Mariah Carey, Billie Eilish & More Join Forces With Elton John For iHeart Living Room Concert For America
Elton John brought artists from across the globe together to sing and inspire hope and activism amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
The legendary-singer songwriter hosted The iHeart Living Room Concert for America, FOX’s hour-long virtual variety show featuring songs and messages from many of music’s biggest stars, including Lady Gaga, Demi Lovato, Sam Smith, Dave Grohl and Tim McGraw. Everyone taped their performances from their own homes in accordance with self-isolation guidelines and encouraged viewers to donate to organizations on the front lines of the health crisis.
“We know your concerns are a mile high, and we hope this bit of entertainment can feed and fuel your soul and maybe bring you some strength and a touch of joy to prepare for the days to come,” Elton explained at the top of the show.
Alicia Keys kicked off the musical extravaganza with an emotional rendition of her ballad “Underdog,” which she recorded at her piano.
“This song is like a prayer,” she said, dedicating it to all the first responders risking their lives to keep the public safe. “I hope that we remember how resilient we are and how we defy the odds.”
For her part, Billie Eilish went the stripped-down route, singing an acoustic version of “Bad Guy” alongside her brother Finneas. Meanwhile, Mariah Carey went all out for her contribution, adding in three backup singers and a pianist remotely as she belted out “Always Be My Baby.”
Many celebrity kids made cameos throughout the show. All five Backstreet Boys sang “I Want It That Way” from their separate homes, but Kevin Richardson’s two sons made sure he had company – jamming out on the guitar and drums as he recorded his part.
Ciara’s cute kiddos also made an appearance. While the “Melanin” songstress encouraged viewers to keep their faith strong, Future showed off his sports skills in the background, passing around the football with Russell Wilson.
Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendes joined in while self-isolating at home in Miami. The “In My Blood” singer filled in as his girlfriend’s guitarist as she sang her hit single “My Oh My.” When it came time for DaBaby’s verse, Camila sang his lines to a T – with the lyrics on her phone for reference!
Lizzo also stopped by for a quick video chat with Elton himself. The “Crocodile Rock” singer adorably fanned out over the “Hustlers” actress and said that her music inspired him. “When anything goes wrong in my life, I always blame it on my juice!” he hilariously sang to her.
Lizzo also shared a powerful message for viewers, urging them to be emotionally close during this time of physical separation.
“We can not let this tear us apart,” she said. “The social distancing is something that we’re doing for our health, but we have to come together closer as a people. Call a friend that you haven’t spoken to in a while. Call a family member. This is a very real pandemic. I know we watch TV and we see a lot of fear on television, but we can’t let the fear spread faster than the virus. We have to let love spread.”
