Lady Gaga went make-up free for candid performance at 2023 Oscars

Lady Gaga surprised the audience at the 2023 Academy Awards with an unexpected performance — where she rocked an acoustic version of ‘Hold My Hand’, completely makeup-free.

Gaga, who had already worn an elaborate Versace gown on the champagne-colored carpet to kick off the show, made a candid outfit change for her raw performance.

Back to the heart of song

The Grammy-winning ‘Poker Face’ singer belted out the powerful track from ‘Top Gun: Maverick’, which scored a nomination for Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Song) at the Oscars.

Though Lady Gaga did not take home the award in what was her fourth nomination, she did win back in 2019 for ‘Shallow’, featured in ‘A Star is Born’, her film with Bradley Cooper.

Tom Cruise’s ‘Top Gun’ sequel received a total of six Academy award nominations, including Best Picture.

Basic look, powerful voice

Lady Gaga simplified her look in every way when she took the stage at the Oscars Sunday night, and the star’s wide ranging vocals juxtaposed with her basic, every-day outfit allowed her talent to truly shine.

Gaga’s hair was pulled back in a simple French braid and she wore a black tee, a pair of ripped jeans, and sneakers. Most notably of all, Lady Gaga wore no trace of makeup as she took the stage.

It’s about love

The ‘A Star Is Born’ actress opened her performance with a message about love and hope.

“It’s deeply personal for me,” Lady Gaga said when she took the stage. “I think that we all need each other. We need a lot of love to walk through this life. We all need a hero sometimes.”

“There’s heroes all around us in unassuming places,” the singer-songwriter continued. “But, you might find that you could be your own hero even if you feel broken inside.”

The unexpected nature of it all

Lady Gaga’s performance was an unexpected treat for fans, as the star was expected to skip the 2023 Oscars due to a scheduling conflict.

Oscars producer Glenn Weiss said in a previous statement that Lady Gaga was working on the ‘Joker’ sequel, ‘Folie à Deux’.

“We have great relationships with Lady Gaga and her camp [but] she’s in the middle of shooting a movie right now,” Weiss explained, “and here we are honoring the movie industry and what it takes to make a movie.”

“After a bunch of back and forth, it didn’t feel like she can get a performance to the caliber that we’re used to with her, that she’s used to and all that stuff,” the producer continued. “So she is not going to perform on the show.”