An iconic surprise! Olivia Rodrigo joined Billy Joel on stage for a two-song duet with the Piano Man.
The “Captain Jack” crooner, 73, introduced the former Disney star, 19, during his Wednesday, August 24, performance at New York City’s Madison Square Garden. “I’m gonna bring up another young musician. This is a very talented singer-songwriter,” the New York native told the crowd, listing some of the awards Rodrigo has won. “I like her music and so do my kids.”
The High School Musical: The Musical: The Series alum then walked on stage and began to sing her hit “Deja Vu,” with Joel accompanying her on piano. As fans know, the song’s lyrics contain a reference to the legend himself: “I’ll bet that she knows Billy Joel / ‘Cause you played her ‘Uptown Girl.'”
When she finished, the pair shared a hug before Joel announced, “We’re gonna do the song that was referred to in the last song, as per [Olivia’s] request.” The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and Rodrigo then launched into a performance of “Uptown Girl.” After the song ended, the twosome hugged again and the “Brutal” artist said, “Thank you, Billy! I love you!”
Following the show, Rodrigo shared a selfie with Joel via her Instagram Story, adding the caption, “Biggest honor ever still crying thank u Billy!!!!!!!” with a string of heart, guitar and smiley face emojis.
Last year, the Grammy winner admitted that her “Deja Vu” cowriter Dan Nigro actually contributed the Joel lyric to the song. Like the rock legend, Nigro, 40, is a proud Long Islander. “[It’s] probably my favorite lyric,” Rodrigo said of the line during an April 2021 interview on Rolling Stone‘s “The Breakdown” podcast.
The producer, for his part, added: “Just trying to make Long Island represent as much as possible in this.”
Fans have long believed that “Uptown Girl” is either about Elle Macpherson, whom Joel was dating when he wrote the song, or Christie Brinkley, who appeared in the music video and later married the pianist. The musician, however, has said that the 1983 tune is not about one specific woman at all — but a whole group of them.
In 2010, the “Movin’ Out” artist told Howard Stern that the track was originally titled “Uptown Girls” to reflect the plurality of inspirations. “They didn’t get the whole story,” Joel explained. “They got part of it.”
Keep scrolling for more photos from Rodrigo and Joel’s surprise performance.
