It looks like Bono finally found what he was looking for when he teamed up with Lady Gaga for an epic three-song set during U2’s show at the Sphere in Las Vegas! Gaga joined the Irish rock icons on October 25, 2023, to perform their songs “All I Want Is You,” “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” as well as her country hit “Shallow.” Hearing Bono’s lithe tenor mix with Lady Gaga’s soaring mezzo-soprano voice was just magical.
Bono is used to being the center of attention, but this time he sat back just a little to let Gaga shine like the star she is. Bono and U2 gave “Shallow,” from Gaga’s film A Star is Born, a complete workover, performing it in their own style rather than copying the country vibe of the original. Gaga got to return the favor on the last song of the set, “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” and hearing her join her voice with Bono on the timeless ballad is a recipe for goosebumps.
U2 performed a sprawling 23-song set at their performance at the Sphere that night, and Gaga joined in the middle of the set for three songs. Fans tuned in 1.2 million times on YouTube to watch her perform with the band, and added comments such as “Surreal. Great performance! The blend works just so fine as well as the feelings put into the words and music” and “I love Gaga’s voice so much. Awesome duet! One of a kind. This woman can sing anything!”
Bono is clearly a fan of Gaga himself, as he introduced her at the Sphere by saying “the most audacious, vivacious woman in any room she’s ever in. Would you welcome to our turntable, the divine — the divinyl — Lady Gaga.” The Music Man readers might be surprised to hear that it’s not the first time Gaga has teamed up with U2, as she joined them onstage on July 26, 2015, at Madison Square Garden to perform their song “Ordinary Love.”
U2 gave the three-song performance with Gaga at their concert residency, U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere. The Irish rockers played 40 concerts for the residency, starting on September 29, 2023, and ending on March 2, 2024. The performances centered around the songs from their 1991 studio album Achtung Baby. The residency garnered rave reviews from critics, and the band drew in $244.5 million from an overall attendance of 663,000 people.