"Die with a Smile" is a song by American singer-songwriters Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars. It was released as a standalone single on August 16, 2024, through Interscope Records, and was included as the closing track of Gaga's studio album Mayhem (2025). Mars developed the track with Dernst "D'Mile" Emile II and James Fauntleroy in 2021; three years later, he presented it to Gaga, and the four completed it the same day. The final version was written by Gaga, Mars, D-Mile, Andrew Watt, and Fauntleroy, and it was produced by the first four.
The song is a sentimental ballad that incorporates pop, pop-soul, and soft rock, with influences from country music. Critics compared its style to the sounds of 1970s ballads, Gaga's album Joanne (2016) and single "Shallow" (2018), and Mars's Silk Sonic project. Lyrically, it expresses a powerful longing to be with a loved one, highlighting love's urgency amid uncertainty. The song received critical acclaim for the vocals, the instrumentation, and the lyrics' emotional weight.
"Die with a Smile" enjoyed widespread commercial success. On Spotify, it became the longest-reigning daily number-one song, the fastest track to surpass four billion streams, and the most-streamed song of 2025. The track spent 18 weeks atop the Billboard Global 200 and topped the charts in more than 30 countries, including the United States, Canada, New Zealand, and the Netherlands. It was certified multi-diamond in Brazil by Pro-Música Brasil and diamond in France by the National Syndicate of Phonographic Publishing, in Poland by the Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry and in Greece by IFPI Greece.
Mars and Daniel Ramos directed the music video, which was released simultaneously with the song. The video features Gaga playing piano and Mars playing guitar as they sing together in a studio inspired by 1970s television. The duo gave their first live performance of the song at a Mars concert in Los Angeles in August 2024. In the same year, a performance in Las Vegas was released officially on digital platforms. Both artists delivered solo renditions in concerts, including some shows of Bruno Mars Live (2022–2024), Gaga's 2025–2026 Mayhem Ball concert tour, the Super Bowl LX halftime show, and her reimagined version for Mayhem Requiem. "Die with a Smile" was nominated for Song of the Year and won Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards.
Background and development Bruno Mars first developed what would become "Die with a Smile" in 2021, writing parts of the first verse and chorus before setting it aside as an unfinished demo. American record producer and songwriter D'Mile recalled that Mars "had the hook, at least the lyrics or theme to the hook, about being next to someone if the world was ending". Mars was, however, unsure how to develop it further and held the idea for a year before its release.
According to American singer-songwriter James Fauntleroy, Mars initially considered pitching an early version of the song for the 2024 film Joker: Folie à Deux in which Lady Gaga stars, or her companion album to the film, Harlequin (2024). The former project is a companion album to the film. Mars, Fauntleroy, and D'Mile then resumed working on the track. D'Mile noted that they created only "two or three" versions—fewer than usual—and that the second was already close to the final arrangement. They experimented with different chords for the verse before Mars settled on a progression and the hook chords on guitar, while D'Mile played bass.
American record producer Andrew Watt was invited, alongside Gaga and American entrepreneur and venture capitalist Michael Polansky to hear the song at Mars's studio. During the session, Gaga, who was recording her upcoming studio album, was "blown away" by the track. Regarding their collaboration, Gaga highlighted Mars's skill, musicianship and forward-thinking; Mars described the collaboration as a privilege and said her contribution added a distinctive element to the song.
Writing and recording
Gaga visited Mars late at night to work on the song. After writing the second verse together, they recorded until the early morning, Mars closely guiding Gaga's vocals to match his intended sound. 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. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Gaga revealed that she was initially intrigued by the idea of a song centered on what people would do if faced with the end of the world. She added:
Music journalists affirmed that, although the title evoked associations with Joker: Folie à Deux, the session focused on creating "a love song that would be for the ages". According to Watt, the recording of "Die with a Smile" followed an "old-school" approach, with Mars and Fauntleroy playing as Gaga wrote out the chords and bass changes. He added that the song was developed collaboratively, the team shaping its harmonies together, and recorded entirely with live instrumentation—including drums, bass, guitars, and vocals—to achieve a raw, organic sound.
Despite Gaga's upcoming commitments, work on the song continued into the early hours of the morning. Watt characterized the atmosphere in the studio as a "healthy competition", comparing the interaction between the singers to that of Quincy Jones and Michael Jackson. After the instrumental arrangement had been completed, Gaga recorded her vocals while Mars assumed the role of vocal producer, the pair refining their performances together. Fauntleroy later remembered Gaga learning the chords at the piano and carefully writing them down before rehearsing the song alongside Mars, which the team regarded as an unusually hands-on session. Following the recording, Watt and Gaga recut portions of her vocals while Watt and D'Mile continued refining the track over the following weeks.
Release The duo announced, on August 15, 2024, that the song and its accompanying music video would be released the following day. Simultaneously, they revealed the single's cover art, which depicts them in coordinating red-and-blue retro Western outfits, Gaga holding a cigarette and Mars wearing a white cowboy hat.
On August 16, Interscope Records released the single via digital download and streaming platforms. It was also sent for radio airplay in Italy by EMI Records and Warner Music Group. A CD single was also issued in Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States by Interscope and Streamline. On August 19, the track was serviced for adult contemporary and hot adult contemporary formats by Interscope. The label also sent the song to contemporary hit radio on the following day. The 7-inch vinyl was released in Canada on November 29, in Germany on December 9, and in France and the United Kingdom on December 13. On February 8, 2026, Gaga performed an abridged salsa version of "Die with a Smile", as a guest performer, at Bad Bunny's Super Bowl LX halftime show. That version of the song was released on the same day on streaming services.
Although "Die with a Smile" was initially promoted as a standalone single by Gaga's representatives, she later confirmed in a December 2024 interview with the Los Angeles Times that it would appear on Mayhem, describing it as "a huge part" and the "missing piece". Gaga added that she chose it as the closing track to give the record a "sense of peace", noting it was the last song she wrote. The song was also included on Mars's first compilation album, Collaborations (2026).
Composition and production
"Die with a Smile" is a pop, pop-soul, and soft rock song that evokes the emotional style of a sentimental ballad with influences from country music. The song was composed in the key of A major with a slow tempo of 52 beats per minute in 6/8 time signature. Billboard Kyle Denis described the song as a "soaring ballad that blends pop, soul, country and rock", and Luisa Calle from Billboard Español said it combines Gaga's emotive lyrical style with Mars's smooth R&B influence. The song was written by Mars, Gaga, Dernst Emile II, James Fauntleroy, and Andrew Watt and produced by all but Fauntleroy. Mars and Watt played the guitar, while Gaga played the piano and D'Mile was in charge of the bass and drums. It was recorded at Shampoo Press & Curl Studios, in Los Angeles, by Charles Moniz and Paul LaMalfa, who also served as engineers with Marco Sonzini. The track was mixed by Serban Ghenea at MixStar Studios in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Randy Merrill mastered it at Sterling Sound in New York City.
"Die with a Smile" opens with Mars taking the first verse and Gaga the second, after which both vocalists play off each other for the remainder of the track. It features what Variety Jem Aswad described as "soaring vocals, a big chorus, gently strummed guitars", culminating in a "sky-scraping climax" on the final chorus. Lyrically, it is an intense declaration of love that explores the narrators's feelings for each other amid a hypothetical end-of-the-world scenario. Gaga has described it as an "apocalyptic love song". The chorus conveys a sense of urgency in the relationship with its emphasis on the desire to be "next to you" if "the world was ending" or "our time on Earth was through". Capital Abbie Reynolds described lines such as "Nobody's promised tomorrow" and "I'ma love you every night like it's the last night" as reminders not to take love for granted. Jake Viswanath of Bustle compared the song's lyrical perspective to Gaga's 2011 single "The Edge of Glory", and Billboard Argentina highlighted its focus on "finding happiness and peace amid adversity". Writing for Marie Claire, Candela Barbieri viewed the song as presenting love as a refuge in the midst of chaos and uncertainty. Talking about the lyrics, Gaga added that although singing about dying does not naturally align with smiling, it makes sense in the context of the song because it reflects the sweetness and emotional meaning behind what they are expressing.
Critics noted that the song's sound was influenced by 1970s ballads. Los Angeles Times writer Mikael Wood said it evokes classic duets such as Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald's "On My Own" (1986) and Diana Ross and Lionel Richie's "Endless Love" (1981). Reviewers Joey Nolfi and Justin Curto at Entertainment Weekly and Vulture, respectively, noticed similarities to 1960s and 1970s pop ballads as well as Gaga's earlier work on Joanne (2016) and her single "Shallow" (2018) from the A Star Is Born soundtrack. Ed Power for The Irish Times likened the track to James Bond theme songs and to Gaga's collaborations with Tony Bennett, and NME Surej Singh compared its "soaring" chorus to Mars's Silk Sonic project. Shaad D'Souza writing for The New York Times further connected it to Mars's early material, influenced by wedding songs. Clash Robin Murray considered the song's slow, echoing guitar chords similar to shoegaze music, blending Lee Hazlewood's traditional songwriting with dreamy sounds comparable to Slowdive.
Critical reception "Die with a Smile" was met with critical acclaim. Reviewers highlighted the vocal interplay between Gaga and Mars and their restrained, cohesive duet dynamic. Vulture Craig Jenkins and Kristen Hé affirmed the duo's voices are presented as complementary rather than competitive. Critics also praised the chemistry between the performers, describing the collaboration as natural and effective. Alexa Camp of Slant Magazine and Sam Damshenas of Gay Times described it as a contemporary reinterpretation of classic romantic traditions, combining nostalgic charm with a polished, cinematic pop structure.