Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars Honor L.A. After Wildfires With ‘California Dreamin” Duet at the 2025 Grammys

Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars threw it back to the ’60s for their performance at the 2025 Grammys, singing The Mamas and the Papas’ iconic hit “California Dreamin” midway through the ceremony at Crypto.com Arena Sunday (Feb. 2).

Taking the stage just after a video played highlighting the destruction in the Los Angeles area — which has been left devastated following January’s deadly wildfire crisis — the two singers added a bittersweet edge to the cheerful 1965 tune by slowing the song down and pouring emotion into their powerful vocals. When one duet partner was singing lead, the other would join in on backup vocals.

“All the leaves are brown,” Mars sang toward the end while Gaga leaned her head on his shoulder, echoing the line back to him. “And the sky is gray/ I’ve been for a walk/ On a winter’s day.”

The ceremony comes three days after Gaga joined numerous other stars in performing at the FireAid benefit concert in L.A., raising money for the city’s rebuilding efforts after the blazes displaced tens of thousands of residents and destroyed countless homes. The musician is also gearing up to release her highly anticipated seventh studio album, Mayhem, in March.

Leading up to the Grammys broadcast, fans had heard only two songs from the LP: “Die With a Smile,” Gaga’s smash hit duet with the Silk Sonic star, and “Disease,” which dropped in October. The former spent eight weeks atop the Billboard Global 200 and last month reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 more than four months after it first entered the chart. “Die With a Smile” is also nominated for both song of the year and best pop duo/group performance at this year’s Grammys.

Shortly after Gaga performed with Mars, Mother Monster premiered a third single and music video titled “Abracadabra” from Mayhem during a commercial break. The choreography-filled project featured one Gaga, dressed in a scarlet corset and puffy skirt, surveying a desolate warehouse space as another Gaga, sporting a white jumpsuit, dramatically dances with dozens of other performers.