Cyndi Lauper’s ‘Time After Time’ is undoubtedly one of those songs that has not just captured the hearts of millions around the world since its release in the ‘80s, but which has also entered the public consciousness due to its instantly recognizable sound. In this sense, to improve upon the vocal performance that Lauper gave on the recording would arguably be extremely difficult, but she herself might just have done it with a recent live duet of the song alongside pop starlet Raye.
The duet came as part of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in late 2025, and it saw these two iconic pop musicians from different generations coming together to deliver the performance of a lifetime. The obvious respect that Raye had for Cyndi – despite the former being one of the biggest pop artists in the world right now – was clear throughout, and added an extra level of melancholy and pathos to the vocals as their voices joined in unison on the choruses.
Having racked up hundreds of thousands of views in the few days the video has been on YouTube, it’s little surprise that fans of both singers have also taken to the comment section to deliver their praise for the performance. “They sound good together, this song is a true classic” reads one of the video’s most popular comments, while many other comments see viewers noting how Raye doesn’t try to overpower the performance, but rather lets Cyndi take the lead.
As Music Man readers who watched the ceremony in full will already know, Raye and Cyndi’s duet came as part of a longer medley of songs that Cyndi performed that night, including a solo rendition of her hit ‘True Colors’ and an upbeat performance of her classic single ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Fun’ featuring Avril Lavigne. You can watch the whole 12-minute performance via the video below.
Our favorite moment of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony to feature Cyndi Lauper, however, has to be her duet with Raye on the iconic song ‘Time After Time’. Seeing two generations of female pop stars coming together for such an emotive duet really makes for a tear-jerking moment, their shared vocals bringing a whole new meaning to the song and its lyrics.
Cyndi Lauper and Raye’s stirring duet proves that classics can be reborn when generations collide — a performance already gone viral and not to be missed. For the full live video, setlists and further reading, check the useful links below this paragraph to discover more about the artists and this unforgettable moment.