You’re Not Going To Want To Miss These Highlights From The Virtual Concert “One World: Together At Home”
On April 18, 2020, stars from all of the world came together to perform a virtual concert aptly called "One World: Together At Home." The e-concert was organized by Global Citizen in support of the World Health Organization's COVID-19 pandemic response and was meant to lift people's spirits.
Artists including Elton John, Beyoncé, John Legend, and The Rolling Stones performed songs, gave inspirational messages, and repeatedly thanked those working on the front lines. If you weren't able to tune into the event hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen Colbert, and Jimmy Fallon, allow us to give you some of the highlights.
Lady Gaga's Message And Goosebump-Inducing Performance
Singer Lady Gaga helped organize the lineup for the "One World" concert. So it was only right that she started the show off with a heartfelt message. Gaga said, "I care so much about all of the medical workers that are putting their lives at risk for us right now. I think of them every day. I pray for them every day."
Her speech then segued off into Charlie Chaplin's song "Smile." Of course, she's Lady Gaga, so the rendition was gorgeous and heartfelt. Not to mention it relayed a very good message to the viewers watching the virtual concert.
Beyoncé Had A Beautiful Message
During the "One World: Together At Home" concert, Beyoncé thanked those working on the front lines. But she didn't just thank doctors and nurses, but also the essential workers who don't have the luxury of being able to work from home. She was especially passionate about her hometown, Houston, Texas, and the African American community there.
In her message, Beyoncé said, "This virus is killing black people at an alarmingly high rate here in America. A recent report from my home city of Houston, Texas, showed that of COVID-19 deaths within Houston city limits, 57 percent of fatal cases are African American. Please protect yourselves. We are one family."
Taylor Swift Moving People To Tears
According to Taylor Swift, she never thought she'd be able to perform her song "Soon You'll Get Better," a collaborative song with the Dixie Chicks, and it wasn't because of the canceled shows in 2020. Rather, the singer-songwriter was worried about breaking down in the middle of a performance.
The song is an emotional ballad about her mother's battle with breast cancer, so her concerns are understandable. And for the people who tuned into the virtual concert, Swift sat behind her piano and gave a moving performance.
Jennifer Lopez Paid Homage To Barbra Streisand
Starting off her performance, Jennifer Lopez relayed something that she learned during this entire episode: how much we as humans need each other. The singer-actress lit up her "stage" with beautiful fairy lights on a tree during her performance of Barbra Streisand's "People," giving her a beautiful glow.
J-Lo even went as far as to wear a long-sleeve shirt with a picture of the Broadway star front and center. But it is J-Lo, and she's known to go big or go home! The A-lister blew the song out of the water and we're sure she made Ms. Streisand beyond proud with her rendition.
The Rolling Stones Just Doing Their Thing
You don't become one of the most influential rock bands in the world by playing it safe. And that's exactly the type of mindset The Rolling Stones had when it came to the "One World" concert. The bandmates did the impossible, performing "You Can't Always Get What You Want" from four different locations!
Some of the notable aspects of the performance were Charlie Watts air drumming and the contents of the huge book lying on Keith Richards coffee table. One Twitter user even accused Richards of being bold and leaving his book of spells out on the table for all to see! (It's The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes).
Billie Eilish And Her Soulful Rendition Of Bobby Hebb's "Sunny"
During the "One World" concert, singer Billy Eilish and her brother Finneas performed a stunning rendition of Bobby Hebb's "Sunny." Before she begins singing though, the singer explains her song selection.
Eilish said, "I love this song. It's always warmed my heart and made me feel good, and I wanted to make you guys feel good, too." And she's right. It's hard not to smile during Eilish's rendition of the song. It's soulful, thoughtful, and, we'll say it, full of sunshine.
John Legend And Sam Smith's Award Collection
The powerhouse duet of John Legend and Sam Smith singing "Stand by Me" wasn't the only thing viewers witnessed during the "One World" concert. It was hard not to notice the wall of trophies behind Legend and the line of Grammy Awards reflecting off the mirror behind Smith.
Of course, it's well-known that the two singers are highly regarded in the industry, so all of the accolades shouldn't be too surprising! Especially if you're like us and like watching all of the award ceremonies.
Elton John Possibly Shooting Hoops In Between Sets
During the "One World" concert, none other than Sir Elton John came out to virtually perform for viewers. The singer and talented pianist decided to sing his 1983 hit "I'm Still Standing" to help inspire anyone who has been affected by this crazy time. But the song wasn't the only thing people noticed about the performance.
A lot of viewers were curious about the outdoor piano and portable basketball hoop in the background of John's "stage." Did the singer go straight into a game of HORSE after his virtual concert? If so, we're kind of upset that they didn't think to have that as part of the show.
Keith Urban Cracked The Code To Human Cloning
Viewers couldn't help but joke about Keith Urban during his performance of Steve Winwood's "Higher Love." See, it looked as though the country singer had broken the mystery behind human cloning! There were three Keith Urban's playing guitar and dressed exactly the same way.
Even Nicole Kidman made a special appearance! Even though we know that two of the "Keith's" are fake, we'd like the thing the country singer and actress have been busy with scientific breakthroughs while at home; it makes it more fun!
Charlie Pluth Channeled His Inner Wiz Kalifa
Before starting his performance of the song "See you Again," singer Charlie Pluth had a beautiful shoutout. Pluth thanked all of the hospital workers for the insane hours they've put into making the world a safer place and to all of the teachers, truck drivers, and various other community service workers who are on "the front lines."
But the best part of his heartfelt performance wasn't just the sultry song but rather Pluth's unmade bed that viewers couldn't help but mention. Thankfully, Pluth had the best response to the internet trolls, saying, "Honestly...I don't think I've made my bed since 2008."
Shawn And Camilla Remind Us That It's A Wonderful World
If you're like us and have been following celebrities via social media during this crazy time, then you might know that Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello have been quarantined together. The two of them together gives fans all of the musical content they could hope for, including their beautiful rendition of the famous song "What a Wonderful World."
The two artists couldn't have picked a better piece to perform for the "On World" concert, considering a majority of people have been at home for the past few months. Just keep thinking to yourself, folks, that it's a wonderful world.
Jack Johnson Brought Us Back To 2005
Jack Johnson took the liberty of singing one of his oldies that took us straight back to 2005, "Better Together". Considering this artist made his start singing on the beach, it's no surprise that his voice is just as smooth and melodic sounding as it is in his studio recording of the song.
Just the fact that he was sitting on his beautiful front steps wearing a t-shirt and board shorts made the performance that much better. It was nice to see someone in the sunshine instead of their living room.
Billie Joe Armstrong's Dog
Green Day singer Billie Joe Armstrong performed a fan-favorite for his portion of the "One World" concert, "Boulevard of Broken Dreams." A lot of fans of the punk rock band tweeted that "all they needed was to hear Billie Joe's voice." There's just something about a nostalgic song that puts a smile on people's faces.
And it didn't hurt that the artist traded in his emo hair for a crazy "haven't been to a barber in months" afro! Oh, and his doggo jumping on the sofa also didn't hurt his performance rating. Side note, Billie Joe, never apologize for your puppy interrupting anything!
Hozier Took Us To Church
Before he began singing his famous song "Take Me to Church," Hozier made sure to let viewers know that they should be thanking their local medical officials. He said any help for doctors, nurses, and other medical personnel is always welcome. Honestly, Hozier should have ended to show with the announcement because all bets of remembering things were off once he opened his mouth to sing.
Hot take on Hozier's performance: the man should be legally required to always sing live. His "One World" segment sounded just as good if not better than his studio release. If you missed Hozier's portion of "One World," we recommend looking it up!
Kesha Lit A Fire In Our Souls During Her Song "Praying"
During the "One World" concert, Kesha had a very emotional performance singing "Praying". If you're not familiar with the story behind the song, it's about her old record label. Even if you're not a music person, the heartbreak and turmoil the singer went through is clearly illustrated through her lyrics and hand motions.
But it wasn't just the song that had us loving Kesha's performance. It was also the fact that she was able to get her guitarist onboard from another location. And can we talk about how magical both of their sets were with all of the lights and fire? Also, shoutout to the Earth t-shirt.
Jessie J Encouraged People To Sing Along
Singer Jessie J had a very important message to fans of her song "Flashlight" before she began her performance. She told viewers, "The first song I'm going to sing is "Flashlight." If you know the words, as I always say, please sing along."
Jessie J goes on to say, "This song is for anyone that needs it, okay? This is about us coming together and knowing that we are in this as one." The singer certainly puts on an at-home performance that makes us feel as though people are helping each other get through this crazy time.
Adam Lambert Doing Adam Lambert Things
First off, Adam Lambert is amazingly talented, so there was no wrong song choice where he is concerned. But just the fact that he picked his song "Superpower" made it all the better. The high energy song is exactly what a lot of people needed, and Lambert did nothing short of deliver!
Having his jungle scenery with the colorful neon lights and his vibrant getup just made the entire performance so energetic. We're actually very curious if he decided to rearrange his plants and microphone to that one spot or if that's just his home studio -- it wouldn't surprise us if it was.
Jennifer Hudson Shared Her Favorite Song
Jennifer Hudson started off her performance by sharing the reason why she chose to sing her favorite song, "Hallelujah." The powerhouse singer said, "at times like these this song soothes my heart, my soul, and I hope it does the same for you."
Trust us when we say Hudson's rendition of the soulful song definitely soothed our souls. Well, at least after all of the goosebumps subsided. And can we talk about the gospel feel she opted for during the chorus with some of her friends? Absolutely stunning.
Brandon Flowers High-Waisted Jeans
We were brought back to the early 2000s when Brandon Flowers came on screen to do a very odd version of The Killer's hit song "Mr. Brightside." And when we say strange, we mean because the song clearly isn't meant to be sung acoustically! Regardless, it was the perfect song choice for the band due to the nostalgia factor.
But the song wasn't the only interesting part of the performance. Did anyone else notice the stylish high-waisted jeans Flowers opted to wear during the show? They were awesome.
"The Prayer" Collab We Didn't Know We Needed
For the last performance of the "One World" virtual concert, Celine Dion, Andrea Bocelli, Lady Gaga, Lang Lang, and John Legend put together an impressive collaboration of the song "The Prayer." Originally, the song was written for the film Quest For Camelot, with lyrics revolving around thoughts of hope and coming out of the darkness.
Of course, the theme works during this time! And the powerhouse singers and skilled pianist did not disappoint, even though they were all at their respective homes. If you were unable to catch the song during the virtual concert, look it up. If for nothing other than Dion and Bocelli absolutely slaying the Italian verse.
