Being a girl born in 2004 meant that I spent my nights playing Just Dance; sweat dripping down my face after getting a perfect score to Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi” and Bruno Mars’ “Treasure.” Gaga and Mars ruled my childhood, and always made my mom bust out her awkward fist pumping dance move when their songs played on the radio. A collaboration between the two artists was not even a possibility that crossed my mind, but when I overheard someone talking about their new song, “Die with a Smile,” I opened my Spotify immediately.
Within the first three seconds of the song, I was hooked. The Mars songs I grew up with fell strictly into the upbeat pop category, and more recently, his and Anderson Paak’s album “A Night With Silk Sonic” was more R&B focused. This song however, was much more sultry; slow and extremely addictive.
This song already felt nostalgic due to the artists singing it, but if you’ve ever found yourself in love, then the lyrics could bring back fond memories.
“If the world was ending I’d wanna to be next to you /
If the party was over and our time on Earth was through /
I’d wanna hold you just for a while /
And die with a smile”
The chorus can make anyone who has ever been in love reminisce. You find yourself in love now, wanting to cuddle up on a broken futon in your dorm room next to someone who can make even the smallest, smelliest dorm feel like a fantasy. Or you may be stuck on the past, the what if’s and the almost relationship that still creates feelings of despair, and desire to end every night next to each other. The premise of having someone to call home, and feeling safe no matter what are the feelings that this song brings out of you. Then after Bruno Mars has cut open your heart and left you out to dry, Lady Gaga enters the song.
When I first heard Gaga’s entrance, my knees buckled beneath me and I almost had to reach for my roommate’s inhaler. Similar to Mars, Gaga is usually more associated with bold pop songs such as her hits “Judas,” or “Applause.” This song was more reminiscent of her vocals from the A Star Is Born soundtrack, which opened up millions of peoples eyes to see beyond the wild outfits and the infamous meat dress she wore and see her raw talent.
Lady Gaga enters the song similar to how Mars began it, then proceeds with,
“Lost in the words that we scream /
I don’t wanna do this anymore /”
With those two lines and Gaga’s smooth voice, I felt my shoulders loosen and the stress in my body float away. These lyrics encapsulate the struggles in a relationship. Once the honeymoon phase has ended and the reality of the hard work that a relationship is. These lyrics make everyone remember the urge to fight for the love they share with someone, but feeling exhausted from the pain the same love is causing. However, even with that pain, there is still only one person who you’d want to be by your side.
Then at the perfect moment, their voices come together and make it easy to believe that everything in the world is right. This entire song seems to be hinting at the idea that everything is right in the world when you find your person. However, if you are single and find yourself hating every couple, then never fear, because you can find that inner peace with the contrasting yet cohesiveness of Mars and Gaga’s voices in unison. Having such star power combined on one song was what the world — and the whole population — needed.
Regardless if your childhood was spent listening to these artists, there is always time to hop onto the Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars train with this song being the starting point, so stream “Die With A Smile” the next chance you get.
