On Thursday night in Los Angeles, Bruno Mars invited Lady Gaga to perform their new ballad “Die With a Smile” live for the first time. Mars was headlining the inaugural event at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood. The two artists collaborated shortly after the song became available on streaming platforms, delivering a performance that mirrored the simplicity and western vibe of the music video. Mars played the guitar while Gaga accompanied him on the keyboard, allowing their powerful vocals to take center stage as they sang the romantic track. After Gaga stepped off the stage, Mars repeated the chorus with his full band.
The collaboration had been anticipated, as both artists shared posts on social media wearing each other’s merchandise. This marks the first new release for either musician in quite some time; Mars’ previous project was with Silk Sonic, alongside Anderson .Paak, in 2021. Gaga last released an album in 2020 with Chromatica and participated in the Rolling Stones’ song “Sweet Sounds of Heaven” last year alongside Stevie Wonder. Despite their last solo projects, both have remained active through Las Vegas residencies and tours. Gaga has hinted at her upcoming seventh studio album and is also promoting her new film Joker: Folie à Deux. When announcing the collaboration with Mars, she alluded to her next project by stating in her caption, “WHILE YOU WAIT TILL LG7…”