Posted by 
Although competition began a few days ago, today marks the official beginning of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. It’s been a rocky kickoff, with questions about all the fecal bacteria in the Seine River (where some of the swimming events will take place) and coordinated arson attacks on the city’s high-speed rail system today. Nonetheless, the show must go on, so the Opening Ceremony is underway.
There are all kinds of musical tie-ins to these athletic festivities. In the leadup to the ceremony, Pharrell and Snoop Dogg were among the final carriers of the Olympic torch. The former put the torch in a Louis Vuitton trunk (he’s LV’s creative director, after all). The latter, who is in Paris as a correspondent for NBC’s coverage of the games, tried some running at the US Olympic trials last month. Jin from BTS carried the torch for a while too. Snoop’s fellow rap legend Flavor Flav, who recently stepped in to sponsor the US women’s water polo team, also recently got some time in the water with the Olympians.
At the opening ceremony, which was held along the Seine rather than in a stadium, Lady Gaga opened at the show by singing Zizi Jeanmaire’s “Mon Truc En Plumes,” a feathery cabaret-style display that seemingly paid tribute to Jeanmaire’s performance of the song on The Ed Sullivan Show. French metal legends Gojira became the first metal band to perform at the Olympics, rocking out on the side of a castle in collaboration with opera singer Marina Viotti in a performance that re-created the beheading of Marie Antoinette. French-Malian singer Aya Nakamura got in on the action, performing the DJ Dark and MD DJ remix of her own “Djadja.” And Céline Dion made her much-anticipated return to live performance with a show-closing rendition of Edith Piaf’s “Hymne A L’Amour” at the Eiffel Tower.
Gaga shared this statement after her performance:
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. 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.” And this is not the first time we’ve crossed paths. 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. 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! 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!
Watch footage of all the action below.
[embedded content]
[embedded content]
[embedded content]
@nbcolympics Snoop Dogg had to check out his speed at Hayward Field during #TrackFieldTrials24! 🔥 #parisolympics ♬ original sound – NBC Olympics & Paralympics