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David Byrne performed the song This Is a Life from the film Everything Everywhere All at Once, wearing hot dog fingers that were featured in the movie, sparking a wide variety of reactions from fans.
The song was among the many nominated musical scores that were performed at the event, including RRR's Naatu Naatu from India that ultimately won the Oscar for Best Original Song. David Byrne performed the track This Is a Life alongside actress Stephanie Hsu. However, Mitski, one of the composers of the song, did not appear at the event.
As one fan exclaimed, partly in jest, David Bryne is being regarded as a national treasure by those who loved his performance:
Netizens have mixed reactions to David Byrne's choice of performance wear
Viewers' reactions ranged from positive to negative regarding Byrne's performance. On the positive side of the debate that soon took place online, some expressed how much they liked the performance, with one comparing it to a mini theatrical act. Another netizen even referred to a Talking Head song, Once Upon a Lifetime, while reflecting on the performance.
Others, however, thought that the performance was not up to standards, with one stating that Stephanie Hsu's addition detracted from the song's quality. Another netizen even reacted with horror, saying that the performance had ruined the song.
More about David Byrne's song This is a Life
The track, This is a Life, is a collaboration between the experimental band Son Lux, Japanese-American singer-songwriter Mitski, and Byrne himself. The song is based on the idea of reconciliation of different perspectives, which is meant to compliment the multiverse aspect of the film itself.
Speaking about the composition of the song and their collaboration with David Byrne during an exclusive interview with Consequence, Son Lux band member Lott shared:
"David Byrne was amazing to work with. I had this concept of a song that I wrote in my own higher register, which is also Mitski’s register, but I wrote it for her to sing."
The artist continued:
"We tasked David with writing a part that was a counter-melody where they could trade off phrases, and then come together at these certain ecstatic peaks, and then share a final coda section in harmony."
Tracing David Byrne's music career
Born on 14 May 1952, the artist began his musical career at an early age, learning to play the accordion, guitar, and violin by the time he was in middle school.
After graduating from high school, Byrne moved from Scotland to the US, where he eventually joined the band The Talking Heads, which saw critical acclaim with their eight studio albums, including the 1983 album Speaking in Tongues, which was their only top ten chart hit.
The singer began his solo career while working with the band, releasing an album, titled My Life in the Bush of Ghosts, in collaboration with Brian Uno, which received acclaim for its pioneering use of sampling and sound techniques.
Byrne reached the peak of his solo chart career with another collaboration, the 2012 album Love Giant with singer-songwriter Anne Clark, who is better known by her stage name St.Vincent. The album peaked at number 23 on the Billboard 200 chart.
The singer and composer is also known for his work on film soundtracks, particularly the Golden Globe-winning soundtrack of the film The Last Emperor by Bernado Bertolucci.
