Last Wednesday, fans were disappointed when Oscars showrunner Glenn Weiss told reporters Lady Gaga wasn't going to perform her nominated song "Hold My Hand" on the show due to conflicts with her filming schedule. But Sunday night she was front and center, singing the song. So what changed?
Weiss told USA Today, "The situation changed on Thursday," noting that Gaga's team reached out to accept the offer to perform. He added, "We were happy to have the conversation and jump into it. With rehearsals and everything else, we dove in deep."
Gaga did her rehearsal ahead of the telecast, then took the stage wearing no makeup, ripped jeans and a T-shirt to sing a stripped-down version of the emotional Top Gun: Maverick ballad.
"There are heroes all around us in unassuming places," said Gaga before she started singing the song, which she said she wrote in her studio's basement. She added of the "deeply personal" song, "You might find you can be your own hero, even if you feel broken inside.”
"It was very raw. She could be herself and that was very cool," Weiss said of the performance.
Gaga's song ultimately didn't win, though: The honor went to "Naatu Naatu" from the movie RRR.