Since her stellar tribute to the Sound of Music at the 87th Grammy Awards, Lady Gaga has been giving more and more powerful performances sans the fanfare of outrageous and mind-blowing costumes and choreography. Last June 12, Friday, she yet again defied expectations with her sublime rendition of John Lennon's "Imagine" at the opening of the first European Games.

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Gaga first saluted the 70,000 people (figure reported on Billboard) cheering at the Olympic Stadium in Baku, Azerbaijan. She was wearing a simple white gown with her blonde hair down and makeup to a minimum, a far cry from her usual pizzazz. The performance, with an accompaniment of a grand piano covered in flowers, began faithful to the subtlety of the original. The next half was when her signature strong and solid vocals filled the stadium. The darkened audience seats were illuminated with flickers of cellphone lights swaying in tune with her singing. Several videos of the performance are already posted on YouTube and user comments overflowed with admiration.

According to News 24, Lady Gaga was a "surprise addition" to the lineup of the two-hour opening ceremony. It was only half way through the program that her appearance was announced. A coordinator to organizers named Catherine Ugwu revealed that so much effort was put into keeping the musician's presence under wraps. Ugwu further noted that Lady Gaga was "kind enough" to have kept herself under the radar for several days in a hotel. 

Right after her moving performance, the singer tweeted, "What an honor to have a few moments with the world watching. Could you imagine. What would you say?"

While many applauded the production, there were fans who allegedly criticized her for the gig in Azerbaijan. The singer has long been recognized as a staunch advocate of the LGBT community, whereas the country is known for its government's purported record of human rights violations. 

With the first European Games, Azerbaijan appears to be making a different image. In a report by the Denver Post, the opening ceremony alone amounted to $95 million, twice the cost of the recorded expenses for the opening rite of the 2010 London Olympics. In a report by Eurosport Lady Gaga received $2 million to sing at the event. 

TagsLady Gaga, azerbaijan, European Games