Beyoncé served up the perfect opening to the 2022 Academy Awards on Sunday night with a performance of her Oscar-nominated song, “Be Alive,” from the “King Richard” soundtrack.
The pop star, wearing tennis-ball green alongside a group of braided and beaded dancers, performed the ballad from tennis courts in Compton, California, where Venus and Serena Williams worked day and night to become two of the greatest athletes of all time. In the movie “King Richard,” Will Smith portrays Richard Williams, Venus and Serena’s father, who worked tirelessly to make sure his daughters made it to the national stage to show off their tennis skills. “King Richard” is up for Best Picture this year, while Smith is nominated for Best Actor and has won several other awards this season for his performance.
“Be Alive” is nominated for Best Original Song and would be Beyoncé’s first Oscar win. In a fun blink-or-you-missed-it moment, Beyoncé and Jay Z’s daughter Blue Ivy appeared in the performance as well.
Viewers on Twitter were ecstatic to see Beyoncé’s performance — and perhaps relieved that it aired early on in the 3 1/2-hour broadcast.