Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars bring back the duet

Switched on Pop

Vox Media Podcast Network

Music Interviews, Music History, Music, Music Commentary

4.6 • 2.7K Ratings

🗓️ 27 August 2024

⏱️ 47 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

It seemingly a terrible time to launch an over-the-top sentimental duet. This style of production peaked in the 80s and has had few chart topping success since. But as a sort of counter programming, Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars' duet "Die With A Smile" is an unexpected smash. This oddity from two beloved legacy artists may be more than a stand alone hit hit to promote Mars' Vegas residency and Gaga's upcoming film role in Joker: Folie à Deux. "Die With A Smile" more than hints at being interwoven to that film's universe, while also adhering to a forgotten musical traditional: the devotional duet in the style of Sonny & Cher. In the movie, Joker and Gaga's character Harley Quinn, have shared musical delusions about performing in a murderous Sonny & Cher like TV duo. But does this single come credit sequence song stand up to the best duets from the past? Listen to find out. Songs Discussed Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars - "Die With A Smile" Sonny & Cher - "I Got You Babe" Bread - "Make It On Your Own" Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway - "The Closer I Get To You" Lionel Richie & Diana Ross - "Endless Love" Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton - "Islands in the Stream" Patti LaBelle & Michael McDonald - "On My Own" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:35.4	dot com forward slash podcast. Switch on pop.
0:50.0	pop.
0:52.0	Welcome to Switched on pop. I'm songwriter Charlie Harding and I'm
0:55.7	musicologist Nate Sloane. I would argue that right now collabs are bigger than
1:01.4	ever yes but the devotional duet ballad is at a real low point.
1:09.0	We haven't had a genuine pop ballad doo smash in quite a while I think.
1:14.8	Maybe now we are in luck, Nate, because we have a brand new duet by Bruno Mars and Lady
1:21.6	Gaga called Die with a Smile. to you. If the party was over and on time of earth was through.
1:37.0	And on time of earth was through.
1:40.0	I'm on the star.
1:45.0	If the world and turn with the star
1:52.0	if the world was there. within less than a week of its release this song is doing.
1:59.4	Within less than a week of its release,
2:02.3	this song is doing more than just sweeping up our hearts.
2:05.8	It is sweeping up the charts. It is being played all over radio. It's currently
2:10.2	number one on Spotify's top 50 and it is such an unusual release in this era of
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