Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper’s “Shallow” Performance Stole The Oscars

The glorified Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper music video delivered, big time. The two mega-stars performed A Star Is Born‘s iconic “Shallow” at the 91st Academy Awards, and just as everyone expected they brought the house down while winning Lady Gaga her first ever Oscar.

Really, there are only three reasons to watch the Oscars this year: to obsess over the red carpet, to root for Into the Spider-Verse (congrats on the win), and to hear Gaga sing THE NOTE in a live performance in front of Hollywood’s elite. Oh, and to see who wins Best Picture, I guess. But it was mostly about that note.

Directed by Bradley Cooper, A Star Is Born follows the budding romance between an alcoholic country star and the insecure no-name singer he falls in love with. There is lots of mumble acting and a great song all about butts, but overall the movie is more heartfelt and genuinely sweet than it has any right being. Also it’s spawned one of the catchiest and most played songs of the Oscar season, “Shallow.”

We all knew that Lady Gaga and Cooper’s rendition of “Shallow” was going to turn the Oscars into something worth watching. We knew that they would bleed chemistry on screen. But was anyone really prepared for just how charming and charismatic and clearly in love they were? That eye contact alone is enough for three more movies. The only thing that could have made the moment better was if they kissed, just like everyone knows they should have.

And then to make the night even better “Shallow” won the Oscar for Best Original Song. Naturally Gaga’s acceptance speech was filled with nothing but love for Cooper. “Bradley… there is not a single person on the planet who could have sung this song with me, but you. Thank you for believing in us,” she said.

“If you are at home and you are sitting on your couch and you are watching this right now all I have to say is this is hard work. I have worked hard for a long time… It’s not about winning. What it’s about is not giving up. If you have a dream fight for it,” Lady Gaga continued. “It’s not about how many times you get rejected or you fall down or are beaten up. It’s about how many times you stand up and are brave, and you keep on going.”

Sometimes the Oscars is filled with happy surprises.Sometimes it contains solemn disappointment. But sometimes it tells you exactly what it’s going to do and it delivers on that fairy tale perfectly. And they followed it up with a trailer for Fosse/Verdon, the most theatrical show and a tonally perfect follow up.

That’s what Gaga and Cooper were tonight — perfection that we expected but delivered nonetheless. Now kiss already you crazy kids!

Where to stream A Star Is Born (2018)