At Sunday night’s 92nd Academy Awards, This Is Us‘s Chrissy Metz took the stage to perform the Oscar-nominated song “I’m Standing With You” written by Dianne Warren for the movie Breakthrough. The film stars Metz as Joyce Smith, a real-life mother who leans on the power of religion and prayer after her son’s near-death experience.
Trading out the stunning red gown she arrived in for a deep navy blue dress, she belted the soaring ballad with a choir behind her. As she closed out the song — which includes the inspiring (if ugly-cry-inducing) lyrics “Through whatever you go through / I’m standing with you” — she gave a quick shout-out to her own mother with an “I love you mom” as the room applauded.
Chrissy Metz performing “I’m standing with you” at #TheOscars#Oscarspic.twitter.com/CMo1u26jb1
— Epic Movie Page (@EpicMovieClips) February 10, 2020
On Twitter, folks who had yet to hear Metz sing (sleeping on Kate Pearson, really?) were shocked and delighted to see her flex her range.
I didn’t know Chrissy Metz had barz!? #Oscars
— Natasha Rothwell (@natasharothwell) February 10, 2020
Chrissy Metz can SING #Oscarspic.twitter.com/evc2Pl1onk
— Caitlin McClain (@CitCatCaitlin) February 10, 2020
Ahead of her performance, in an interview with E!’s Daily Pop, Metz talked about how honored she was to get to bring the ballad to the Oscars stage: “It’s such an emotional song, so I’m very excited,” Metz said. “I’m really, actually, very excited. I think everyone else is more nervous for me than I am. I know that I’m there to do a job. And like, I’m gonna be present, I’m gonna be prepared and I’m just gonna have a good time.”
Metz previously performed the song at the Academy of Country Music (ACM) Awards last year, joined on stage by Carrie Underwood, Lauren Alaina, Mickey Guyton, and Maddie & Tae, who also appear on the film’s soundtrack.
Songwriter Warren, known for penning Aerosmith’s “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing,” Cher’s “If I Could Turn Back Time” and LeAnn Rimes’ “Can’t Fight the Moonlight” (among countless other familiar bops), said that she was inspired to write the song after seeing a scene from the film. Though she said she was nervous at first when she was told the film’s star was going to be singing it.
“So it’s like, ‘Oh the actress is gonna sing this song? Can she sing?’” Warren said in an interview for TODAY. “But, they said to just give her a chance and I said ‘sure,'” adding later that she was “blown away” when she finally got to hear Metz’ voice. (Same.)
“I was like, ‘I’m not giving this song to anybody, this is your song!’” Warren said. “You own it.” And after Metz’ Sunday night performance, we’ve got to agree.
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