The night may have been all about Leonardo DiCaprio, but the music performed during Academy Awards ceremony managed to make a pretty big impact. With top-notch performers slated to take the stage, whose performance would be the best made for some fun speculation. Here are the highlights:
Sam Smith’s Writing’s On The Wall
While Smith took home the prize for Best original Song for Writing’s On The Wall (he co-wrote it with Jimmy Napes), opinion on his Sunday night performance (Monday morning for us) was divided. While some fans felt he had pulled off a pretty good rendering, others contended that there was nothing memorable about it.
The Weeknd’s Earned It
The Weeknd’s track from the 50 Shades of Grey soundtrack was toned down a bit for Oscar night. Still, he managed to pack his performance of Earned It with several “sexy” elements — an aerial acrobat, violinists, chandeliers, candles, etc.
Dave Grohl’s Blackbird
Nirvana and Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl chose The Beatles’ Blackbird to perform for the sombre In Memoriam section at the Oscars. His performance was subdued but by no means lacking, as he chose to keep the focus on those who were being remembered — including B.B. King, Alan Rickman, David Bowie and Christopher Lee. Over 100 personalities who had passed away in the year gone by were honoured as Grohl softly strummed his guitar.
Lady Gaga’s Til It Happens to You
This was the performance that got everyone talking. Lady Gaga has spoken openly about how close this song (written for The Hunting Ground) is to her heart, since it draws on her own experiences of being raped at the age of 19. It was difficult to decide which aspect of her performance was the most attention-grabbing: Her introduction by US Vice-President Joe Biden or all the survivors of abuse she brought on stage with her.
