After what seemed like months of anticipation, Aya Nakamura left it all on the stage for the 2024 Olympics opening ceremony in Paris.
The global star went for the gold—literally—to kick off this year’s Summer Games in Dior Haute Couture. In a metallic textured minidress, matching strappy gladiator sandals, and with her hair in a platinum blonde blowout, the singer performed a mash-up of her hits “Pookie” and “Djadja” alongside a crew of dancers, also dressed in Dior, and a live band courtesy of France’s Republican Guard.
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Nakamura’s performance comes after months of controversy over whether she would appear in the opening ceremony. While she is the most-streamed Francophone musician in the world, racist naysayers argued that her Malian roots should bar her from being part of Paris’s official Olympic celebrations—even though she sings entirely in French and stands as one of France’s most popular recording artists.
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Needless to say, Nakamura gracing the stage on the Seine at today’s ceremony is a political move, a way for French officials to show their support for the star and recognition that African artists, creatives, and everyday people are fully a part of the country’s cultural makeup. Fans were quick to praise her performance on social media, calling the moment “monumental” and “incredible.”
Nakamura addressed the rumors and controversy in her song “Doggy” earlier this year, rapping: “J’ai pas d’ennemis moi / C’est eux qui m’aiment pas / Un tas d’ennemis mais / J’les connais même pas” (“I don’t have enemies, me / It’s them that don’t like me / A load of enemies / But I don’t even know them”).
