Following the Grammys David Bowie tribute of Lady Gaga, Lorde performed "Life on Mars" of the late music icon for the BRIT Awards 2016.
Lorde's moving tribute to Bowie, who was given a posthumous Icon award during the show, was praised by many. Prior to her performance, Annie Lennox presented the award that was received by Bowie's good friend, Gary Oldman.
“We are all coming to terms with the magnitude of David’s passing,” the British actor said during the ceremony. “David’s contribution to popular culture itself has no equal, he’s the very definition, the living embodiment of that word, icon.”
After presenting the award, Bowie's band performed a medley of his hit songs, “Space Oddity,” “Rebel Rebel,” "Ziggy Stardust," "Fame," "Under Pressure," "Heroes," and “Let’s Dance.” The band played with Bowie on his last live concert tour back in 2003, comprising of bassist Gail Ann Dorsey, pianist Mike Garson, drummer Sterling Campbell, keyboardist Catherine Russell and guitarists Earl Slick and Gerry Leonard, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.
When the band started playing "Life on Mars," Lorde, wearing matching dark trousers and waistcoat, stepped onto the stage and began he heartfelt performance.
The "Royals" singer wrote on her Facebook page about the impact of Bowie on her life after the star's death in January, saying, "I'll never forget the caressing of our hands as we spoke or the light in his eyes.That night something changed in me. I felt a calmness grow, a sureness. I think in those brief moments, he heralded me into my next new life, an old rock and roll alien angel in a perfect grey suit. I realized everything I'd ever done, or would do from then on, would be done like maybe he was watching. I realized I was proud of my spiky strangeness because he had been proud of his," Rolling Stone reported.
