Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars' collaboration 'Die With A Smile': Facts and figures
Read up on the song's meaning too!
Last updated 8th May 2025
Lady Gaga is well known for her incredible collaborations, and her song 'Die With A Smile' with Bruno Mars has been wowing fans ever since its release in August 2024. Having long been fans of each others' work, the time finally came for the pair to take the studio together.
We've taken a look at the essential facts of the song, including where it came in the charts, which album it's on and the meaning behind the song's lyrics. Read on to get illuminated...
When was the song released?
It came out on Friday 16th August 2024.
Where did it come in the charts?
It peaked at Number 1 in the US and Number 2 in the UK, just being pipped to the post by Sabrina Carpenter's 'Taste'. It's also been certified 2x Platinum in the UK with 1.2 million sales.
Which album does it appear on?
Lady Gaga included it on her March 2025 album 'Mayhem', which also featured the likes of 'Disease' and 'Abracadabra'.
Music video: 'Die With A Smile'
In the music video, which was co-directed by Bruno, viewers get to see the pair performing on stage, with Bruno on guitar and Lady Gaga on keyboard, dressed in matching blue and red outfits. It's thought to be an homage or parody of classic pop duets.
Did it win any awards?
It won Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the Grammys, and was also nominated for Song of the Year, missing out to Kendrick Lamar for 'Not Like Us'. It was also nominated for Best Collaboration at the MTV Europe Music Awards.
'Die With A Smile': Song meaning and lyrics analysis
'Die With A Smile' is about realising or remembering how much your partner means to you, how transient life is and how important it is to cherish and appreciate the ones you love.
The very first lines explain how the subject has woken from a dream in which they lost their partner, only to wake up with a renewed appreciation for them: 'Nobody's promised tomorrow / So I'ma love you every night like it's the last night.'
In the chorus, the subject explains that they'd want to be with their other half if the world was ending - very romantic! 'If the world was ending, I'd wanna be next to you / If the party was over and our time on Earth was through / I'd wanna hold you just for a while and die with a smile / If the world was ending, I'd wanna be next to you.'
Of the song, Lady Gaga told the Los Angeles Times: "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."
What did Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars say about working with each other?
Speaking about their collaboration, Lady Gaga said: "Bruno and I have a lot of mutual respect for each other and were talking about collaborating. I was finishing up my own album in Malibu and one night after a long day he asked me to come to his studio to hear something he was working on.
"It was around midnight when I got there and I was blown away when I heard what he had started making. We stayed up all night and finished writing and recording the song. Bruno’s talent is beyond explanation. His musicianship and vision is next level. There’s no one like him."
Bruno added: "Getting to work with Gaga has been an honour. She’s an icon and she makes this song magical. I’m so excited for everyone to hear it."
The pair first started teasing a collab on social media back in August 2024 about a fortnight before the song was surprise released, when Lady Gaga commented on a video that Bruno had posted on Instagram about performing in Mexico.
Along with the thousands of comments the post received, Lady Gaga's stood out: '😂🖤🖤🖤🖤'. As if that wasn't enough, Lady Gaga then posted a video of herself playing a tease of what we now know to be 'Die With A Smile' on the piano, whilst wearing a t-shirt with Bruno's face on - which he obviously re-shared to his Instagram Story.
And then, Bruno shared a photo of himself wearing a t-shirt with Lady Gaga's name on it. He simply captioned it: '😎'.
Take a look through Lady Gaga's biggest collaborations:
'Just Dance' with Colby O'Donis
'Just Dance' was Lady Gaga's debut single back in 2008. Co-written with the legend Akon, it only took the duo 10 minutes to write the record, which has ended up becoming one of the best selling singles of all time, with sales reaching 10 million copies.
American singer Colby O'Donis featured on the track, helping the tune reach Number 1 on both the UK Singles Chart and the US Billboard Hot 100.
Watch the music video on YouTube.
'Starstruck' with Flo Rida
'Starstruck' was released following the success of Lady Gaga's debut album, 'The Fame.' Produced and released in 2008, the track featured a rap verse by Flo Rida, with the single peaking at Number 7 on the U.S. Bubbling Under Hot 100. However, it only reached Number 191 in the UK Singles Chart.
Watch the music video on YouTube.
'Telephone' with Beyoncé
'Telephone' was released in 2009, after Lady Gaga reissued her debut album under the name, 'The Fame Monster.' The song featured the one and only Beyoncé - two icons in one song, what more can we ask for?
Interestingly, Lady Gaga originally wrote the song for Britney Spears, but ended up recording it herself. And we bet she's glad that she did, as it ended up going to Number 1 in both the UK and the US. It's even been certified 3x Platinum here in the UK!
Watch the music video on YouTube.
'LoveGame' with Marilyn Manson
'LoveGame' was originally released in 2009 and went straight to Number 1 in the US, and landed at Number 19 in the UK charts. The video was deemed too "sexual" in Australia and was therefore banned from being played pre-watershed (9pm).
In 2012, Lady Gaga re-released the record with American singer/songwriter Marilyn Manson, with the pair merging their gothic-like tones together to create an incredible duet.
Watch the music video on YouTube.
'Do What U Want' with Christina Aguilera
Released in 2014, Lady Gaga paired up with powerhouse Christina Aguilera after the duo teased they were working on something special. It peaked at Number 7 in the UK and Number 9 in the US.
Watch the music video on YouTube.
'I Can't Give You Anything but Love' with Tony Bennett
You may have forgotten this, but back in 2014, Lady Gaga released a collaborative jazz album, titled 'Cheek to Cheek', with Tony Bennett.
The album was a huge success, bringing a younger audience's ears to the jazz world, with the song topping Billboard's Jazz Digital Songs chart.
Watch the music video on YouTube.
'Hey Girl' with Florence Welch
'Hey Girl' was the only collaboration to feature on Lady Gaga's fifth studio album, 'Joanne.' The song was written by Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson and Florence Welch, with the latter ending up featuring on the song.
The song was never released as a single, but anyone who has listened to it will know it's a tear-jerker.
Watch the music video on YouTube.
'Shallow' with Bradley Cooper
Not only is Lady Gaga an iconic singer, she's also an extremely talented actress. Taking on the lead female role in 'A Star Is Born' in 2018, she released 'Shallow' with Bradley Cooper, which shot up the charts across the world, peaking at Number 1 in the UK, US, Canada, and many more countries.
The song achieved four Grammy award nominations, winning 'Best Pop Duo/Group Performance' and 'Best Song Written for Visual Media' in 2018. It also won an Academy Award for 'Best Original Song' and the Golden Globe Award for 'Best Original Song.'
Watch the music video on YouTube.
'Rain On Me' with Ariana Grande
Lady Gaga teamed up with pop superstar Ariana Grande in 2020 for 'Rain On Me', which was the second single released from Lady Gaga's sixth studio album, 'Chromatica.' The upbeat house, dance-pop and disco song debuted at Number 1 in the UK and US.
Their first performance of the song was also hailed as one of the best performances of all time, after they performed at the 2020 MTV VMAs wearing masks because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Watch the music video on YouTube.
'Sour Candy' with BLACKPINK
Another collaboration on her 'Chromatica' album was with the South Korean girl group BLACKPINK. Collaborating on the single, 'Sour Candy', the song hit Number 1 in Singapore, Number 3 the US and Number 17 in the UK.
Watch the music video on YouTube.
'Love For Sale' with Tony Bennet
Lady Gaga collaborated with Tony Bennet again in 2021 for their album 'Love For Sale'. It was released on 30th September and is a tribute to Jazz composer Cole Porter. The album includes 12 tracks, with the pair's renditions of Cole Porter songs.
Watch the 'Love For Sale' music video on YouTube
'Die With A Smile' with Bruno Mars
On 16th August 2024, Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars released a surprise collab called 'Die With A Smile'. The song is the duo's first collaboration, with Lady Gaga explaining how the collab came about: "Bruno and I have a lot of mutual respect for each other and were talking about collaborating.
"I was finishing up my own album in Malibu and one night after a long day he asked me to come to his studio to hear something he was working on. It was around midnight when I got there and I was blown away when I heard what he had started making. We stayed up all night and finished writing and recording the song. Bruno's talent is beyond explanation. His musicianship and vision is next level. There's no one like him."
In February 2025, the song received the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the Grammy Awards, giving Lady Gaga her 14th Grammy win and Bruno his 16th. The track was certified Gold within three months of being released, and it's gone on to be certified 2x Platinum by the BPI.
Now read:
Bruno Mars: All your questions answered
Everything you need to know about pop superstar Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga's biggest career achievements so far 👑