Whether you witnessed the chaos live or not, you’ve probably heard about how weird the Oscars were Sunday night (and not good-weird either, more like half lame-as-expected, half unexpectedly-confusing weird). However, even if things had gone more smoothly, it’s likely that anything slotted to follow Beyoncé’s opening performance of “Be Alive” from Best Picture nominee King Richard was going to be a letdown.
Following an introduction from Venus and Serena Williams, the show played the pre-taped performance of the Oscar-nominated song from the Tragniew Park Tennis Courts in Compton, California. The performance featured appearances by King Richard actresses Saniyya Sidney and Demi Singleton, the Compton Cowboys Junior Equestrians and Beyoncé’s daughter, Blue Ivy Carter.
The stunning rendition of “Be Alive,” which the singer co-wrote with songwriter/producer Dixson, marked the singer’s first performance at an award show in five years. It was also her first time returning to the Academy Awards since 2009 when she performed a movie musical medley with host Hugh Jackman.
Other notable musical moments from last night’s broadcast included Billie Eilish and Finneas’ performance of their title song from No Time to Die (which ended up winning the award for Best Original Song) and a surprise appearance by Megan Thee Stallion during the performance of Encanto’s “We Don’t Talk About Bruno.”
You can watch Beyoncé’s full opening performance of “Be Alive” below.
