Sam Smith and John Legend Perform ‘Lay Me Down’ at Red Nose Day 2015 [VIDEO]
After announcing their new collaboration on Sam Smith's "Lay Me Down," John Legend and the British crooner the stage at the London Palladium on Friday night (March 13) for Comic Relief's annual event Red Nose Day.
"Lay Me Down" is already an emotional song, but last night's performance really hit the heart. And you couldn't tell that this was the first time the two have performed it live. With John at the baby grand piano and Sam at the mic, the two were so in sync that all you needed to do was feel it. Sure, John's voice sounded horse in the beginning of his verse, but he quickly recovered. The passion these two put into the tune will easily make you reach for the Kleenex box.
While his video took a somber Sam to his late husband's funeral, the performance brought a whole different meaning to the song altogether. As John and Sam performed the tune, video of the U.K. charity's work in Africa, which provides aid to sick children, played onscreen.
Before the performance, John shared his excitement for the show on Twitter.
The "All of Me" artist explained what it was like working with Sam and how he was glad to be a part of the project: “Sam is such a talented artist," he said in an interview. "We’ve been looking forward to working together for a while now. I’m so glad we could collaborate on such a great song and for such a great cause.”
In a recent interview, Sam expressed how happy he is to get involved with Comic Relief, which has been been bringing together the U.K.'s entertainment industry and philanthropic causes for 30 years. “I recently visited a Comic Relief–funded project in my hometown which supports the young LGBT community in London,” Smith says. “I’m extremely proud that my single will help raise money for projects like this and many others in the U.K. and across Africa.”
The pair also released a video for the track, which has already garnered over 6.3 million views since its premiere earlier this week. And the single has topped the iTunes chart in the U.K.
You can grab your copy of "Lay Me Down" on iTunes now, with all proceeds going toward Comic Relief.