Outside of St. Peter’s Basilica on September 13, the iconic Italian singer Andrea Bocelli and American singer Teddy Swims performed “Amazing Grace” as the opening for “Grace For The World,” the first concert ever held at the Vatican. Produced by legendary American producer Pharrell Williams, better known as Pharell, and Bocelli, it was streamed live on Disney+, Hulu, YouTube, and the concert’s website. Pharell is well known for producing hits like “Hollaback Girl” by Gwen Stefani, “Drop It Like It’s Hot” by Snoop Dogg and Pharell, and “Alright” by Kendrick Lamar. 253,000 fans packed into St. Peter’s Square to watch the event, which also featured Jennifer Hudson, John Legend, and many other stars alongside a massive drone show that played for the entire performance.
The historic concert was staged to conclude the Third World Meeting on Human Fraternity and celebrate the Catholic Jubilee Holy Year. Additionally, it served to join people from across the globe through its diverse group of musicians, such as Colombian Reggaeton singer Karol G, Thai Rapper BamBam, and Beninese-French singer Angélique Kidjo. It came as Pope Leo XIV was elected earlier this year, marking a new age for the Holy See. Shortly after the beautiful performance by Swims and Bocelli, Cardinal Mauro Gambetti gave a short introduction in Italian. Pharrell addressed the audience next, stating that the concert was “an opportunity for people to galvanize and recognize their strength in numbers.” Pharrell continued, “We still haven’t done that as a species. We still haven’t asked ourselves for the sake of humanity. Far beyond the reaches and constrictions of different religions, can we just hold hands for a moment, and see the light that we have. […] Grace and curiosity are not luxuries, but guys, they are remedies. Remedies for division, because there is so much in the world right now.”
John Legend took the stage after Pharrell, singing “Glory,” which he recorded with rapper Common for a movie called Selma, which is a historical drama about the Civil Rights march that took place in the Alabama town of that name in 1965. He also sang “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” a classic gospel hymn promoting themes of unity. Legend’s entire performance intentionally reiterated Pharrell’s message. The first rappers to ever perform at the Vatican joined Legend after he finished “Glory,” when Clipse members Pusha T and Malice rapped “The Birds Don’t Sing” from their most recent album Let God Sort Em Out. After the rapper duo and singer exited the stage, Graça Machel Mandela, Mozambican politician and activist, and Nelson Mandela’s former wife, gave a speech about children suffering across the world, reflecting the lyrics of the previous song.
After Mrs. Mandela’s words, singer Karol G took the stage to perform her song “MIENTRAS ME CURO DEL CORA,” a song about finding happiness after heartbreak. Once Karol G finished, Angélique Kidjo performed her song “La Vida Es Un Carnaval,” continuing the theme of finding happiness in life. Thai rapper BamBam then continued the show with his song “Angel in Disguise,” which reflected themes of faith prominent throughout the event. American singer and actress Jennifer Hudson then sang “Find the Love,” her 2024 song, which was accompanied by an international choir assembled by award-winning songwriter Adam Blackstone. Bocelli then joined Hudson to sing “The Prayer.” The Voices of Fire Gospel Group and Pharrell then joined together to perform “The One.” The choir continued to perform until Jelly Roll’s performance of “Hard Fought Hallelujah.” Multiple performances by Italian vocalists occurred afterwards, until Bocelli took the stage with Karol G to perform “Vivo Per Ella/Vivo Per Lei.” To conclude the star-studded lineup, Pharrell took the stage to perform his hit song “Happy.”He was accompanied by the Choir of Rome and the International Choir, with the drones continuing to light up the sky.
Grace for the World put on a star-studded lineup of pure talent and skill. This combination delivered a powerful message that was felt by everybody in the audience. Pharrell and Bocelli promoted themes of unity by inviting artists from around the world to perform, attempting to spread joy and happiness. The concert is available to watch on Disney+, Hulu, and YouTube, in case you missed it.