Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars surprise the Grammys stage to raise money for California wildfire relief

Just days before the Grammys, rumors began to swirl that Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars were tapped to perform at the ceremony last minute. But though the duo’s last collaboration, “Die with a Smile,” became a global smash hit — rising to the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 last month — it seemed like its lyrical content might be out of place for a telecast dedicated to fundraising for Los Angeles wildfire relief. 

The speculation continued over Grammys weekend, with fan sites positing that Gaga and Mars would perform a cover of Michael Jackson’s “Earth Song” at the show. Host Trevor Noah confirmed at the top of the show that Gaga and Mars would be serenading the audience, but conveniently left out what they’d be singing.

After Chappell Roan set the stage for a moment of reflection with her stirring acceptance speech for the highly anticipated Best New Artist award, Noah introduced a montage of footage that reminded audience members and viewers at home about the severity of the Los Angeles wildfires. When the montage concluded, lights went up on Mars and Gaga, swaying on stage to perform a cover of The Mamas & the Papas’ classic “California Dreamin.” For her first performance at the Grammys since 2022, Gaga sported a '60s-era knitted beanie and a long, lacey dress, while Mars looked equally fitting in a straw fedora and bell-bottomed suit.

But Gaga and Mars’ song wasn’t the Grammys only tribute to Los Angeles. Billie Eilish and her brother and collaborator Finneas dedicated their performance of “Birds of a Feather” to Altadena County. Elsewhere, Noah announced that CBS and the Recording County were putting their money where their mouth was, donating cash to the MusiCares Fire Relief fund and allotting ad space to small Los Angeles businesses affected by the wildfires. 

While Gaga and Mars’ rendition was also a winking bit of “Die with a Smile” promo, ahead of their Best Pop Duo/Group Performance category — which they won, with Gaga championing trans rights in her acceptance speech — it also exemplified the Recording Academy’s intention to take on more social responsibility. While there are no current figures for how much relief money has been raised during the telecast, users on social media have pointed out that Los Angeles businesses receiving airtime during the show have already made significant jumps in their audience. For a city that will be contending with the devastation for a long time to come, every bit counts.