John Legend Performs ‘Imagine’ During Tokyo Olympics Opening Ceremony
Amy Sussman/FilmMagic Reading Time: 2 minutes
This year, the 2020 Olympic Games are more unprecedented than ever before. In the realm of the unexpected, Keith Urban and John Legend made an appearance on screen. At this year’s Olympic Games, the talent show judges were present at the Opening Ceremony. In a video performance of John Lennon’s “Imagine,” they sang alongside Spanish performer Alejandro Sanz, Beninese singer-songwriter Angelique Kidjo, and the Suginami Children’s Choir.
The Artists Perform “Imagine”
After a year long delay, athletes from around the world came together. They officially kicked the games off in the Opening Ceremony. This year’s theme is “Untied By Emotion.” The initial scene shows a lone runner entering the stadium. This in turn, symbolized the solitude athletes had to endure while training during the pandemic. The ceremony also featured several dancers and acrobats, while the Olympic Rings were assembled. They were made from wood harvested from trees planted at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.
In a behind the scenes video, The Voice coach Legend expressed his thoughts on his involvement with the performance:
“What a beautiful group of artists to come together to celebrate the idea that we’re bound together as human beings and this is the perfect song for us to sing together,” he said.
Additionally, Keith Urban was also grateful to be a part of the experience. He expressed that “Imagine” is a song that feels like it has always been there. That it’s a sort of “spiritual classic.”
“Even if you don’t speak English and you don’t know what’s being said in “Imagine” you can feel it,” Urban added in an Instagram video.
This however, is not the first time “Imagine” has been performed at the Olympics. The song was also covered by Stevie Wonder at the 1996 Atlanta Games and by a children’s choir at the 2012 London Games’ Closing Ceremony.
Keith Urban Returns to The Voice AU
Aside from his appearance at the Olympic Games, Urban will be back on television soon. After nine years, the Country singer will return as a coach on The Voice Australia. In 2012, Urban sat alongside Seal, Joel Madden, and Delta Goodrem in the Australian series. Since his time on the series, Urban has judged American Idol for four seasons while also putting out new music. He now returns back to his roots to mentor rising stars in his native country.
