The 97th Academy Awards featured a musical element with an elaborate homage to James Bond. On Sunday evening, the Oscars commenced a four-part tribute to the iconic franchise, showcasing performances by four renowned musical artists. While the majority of the performances were well-received, singer Raye's interpretation of "Skyfall" sparked a divided response online.

Raye's Skyfall covers divides the internet

The musical homage to James Bond at the Oscars commenced with a performance by Margaret Qualley and a group of dancers. This was succeeded by Lisa from Blackpink delivering a rendition of "Live and Let Die," followed by Doja Cat performing "Diamonds Are Forever," and Raye concluding with "Skyfall." As Raye appeared on stage, social media platform Twitter, now known as X, erupted with a flurry of responses, with numerous users commending her while a majority expressed criticism.

One tweet expressed, "I regret to say that only Adele possesses the ability to perform 'Skyfall' in the manner it deserves #Oscars2025." Another individual remarked, "If they were genuinely committed to this James Bond tribute, they would have brought Adele from her home just down the street to deliver a performance of 'Skyfall'!" A shared meme depicted Adele with a disappointed expression, associating it with Raye's performance. Additionally, a comment on Instagram stated, "This feels so arbitrary and inconsistent."

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 follows a significant upheaval within the film industry: the longstanding stewards of the James Bond franchise transferred creative authority to Amazon MGM in late February. Amazon's acquisition of MGM Studios in 2022 for $6.1 billion was largely driven by the desire to obtain one of cinema's most cherished and enduring franchises.

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

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