By james art The duo previously performed at the White House in 2022 when Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act into law
Cyndi Lauper reunited with Sam Smith at Madison Square Garden in New York on Wednesday night. When the ‘Stay With Me’ singer took to the stage, the historic arena lit up as thousands of fans turned on their mobile phone lights for the occasion and the star duo performed her massive 1984 hit ‘Time After Time’.
Lauper kicked off her Girls Just Wanna Have Fun Farewell Tour at MSG and will embark on a 23-city headlining tour across America with Aly and AJ, Amanda Shires, Elle King, Tones and I, Gayle and Trixie Mattel.
The 1980s pop icon and Smith previously performed in 2022 at the White House to celebrate President Joe Biden and his administration’s successful passage of the Respect for Marriage Act. The legislation strengthened marriage rights across the country, especially for same-sex and interracial couples.
During the ceremony in Washington, D.C. Lauper, who has been an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights for much of her career, performed a special performance of “True Colors,” a song from her second album of the same name. Smith, who sang “Stay With Me,” wrote in a social media post at the time: “I felt inspired to change the lyrics of ‘Stay With Me’ from ‘this ain’t love, it’s clear to see’ to ‘this is love, plainly seen,” to mark the historic occasion.”
In 2021, Smith released a cover of Lauper’s “Time After Time” from their live album, Love Goes: Live at Abbey Road Studioswhich came out the same year. Along with their rendition of the Lauper classic, Smith also shared a 20-minute conversation with the singer, during which Smith says that while the song has always filled them with melancholy and longing, it “just made me so happy to sing.”