Sofia Carson performed her Oscar nominated song ‘Applause’ from the film Tell It Like A Woman on what she called “one of the greatest stages in the world” — the Academy Awards stage. The 29-year-old star was joined by her collaborator and Tell It Like A Woman director Dianne Warren on the piano for the stunning performance of “Applause.” Sofia arrived on the stage in a sparkling long-sleeve beige gown with a matching cape. She paired the shimmering look with a pearl and diamond choker necklace, rocked sleek thick eyeliner and pulled her hair back in a sleek chiffon, done by Caile Noble for Dove Hair. “Today’s look was all about being timeless and chic. A style tailored to Sofia, but a classic look that could inspire the many generations to come,” Caile said of the elegant updo.
What a production!#Oscars @SofiaCarson pic.twitter.com/76EicWO4Y3
— Clayton Davis (@ByClaytonDavis) March 13, 2023
Despite Dianne’s 14 Oscar nominations for Best Original Song, this is the first time she has taken the Oscars stage to perform. “I’ve always longed to work with [Warren], of course,” Sofia gushed ahead of the performance in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “Diane [sent] a DM and said that she had a song that she thought was perfect for me, very much in line with who I was as a woman, as an artist and as a female activist. The moment I heard the song, I knew it would be one of the greatest honors of my life to be the voice of that anthem. It was something greater than all of us.”
As women continue to fight for equality, bodily autonomy and beyond, the song “Applause” transformed into an emotional battle cry. “With women literally fighting for their right to live and to speak, the song just felt like something the world needed to hear,” Sofia said in the interview. “This song is part of a greater movement that we’re all fighting, every day, to create a new paradigm where gender parity isn’t the exception, but the rule.”
“Applause” in nominated in the Best Original Song category at tonight’s awards, joined by “Lift Me Up,” from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, performed by Rihanna, “Hold My Hand” from Top Gun: Maverick, performed by Lady Gaga, “This Is a Life” from Everything Everywhere All at Once, performed by Ryan Lott, David Byrne and Mitski, and “Naatu Naatu” from RRR, performed by Kaala Bhairava and Rahul Sipligunj. Sofia recalled her fellow nominees in an interview prior to the big night, telling The Hollywood Reporter, ““I still pinch myself about the very real reality that I am talking about the Oscars and that Lady Gaga and Rihanna will also be performing on the same stage.”