Super Bowl madness has descended upon New Orleans as the Kansas City Chiefs seek a third straight title against the Philadelphia Eagles. It’s a time of celebration and camaraderie—two things the Crescent City does better than anyone. However, the revelry mingled with the lingering sadness from last month’s Bourbon Street terrorist attacks that left 14 people dead. Holding both grief and joy at once, Lady Gaga surprised viewers with a tribute performance of her 2022 song “Hold My Hand.”
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Social Media Reacts to Surpise “Hold My Hand” Performance
If New Orleans is a city that lives and breathes, Bourbon Street is its beating heart. Extending 12 blocks from Canal Street to Esplanade Avenue, the historic French Quarter street is lined with bars and other establishments.
Devastatingly, the merriment was still in full swing in the early morning hours of New Year’s Day, when Shamsud-Din Jabbar drove a pickup truck past several barricades and into the crowd. Labeled a terrorist attack by the FBI, the incident left 14 people dead and dozens more wounded.
Unfortunately, New Orleans is a city all too familiar with resilience. Therefore, Super Bowl LIX proceeded as planned. However, the innocent lives lost last month remained at the forefront as Lady Gaga performed “Hold My Hand” right there on Bourbon Street ahead of the Super Bowl matchup.
A heartfelt tribute from Lady Gaga. Music has the power to heal. 🎶❤️ pic.twitter.com/H5OrKPUsrE
— ᴅʜɪʏᴀ💫 (@aadhi_twtz) February 9, 2025
Initially, “Hold My Hand” appeared in the 2022 film Top Gun: Maverick. The song scored nominations at the GRAMMYs and the Golden Globes.
Lady Gaga Also Honored the LA Wildfire Victims
Sunday’s (Feb. 9) pre-Super Bowl performance wasn’t the first time that Lady Gaga has honored the victims of a horrific tragedy. The “Abracadabra” singer penned a brand-new song with her fiancé, Michael Polansky, for the victims of the southern California wildfires.
The 14-time GRAMMY Award winner performed “All I Need Is Time” during the Jan. 31 FireAid benefit concert in Los Angeles.
““It’s just for tonight. It’s just for you,” Gaga told the crowd. “I think we all need a lot of things right now, but I think something we may also need is time. Time is a healer.”
Featured image by John Salangsang/Shutterstock
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