Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars Go Nashville in ‘Die With a Smile’ Video

After a week full of teases, the wait is finally over: Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ duet, “Die With a Smile,” premiered on Thursday night. The track lives up to the lofty expectations set by this powerhouse collaboration.

Although the video adopts a ’70s country aesthetic, the song itself is a soulful ballad reminiscent of Bruno Mars’ 2021 Soul Sonic project. The track features soaring vocals, a big chorus, gently strummed guitars, and an exhilarating climax in the final chorus. Bruno Mars takes the lead in the first verse, with Lady Gaga following in the second. From there, their powerful vocals play off each other beautifully.

The accompanying video is reminiscent of a ’70s Nashville television appearance. All the performers are dressed in matching light blue suits with red shirts. Gaga’s hair is styled in a Dolly Parton-esque pile, while Mars sports a white cowboy hat and strums on a vintage hollow-body electric guitar. Notably, Gaga sings the last verse with a cigarette clenched in her teeth, and the clip concludes with the duo inside an animated heart.

The duet’s origins are as intriguing as the song itself. According to a press release, the idea originated with Mars. Gaga shared, “Bruno and I have a lot of mutual respect for each other and were talking about collaborating. I was finishing up my own album in Malibu, and one night he asked me to come to his studio to hear something he was working on. It was around midnight when I got there, and I was blown away when I heard what he had started making. We stayed up all night and finished writing and recording the song. Bruno’s talent is beyond explanation. His musicianship and vision are next level. There’s no one like him.”

Mars echoed her sentiments, stating, “Getting to work with Gaga has been an honor. She’s an icon, and she makes this song magical. I’m so excited for everyone to hear it.”

The song was co-produced by Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, D’Mile, and the 2022 Grammy-winning producer of the year Andrew Watt. D’Mile, who co-produced and co-wrote the majority of the Silk Sonic album, also played bass and drums on the track. Watt contributed his skills on lead guitar. “Die With a Smile” was written by Gaga, Mars, D’Mile, Watt, and James Fauntleroy.

Source: Variety, YouTube