Seated behind a piano charmingly adorned with an assortment of flowers, Lady Gaga delivered a classic yet powerful rendition of John Lennon's "Imagine" during the 2015 European Games opening ceremony. The Artpop singer drew utter silence from the crowd of spectators and participants alike in Baku, Azerbaijan's Olympic stadium.
Gaga kicked off and carried out the 1971 track in a classic way while leisurely adding her own soul, dramatic tone and eclectic vibrato into the mix. "What an honor to have a few moments with the world watching," the 29-year-old singer wrote on Twitter prior to her performance. "Could you imagine. What would you say?" The popular Lennon song ranked number three on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
What an honor to have a few moments with the world watching. Could you imagine. What would you say? https://t.co/gVg6EcKs3N
— Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) June 12, 2015
June 12 marked the commencement of the European games in which 6,000 athletes will participate up until the 28th. Contestants hail from 50 of Europe's National Olympic Committees, contending in a total of 20 sports-table tennis, beach soccer, archery, cycling and badminton among the cluster.
New York Governer Andrew Cuomo joined forces with Lady Gaga last week to pen an o-ed piece, insisting the approval of the "Enough Is Enough" bill, notes Rolling Stone. The duo hope that the passing of the bill will continue to combat sexual assault on public college campuses in New York. "That's why the state legislature must pass the proposed bill. Without it, students at private institutions are more likely to be left at risk."
"We have a responsibility to the young men and women of this country to stand up against sexual violence everywhere," they added. "Together, we must create the scaffolding necessary to foster the mental, emotional and physical health of all young people."
