today’s 2024 Olympics opening ceremony in Paris. Her eight Dior-clad backup dancers accompanied her in a saxophone-heavy rendition of “Mon Truc en Plumes,” which translates to “My Thing With Feathers.” Don’t ever doubt Mother Monster knows how to look camp right in the eye.
The “Born This Way” icon dressed for the event in head-to-toe Dior, starting with a Dior Haute Couture feather jacket over a black satin bustier and matching shorts, along with an embroidered feather-and-sequin skirt. Her single-feather headpiece, elbow-length gloves, and shoes were also all Dior.
After the performance, Gaga took to social media to express her appreciation and gratitude for the platform. She wrote:
I feel so completely grateful to have been asked to open the Paris @Olympics 2024 this year. I am also humbled to be asked by the Olympics organizing committee to sing such a special French song—a song to honor the French people and their tremendous history of art, music, and theatre. This song was sung by Zizi Jeanmaire, born in Paris a French ballerina, she famously sang “Mon Truc en Plumes” in 1961. The title means “My Thing with Feathers.” And this is not the first time we’ve crossed paths. Zizi starred in Cole Porter’s musical “Anything Goes” which was my first jazz release. Although I am not a French artist, I have always felt a very special connection with French people and singing French music—I wanted nothing more than to create a performance that would warm the heart of France, celebrate French art and music, and on such a momentous occasion remind everyone of one of the most magical cities on earth—Paris. We rented pom poms from Le Lido archive—a real French cabaret theater. We collaborated with Dior to create custom costumes, using naturally molted feathers. I studied French choreography that put a modern twist on a French classic. I rehearsed tirelessly to study a joyful French dance, brushing up on some old skills—I bet you didn’t know I used to dance at a 60’s French party on the lower east side when I was first starting out! I hope you love this performance as much as I do. And to everyone in France, thank you so much for welcoming me to your country to sing in honor of you—it’s a gift I’ll never forget! Congratulations to all the athletes who are competing in this year’s Olympic Games! It is my supreme honor to sing for you and cheer you on!! Watching the Olympic Games always makes me cry! Your talent is unimaginable. Let the games begin!
Lauren Puckett-Pope is a staff culture writer at ELLE, where she primarily covers film, television and books. She was previously an associate editor at ELLE.