Two of pop’s greatest showwomen are jostling for the spotlight. Lady Gaga and Doja Cat both released songs for two movies set to be summer’s biggest blockbusters this week. Gaga dropped “Hold My Hand,†her overacted power ballad for long-awaited Top Gun sequel Maverick, following in the footsteps of iconic Top Gun songs like “Danger Zone†and “Take My Breath Away.†(Per Gaga, the song spans “multiple layers†“across the film’s heart, my own psyche, and the nature of the world we’ve been living in.â€) Gaga later confirmed that the plane in the music video “was real†and they flew it “over and over and over†again during filming. Doja Cat followed suit with “Vegas,†her contribution to Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis, which she first debuted at Coachella. It also sits on the shoulders of a giant by flipping Elvis’s signature “Hound Dog†(well, the original Big Mama Thornton performance) into a catchy trap song.
So, it’s time to choose your pop-star-summer-blockbuster-song fighter! Will you ride for schmaltz or sex this summer? Is the vibe the arena or the club? Are you planning to cry your way through Maverick or cringe through Elvis? Luckily, you’ve still got another few days to decide before both movies play Cannes — and months before they compete for the Oscar.
This post has been updated throughout.