# Die with a Smile

"Die with a Smile" is a song by American singer-songwriters Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars. It was released on August 16, 2024, through Interscope Records. The song is included on Gaga's album Mayhem (2025). Gaga and Mars wrote and produced the track alongside Dernst "D'Mile" Emile II and Andrew Watt while James Fauntleroy provided additional songwriting. The collaboration was a result of Mars inviting Gaga to his studio where he had been working on new music. He presented the track in progress to her and the duo finished writing and recording the song the same day. In the song, Gaga and Mars express a powerful longing to be with a loved one, highlighting the urgency and depth of their love in the face of uncertainty and potential endings.
Musically, the soft rock-leaning track has been compared to Gaga's 2016 album Joanne and her 2018 release, "Shallow" from the A Star Is Born soundtrack, and Mars's work with Anderson .Paak as part of the Silk Sonic project. An accompanying music video directed by Mars and Daniel Ramos showing both singers performing the song on a retro stage set was released simultaneously alongside the track. Music critics lauded both singers' vocals and chemistry. The song saw substantial commercial success, becoming the longest-reigning daily number-one song in Spotify history, as well as one of the longest-reigning number-one songs in Billboard Global 200 chart history with twelve weeks on top. It also became the fastest song to reach one and two billion streams on Spotify. By the start of 2025, it had topped the official charts in more than 20 countries, and peaked at the top ten in over 25 additional countries. It earned multiple diamond and platinum certifications in France and fourteen additional countries. "Die with a Smile" was nominated for Song of the Year and won for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards.

## Development

Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars first performed and sang together at the 2016 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show on November 30, 2016, as a part of the lineup. In June 2024, Mars mentioned he would like to collaborate with Gaga on a song or "sing with her on her Las Vegas residency". In a press release, Gaga revealed: "Bruno and I have a lot of mutual respect for each other and were talking about collaborating". She revealed that the collaboration materialized while she was recording her upcoming studio album in Malibu. One night, after a long day, Mars invited Gaga to his studio to listen to music he had been working on and presented the track to her. At this point, she was "blown away" when she heard what he was working on. The duo finished writing and recording the song on the same night. Gaga described Mars' talent as "beyond explanation" and "next level", while Mars added that Gaga made the song "magical".
On August 12, Mars and Gaga started following each other on Instagram. On the same day, Gaga posted a series of emojis on Mars' Instagram post from his tour stop in Mexico City. On August 13, Gaga shared a video of herself playing a few chords of the song on a piano. During the video, she wore a shirt with Mars' face. The following day, Mars posted a photo wearing a T-shirt with Gaga's face on it.

## Release

Previously, a post from Hits magazine's "Rumor Mill", announced a collaboration between Gaga and Mars, revealing the song's title. "Die with a Smile" was officially announced days later on August 15. The accompanying artwork shows the artists dressed in "country-leaning" red-and-blue "Western" outfits with Gaga smoking a cigarette and Mars wearing a cowboy hat. Representatives for Gaga initially claimed the song would be a standalone single. However, it was later announced that the song would be on her eighth studio album, with Gaga calling it a "huge part" of the album and its "missing piece." Additionally, Andrew Watt revealed in an interview with Rolling Stone that the song had always been intended for Mayhem.

## Composition

"Die with a Smile" featured writing and producing credit from Gaga, Mars, Dernst "D'Mile" Emile II, and Andrew Watt, with additional writing on the track by James Fauntleroy. The song was written and recorded at Gaga's studio in Los Angeles in 2024. It has been labeled as a pop-soul and soft rock song, displaying the emotional style of a pop and soul ballad. Billboard's Kyle Denis described the song as a soaring ballad that blends pop, soul, country, and rock. It has been compared to Silk Sonic, Mars' collaboration project with Anderson .Paak. Critics found the sound to be closer to that of 1970s soft rock.
Regarding the writing and recording process, Gaga explained that one night she was working on her next album at a studio in Malibu when she received a call from Mars, who invited her to another studio nearby to listen to a song he had been working on. She said: "I went to see him at around 10 p.m. He showed me the idea, and then we wrote the second verse. We recorded it by 2 a.m. Bruno had a very specific way he wanted it to sound, and I wanted to give him that." She also mentioned that they aimed for the harmonies to feel "very 1970s" and were inspired by the collaborations between Carole King and James Taylor during the creative process. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, she stated:
   I remember feeling that it was a song people needed to hear. I write music all the time, and sometimes you feel like you're creating something that some people might like. But there are other times when you work on something, and you just know it's going to speak deeply to all kinds of people. I knew it immediately.

## Critical reception

"Die with a Smile" received widespread critical acclaim upon release. Robin Murray of Clash magazine gave the song eight out of ten stars, describing it as "a homage to those lush 70s duets" that "also feels profoundly modern". He added that "both artists shine, but there's an undoubted chemistry here that lets 'Die with a Smile' have a character of its own". Murray noted that "there's a feeling of mutual respect on this latest single, with both artists serving to push each other to different spaces", and said that "it's camp in places, but that's simple exuberant fun and hyped-up colour – the essential songwriting remains intact, plucking at those heartstrings". He concluded that the collaboration is "an unexpected triumph, one that leans on the strengths of both artists, before presenting something new". Jake Viswanath of Bustle wrote that the song "blends Gaga's emotive pop melodies with Mars' old-school R&B influences", with addictional "twang-y instrumentation", into a "sweepingly romantic and devastating" song which "portrays two lovers who want to experience their last moments with each other". Joey Nolfi of Entertainment Weekly defined the song as a "spiritual sequel" to Gaga's 2018 single "Shallow". Writing for Music Talkers, Peter Källman called the collaboration "a soulful masterpiece". Consequence gave a positive review: "both artists sound great — Gaga's vocal run as she starts her verse is perfect! — and, as Paolo noted, the production from Andrew Watt is solid as ever. And at the end of the day, new, perfectly fine music from Lady Gaga is better than no new music from Gaga at all." Brittany Spanos of Rolling Stone noted "the new track puts the duo's soaring vocals on full display". Paul Grein from Billboard called the song a "match made in Grammy heaven" and an "instant smash". The New York Times dubbed the song "a romantic, lightly apocalyptic slow-dance that offers both the opportunity to belt to the rafters."

## Commercial performance
### United States

Billboard reported that "Die with a Smile" sold over 14,000 digital copies in the United States during its first four days of availability and a full tracking week of 21,000 copies sold (digital and physical combined). It peaked at number one on Spotify, Apple Music, and iTunes during its release week. The track debuted at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the week dated August 31, 2024, becoming Mars' 19th top 10 and Gaga's 18th in the country. The duet debuted at number one on the Digital Song Sales chart, becoming Mars 10th chart topper and Gaga's 9th. In its second week on the charts, the song fell to number 6 on the Hot 100, selling another 6,000 copies. However, with its ongoing stay in the Top 10 on Hot 100, the song later reached number two dated November 9, 2024 (logged 45.3 million listeners on the radio, 22.6 million streams, and 16,000 sold), with three new versions. During its tracking week, all the versions, including the original, instrumental, acoustic, and the "Live in Las Vegas" versions, were discounted to 69 cents on the iTunes store.
On the week dated January 11, 2025, it topped the chart (with 59.7 million radio airplay, 27.1 million streams, and 6,000 sold), becoming the first full opening tracking week No. 1 entry for the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 of the 2025 calendar year, as well as Gaga's sixth and Mars' ninth number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100, following its four consecutive weeks at the runner-up spot, Kendrick Lamar's top five debuts and the 2024-2025 Christmas season. The single also made Lady Gaga the first 21st century-debuting act, the second ever female artist after Janet Jackson, and third ever artist overall after Michael Jackson, to achieve multiple U.S. Billboard Hot 100 #1 songs in 3 different decades. In addition, Gaga also matched Diana Ross and Paula Abdul in joint seventh place for the most U.S. number one singles by female artists. It spent five non-consecutive weeks on the top of the Hot 100, becoming Gaga and Mars' first song to spend multiple weeks at No. 1 in the United States since Gaga and Mars' 2011 and 2012 releases of "Born This Way" and "Locked Out of Heaven", respectively.
On the Billboard Pop Airplay chart, the song reached the top, becoming Gaga's first chart topper there since 2011's "Born This Way" and eighth overall in her career. It also becomes Bruno Mars' first since 2016's "Finesse" and tenth overall in his career. In addition, Gaga also becomes the fourth act to earn number-one entries in the United States in each of the 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s decades, following Maroon 5, Taylor Swift, and Miley Cyrus.

### International

"Die with a Smile" reached the summit of the Billboard Global 200 and Global Excl. US singles charts in its second week, becoming the first chart-topper on both for Gaga and Mars, having accumulated over 97 million streams globally, 30 million of which were from the US. Remaining atop the chart for eight weeks, it became the second longest-reigning song of 2024, following "Apt." by Rosé and Mars, which accumulated nine weeks on top. Both song have now spent 12 weeks at number one on the Global 200. It is the only song to be streamed weekly over 100 million times globally for a twenty-week period. On November 20, 2024, "Die with a Smile" became the fastest song to reach 1 billion streams on Spotify and the only song to do so in under 100 days, completing the feat after only 96 days. It surpassed the previous record held by Jungkook and Latto's "Seven" (2023), which achieved the milestone in 108 days. By mid-December, "Die with a Smile" was established as the most viral song of 2024 on Spotify, amassing over 1.6 billion streams within 17 weeks and becoming the most shared song from the platform on social media. On February 10, 2025, the song achieved the most days at number one on the Spotify Global daily chart with 121 non-consecutive days, surpassing Tones and I's "Dance Monkey" (2019).
In the United Kingdom, "Die with a Smile" debuted at number seven on the UK Singles Chart, making it Mars' 11th top 10 on the chart and Gaga's 15th. The song slowly climbed the chart for the following three weeks before entering the top 5 at number five in its fifth week on the chart. In its ninth week on the chart, the song reached a new peak of number two.
In Brazil, "Die with a Smile" debuted at number 13 on the Billboard Brasil Hot 100, the highest-charting international song on the chart that week; it peaked at number four on the chart dated October 19, 2024.
In Australia, it debuted at number 10 on the ARIA Singles Chart dated August 26, 2024, becoming Mars' 17th top 10 on the chart and Gaga's 15th. The song ascended through the top 10 of the chart for several weeks before reaching a new peak of number two in its fifth week.
In New Zealand, the song debuted at number one on the Top 40 Singles Chart and dominated for eight additional weeks.
In the Philippines, the song debuted at number six on the Philippines Hot 100 chart dated August 31, 2024. On its fourth week, it climbed to the top of the chart, becoming the first international acts to achieve this milestone, as well as becoming the international song with the longest run at #1 in the country during the 2024 calendar year. Elsewhere, the song topped the national charts in Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Israel, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Malaysia, the region of MENA, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela.

## Live performances

Gaga and Mars performed "Die with a Smile" live for the first time on August 15, 2024, as part of Mars' show for the opening of Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. The duo donned attire similar to what they wear in the song's accompanying visuals. After Mars welcomed Gaga to the stage as part of the show's encore, they replicated the song's music video on stage, with Mars at the guitar and Gaga playing the keys. On August 27, 2024, the duo performed the song twice at his concert residency, Bruno Mars at Park MGM in Las Vegas. The video was later released on Mars' YouTube channel on October 29, 2024. Mars performed a solo piano version of "Die with a Smile" during his promotional tour, Bruno Mars: Live in Brazil, which ran from October 4 to November 5, 2024. The tour featured 14 shows across various Brazilian cities, including Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. Gaga also performed a solo rendition of the song during a Christmas special of Carpool Karaoke, released on Apple TV+ on December 15, 2024.

## Music video

Gaga revealed via Instagram alongside the song's announcement that its accompanying music video would be released simultaneously with the track at 9 PM PDT. The music video, directed by Mars and Daniel Ramos, shows Gaga and Mars in the blue outfits they are wearing on the song's cover art. The clip shows the duo performing the song on a retro stage of a TV studio set, populated by faceless mannequins, as a black-and-white camera records them. Mars plays the guitar wearing a cowboy hat as Gaga plays the keys while sporting red tights.

## Accolades

Awards and nominations for "Die with a Smile" :
| Organization | Year | Category | Result |
| MTV Europe Music Awards | 2024 | Best Collaboration | Nominated |
| Musa Awards | 2024 | International Anglo Song of the Year | Won |
| Musa Awards | 2024 | International Collaboration of the Year | Won |
| NRJ Music Awards | 2024 | International Collaboration of the Year | Won |
| RTHK International Pop Poll Awards | 2024 | Top Ten International Gold Songs | Won |
| Grammy Awards | 2025 | Song of the Year | Nominated |
| Grammy Awards | 2025 | Best Pop Duo/Group Performance | Won |
| iHeartRadio Music Awards | 2025 | Best Collaboration | Won |
| iHeartRadio Music Awards | 2025 | Best Music Video | Nominated |
| GAFFA Awards (Denmark) | 2025 | International Single of the Year | Pending |
| New Music Awards | 2025 | AC Song of the Year | Pending |

## Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of the CD single.
Recording
* Recorded at Glenwood Place Recording (Burbank, California)
* Mixed at MixStar Studios (Virginia Beach, Virginia)
* Mastered at Sterling Sound (New York City)
Personnel

## Certifications

Certifications for "Die with a Smile" :
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
| Australia (ARIA) | 4× Platinum | 280,000$^‡$ |
| Austria (IFPI Austria) | Platinum | 30,000$^‡$ |
| Belgium (BEA) | Platinum | 40,000$^‡$ |
| Canada (Music Canada) | 4× Platinum | 320,000$^‡$ |
| Denmark (IFPI Danmark) | Platinum | 90,000$^‡$ |
| France (SNEP) | Diamond | 333,333$^‡$ |
| Germany (BVMI) | Gold | 300,000$^‡$ |
| Italy (FIMI) | Platinum | 100,000$^‡$ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ) | 3× Platinum | 90,000$^‡$ |
| Norway (IFPI Norway) | Platinum | 60,000$^‡$ |
| Poland (ZPAV) | 2× Platinum | 100,000$^‡$ |
| Portugal (AFP) | 2× Platinum | 20,000$^‡$ |
| Spain (PROMUSICAE) | 2× Platinum | 120,000$^‡$ |
| Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland) | Platinum | 30,000$^‡$ |
| United Kingdom (BPI) | Platinum | 600,000$^‡$ |
| Streaming |||
| Greece (IFPI Greece) | 2× Platinum | 4,000,000$^†$ |
| $^‡$ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. $^†$ Streaming-only figures based on certification alone. |||

## Release history

"Die with a Smile" release history :
| Region | Date | Format(s) | Version(s) | Label(s) |
| Various | August 16, 2024 | Digital downloadstreaming | Original | Interscope |
| Italy | August 16, 2024 | Radio airplay | Original | EMIWarner |
| Germany | August 16, 2024 | CD | Original | InterscopeStreamline |
| United Kingdom | August 16, 2024 | CD | Original | InterscopeStreamline |
| United States | August 16, 2024 | CD | Original | InterscopeStreamline |
| United States | August 16, 2024 | Contemporary hit radio | Original | Interscope |
| United States | August 19, 2024 | Adult contemporary radiohot adult contemporary radio | Original | Interscope |
| Canada | August 23, 2024 | CD | Original | InterscopeStreamline |
| France | August 27, 2024 | CD | Original | InterscopeStreamline |
| United States | October 25, 2024 | 7-inch vinyl | Originalinstrumental | InterscopeStreamline |
| Various | October 29, 2024 | Digital downloadstreaming | Instrumental | Interscope |
| Various | October 30, 2024 | Digital downloadstreaming | Live in Las Vegas | Interscope |
| Various | November 1, 2024 | Digital downloadstreaming | Acoustic | Interscope |
| Various | November 20, 2024 | Digital download | Sped Up | Interscope |
| Various | November 20, 2024 | Digital download | Instrumental Acoustic | Interscope |
| Canada | November 29, 2024 | 7-inch vinyl | Originalinstrumental | InterscopeStreamline |
| Germany | December 9, 2024 | 7-inch vinyl | Originalinstrumental | InterscopeStreamline |
| France | December 13, 2024 | 7-inch vinyl | Originalinstrumental | InterscopeStreamline |
| United Kingdom | December 13, 2024 | 7-inch vinyl | Originalinstrumental | InterscopeStreamline |