Oscars 2023: David Byrne and Stephanie Hsu confirmed to perform at ceremony
The nominees for ‘Best Original Song’ at the 2023 Academy Awards include a diverse array of artists. Where else can you find David Byrne, Mitski, Rihanna, Dianne Warren, and Lady Gaga all nominated for the same award? Whoever takes home the final statuette is anyone’s guess, but one thing that we do know is that Byrne will be making an appearance at the ceremony.
According to the official Oscars website, Byrne will perform his nominated song, ‘This Is A Life’ from the film Everything Everywhere All At Once, during the show’s broadcast. Joining him will be Son Lux, the experimental band whose lead singer, Ryan Lott, contributed to the song’s composition. Stephanie Hsu, who starred in the film, will also be joining the pair for the performance.
Lest you think that Hsu’s appearance is simply a plug for the movie, rest assured that she has the singing chops to join her talented cohorts. Hsu has previous experience singing in Broadway musicals, including performing in the shows Be More Chill and The SpongeBob Musical, the latter of which she appeared as Plankton’s computer wife, Karen.
It’s an Oscar tradition for all of the ‘Best Original Song’ nominees to perform during the ceremony. Currently, other than the recently-announced combo of Byrne, Hsu, and Son Lux, Rihanna is the only artist confirmed to perform at the ceremony on March 12th.
Rihanna has been nominated for her contribution to the film Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, ‘Lift Me Up’. The other nominees include ‘Applause’ from Tell It Like a Woman, ‘Hold My Hand’ from Top Gun: Maverick, and ‘Naatu Naatu’ from RRR. The latter previously took home the award for ‘Best Original Song’ at the 2023 Golden Globe Awards held earlier this year.
Hsu will presumably be filling in for Mitski, who was not included in the announced performers. What Mitski will be doing on Oscar night remains a mystery, but Hsu is more than capable to step into her shoes. ‘This Is A Life’ leads off a massive 49-song soundtrack to Everything Everywhere All At Once that was helmed by Son Lux. Hsu is a credited songwriter on the soundtrack cut entitled ‘Sucked Into a Bagegl’, which references one of the film’s key plot points.
Check out the original version of ‘This Is A Life’ featuring David Byrne, Mitski, and Son Lux down below. The 2023 Oscars are set to air on March 12th.
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