Angela Bassett Did The Factor, and Ariana DeBose Deleted Her Twitter Account

It is difficult to ship a universally beloved efficiency, significantly at an awards present.  Final yr’s greatest supporting actress Oscar winner Ariana DeBose realized that the arduous manner, after performing an authentic rap on the BAFTAs that went viral for all of the unsuitable causes. 

The Tony-nominated musical theater star, who gained Oscar gold for her debut movie efficiency as Anita in Steven Spielberg‘s West Aspect Story, was requested to open this yr’s BAFTA ceremony with a musical quantity. In true theater child trend, DeBose took on the problem, concocting a musical efficiency that mixed “Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves” and “We Are Household” with an authentic ”Vogue”-inspired rap that toasted this yr’s feminine appearing nominees.

So, what went unsuitable? Clad in a pink jumpsuit, DeBose gave her all to the quantity—which she crafted herself. However by the point she started rapping concerning the all-female nominees for excellent debut efficiency, she appeared to be considerably out of breath. “Different girls within the room, supporting and main all right here I presume,” rapped DeBose earlier than launching into probably the most viral portion of the quantity. 

She danced her manner into the viewers and known as out the feminine appearing nominees by identify: “Angela Bassett did the factor. Viola Davis, my girl king!” sang DeBose. “Blanchette, Cate you are a genius. And Jamie Lee, you might be all of us!” DeBose ended the quantity with an interpolation of “We Are Household”—and a request for the viewers to rise up on their ft which went ignored.  

Reception to her efficiency within the room appeared to run the gamut. Some nominees—like Hong Chau, Dolly De Leon and Ana de Armas—watched DeBose with one thing akin to confusion. Others, like Michelle Yeoh, Jamie Lee Curtis, and a snap-happy Viola Davis, appeared to genuinely get pleasure from it. The press response was additionally combined, with British newspaper The Guardian calling DeBose’s opening quantity one among “the all-time nice berserk musical performances” earlier than breaking it down moment-by-moment, stating the highs (Dame Emma Thompson‘s delighted response) and the lows (DeBose calling Electrical Illness, a documentary a couple of horrifying medical situation, a “slay”). On-line, social media accounts instantly started meme-ing the quantity for all it was price. DeBose reportedly deactivated her Twitter account shortly after it started going viral.