The end of August brought one of the most improbable collaboration to reality: Olivia Rodrigo joined Billy Joel at Madison Square Garden to perform together. The young singer reached the stage and performed “Deja Vu” first and “Uptown Girl” later with the king of the arena himself.
Uptown Girl at MSG
The king of Madison Square Garden, Billy Joel welcomed and gave his benediction to Olivia Rodrigo on the night of Aug 24. The hit maker and record breaker was anticipated by the band’s instrumental introduction of her hit “Deja Vu.”
Billy Joel then announced: “I’m going to bring up a young musician. She’s a triple Grammy winner. She won the Billboard 2022 Woman of the Year award.” He continued: “She’s got the American Music Award. She’s got all kinds of awards. She’s very talented. I like her music, and so do my kids. She’s very talented. Please say hello to Olivia Rodrigo.”
The artist was welcomed in the New York arena by a chorus of surprise and enthusiasm, to which Rodrigo answered with a joyful smile. She immediately starting performing her hit “Deja Vu” under the proud look of Joel. He later joined her with his piano.
Billy Joel, who currently holds the record of the most consecutive shows at MSG (82 months), introduced a change to his usual lineup. In fact, Rodrigo joined Joel in “Uptown Girl.” According to Olivia Rodrigo, the song was part of the inspiration behind “Deja Vu.”
The performance showed her sincere adoration for Billy Joel. The collaboration proved how different generations of artists and fans can find a common point through music. The performance ended with a hug of the two singers. “Thank you, Billy,” said Rodrigo. “I love you,” added the huge fan in her. On an Instagram post, the star also commented: “Such an honour to perform with one of the best songwriters alive last night.”
