We just witnessed one of the weirdest, most wonderful Oscar performances ever, and I am healed, I am whole, everything is right in the world.
Am I exaggerating? I don’t know—what I’m trying to say is that Stephanie Hsu and David Byrne’s performance of “This is a Life” from Everything Everywhere All at Once is really, really great. “This is a Life” is one of the nominees for Best Song, and Hsu and Byrne took to the stage in hotdog fingers and multiversal regalia to sing it. Dancers surrounded them, and the screen behind them projected images of the infamous Everything Bagel and Raccacoonie, with glowing laser eyes.
The song was composed by the band Son Lux, and originally performed by Mitski and David Byrne. Mitski wasn’t present at the Oscars, but Stephanie Hsu has proven, again, that she’s a great vocalist, too.
Here’s the original song, for reference.
The Oscars are going weird and I love it
It’s been thrilling to watch Everything Everywhere All at Once sweep awards season. Earlier tonight, Ke Huy Quan and Jaime Lee Curtis both won their first Oscars for their roles as Waymond and Deirdre. The film is up for Best Picture, and after having won Best Ensemble at the SAG Awards, there’s a good chance it’ll win.
And Everything Everywhere All at Once is so weird! Every aspect of it is daring and experimental, from its storytelling (again, hotdog fingers and Raccacoonie! Plus talking rocks and pinatas!) to its cinematography to its messy, complicated characters (and all their alter egos across the multiverse). I said it before and I’ll say it again—seeing this film succeed is a massive win for fans of science fiction and experimental storytelling. Seeing the Oscars embrace the movie’s weirdness during Hsu and Byrne’s performance was icing on the cake.
(featured image: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
