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Raye's 'uneven' cover of Skyfall at Oscars 2025 divides the internet: 'Only Adele should sing this live'

Raye performed a cover of Adele's Skyfall at the 2025 Oscars as part of a musical tribute to the James Bond franchise.

Mar 03, 2025 08:08 am IST
By Abhimanyu Mathur
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The 97th Academy Awards got a musical touch with a grand tribute to James Bond. On Sunday night, the Oscars launched into a four-part tribute to James Bond, with four musical superstars taking the stage. And while most received praise, singer Raye's rendition of Skyfall had the internet divided. (Also read: 'Time for Kendrick Lamar to come and call Drake a pedophile': Conan O'Brien shocks Oscars audience with sharp jibe)

Raye's Skyfall covers divides the internet

Raye preforms "Skyfall" during the Oscars on Sunday, March 2, 2025, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello) (AP)

The musical tribute to James Bond at the Oscars began with Margaret Qualley and dancers, followed by Blackpink’s Lisa serenade of Live and Let Die, Doja Cat with Diamonds Are Forever, and Raye with Skyfall. As Raye took to the stage, Twitter (now called X) went berserk with reactions, many praising her, but most criticising her.

There was some praise too. One fan of Raye wrote, "Raye singing Skyfall yeah that was beautiful her voice is so perfect my god #Oscars." Another added, “Raye performing Skyfall she never misses. Oh my God!”

The James Bond tribute at the Oscars

The tribute comes on the heels of a shakeup that stirred the film industry: The longtime custodians of the James Bond movies handed over creative control to Amazon MGM in late February. Amazon bought MGM Studios in 2022 for $6.1 billion, a purchase that was significantly motivated by the acquisition of one of the movies’ most beloved and long-running franchises.

The 97th Academy Awards is streaming live on JioHotstar in India.

 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Abhimanyu Mathur

Abhimanyu Mathur is Deputy Editor, Entertainment at Hindustan Times. With almost 15 years of experience in writing about everything from films and TV shows to cricket matches and elections, he inhales and exhales pop culture and news. Currently, he watches movies and TV shows and talks to celebrities for a living, while occasionally writing about them as well. A journalism graduate of Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, Delhi University, Abhimanyu began his career with Hindustan Times at the age of 20, swapping classrooms for newsrooms at an early age. He began his journey in the early days of digital journalism, later switching to the madness of print journalism. Work has led him to far off places like Japan and Jordan, as well as to the interiors of Haryana and the Indo-Pak border. He dabbled in city reporting in places like Meerut, Gurgaon, and Delhi, covered the Olympics and Cricket World Cups, before finding his calling in entertainment and lifestyle during the pandemic. A Rotten Tomatoes Certified Film Critic, he is equally at home covering stories on ground as he is interviewing celebrities and studios, and sometimes prefers to shepherd teams in delivering traffic through the day. Even as his role has evolved from reporter to supervisor over the years, his first love remains writing (and of late, talking on camera). With a good understanding of cinema and its trends, and a keen eye for detail, he continues to spark conversations around showbiz for readers around the world.

Stay connected with all the glitz and glam from the world of entertainment, right from Hollywood gossip to Bollywood chit chat. Also don't miss out on music buzz, anime scoops and OTT action.
Stay connected with all the glitz and glam from the world of entertainment, right from Hollywood gossip to Bollywood chit chat. Also don't miss out on music buzz, anime scoops and OTT action.
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