Music

After rumors that Celine Dion would be returning to the stage at the 2024 Paris Olympics, the iconic chanteuse delivered a jaw-dropping performance at the games’ opening ceremony on Friday (July 26).

The superstar performed an emotional rendition of Édith Piaf’s “Hymne A L’Amour” from the Eiffel Tower, which was sparkling and lit with the Olympic rings. Accompanied by a piano and rocking a stunning white gown, the singer delivered her effortlessly flawless vocals as she belted the lyrics to the 1950 track, which translates to “The Hymn of Love.”

The performance marks Dion’s first since she cancelled the dates on her North American Courage world tour before revealing she is fighting Stiff Person Syndrome, a rare neurological disorder that causes severe muscle spasms.

Dion previously seeded hope for her return to the stage in her recent Prime Video doc I Am: Celine Dion, in which she said of her determination to perform again: “If I can’t run, I’ll walk. If I can’t walk, I’ll crawl… I won’t stop.” She was also spotted earlier this week greeting fans in Paris outside Royal Monceau hotel near the Champs-Élysées.

It’s hardly her first time on the Olympic stage. She previously performed “The Power of the Dream” at the opening ceremony for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

 Elsewhere in the ceremony, the Olympic cauldron was lit following a months-long torch relay, in which Snoop Dogg, BTS’ Jin and Pharrell Williams participated. Earlier in the day, Lady Gaga took the stage to perform a cabaret-style rendition of the French-language “Mon Truc en Plume” (“My Thing With Feathers”) in a minutes-long, highly choreographed routine.

Lady Gaga was the first performer to take the stage at the 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremony on Friday (July 26), which took place along the River Seine in the City of Lights.

For her performance, Gaga belted the French-language “Mon Truc en Plume” (“My Thing With Feathers”) along a gold staircase with a slew of dancers holding fluffy pink pom poms. Gaga and her dancers were all clad in custom Dior in cabaret-inspired outfits.

To celebrate the moment, the Grammy-winning superstar took to Instagram to share photos of her black-and-pink look, and express her gratitude for the opportunity. “I feel so completely grateful to have been asked to open the Paris @Olympics 2024 this year. I am also humbled to be asked by the Olympics organizing committee to sing such a special French song—a song to honor the French people and their tremendous history of art, music, and theatre,” Gaga wrote in her lengthy, heartfelt caption. “This song was sung by Zizi Jeanmaire, born in Paris a French ballerina, she famously sang ‘Mon Truc en Plumes’ in 1961. The title means ‘My Thing with Feathers.’”

Gaga opened up about her personal connection and admiration for the late Zizi Jeanmaire. “Zizi starred in Cole Porter’s musical ‘Anything Goes’ which was my first jazz release. Although I am not a French artist, I have always felt a very special connection with French people and singing French music—I wanted nothing more than to create a performance that would warm the heart of France, celebrate French art and music, and on such a momentous occasion remind everyone of one of the most magical cities on earth—Paris,” she wrote. “We rented pom poms from Le Lido archive—a real French cabaret theater. We collaborated with Dior to create custom costumes, using naturally molted feathers. I studied French choreography that put a modern twist on a French classic. I rehearsed tirelessly to study a joyful French dance, brushing up on some old skills—I bet you didn’t know I used to dance at a 60’s French party on the lower east side when I was first starting out!”

She concluded her message, “I hope you love this performance as much as I do. And to everyone in France, thank you so much for welcoming me to your country to sing in honor of you—it’s a gift I’ll never forget! Congratulations to all the athletes who are competing in this year’s Olympic Games! It is my supreme honor to sing for you and cheer you on!! Watching the Olympic Games always makes me cry! Your talent is unimaginable. Let the games begin!”

See her post here.