Lady Gaga writes 'love letter to the world' for the Top Gun: Maverick soundtrack

Lady Gaga singing
(Image credit: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)

Tom Cruise’s Maverick will have a new song to sing karaoke to in Top Gun: Maverick, as Lady Gaga has revealed that she has written an original song specifically for the movie. That’s one more reason to be excited for the sequel that is releasing on May 27.

Sharing the news on Twitter, Lady Gaga’s new song is titled "Hold My Hand."

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The singer added on Twitter: 

"I wanted to make music into a song where we share our deep need to both be understood and try to understand each other — a longing to be close when we feel so far away and an ability to celebrate life’s heroes.

"I’m so grateful to Tom and Hans and Joe for this opportunity — and it’s been a beautiful experience working with them. Me, BloodPop, Ben Rice and everyone else who worked on it with us are so excited to share it with you.

"This song is a love letter to the world during and after a very hard time. I’ve wanted you to hear it for so long. And I’m so excited to give it to you on May 3."

To that last bit, "Hold My Hand" is now available via Spotify and Apple Music. But you can give it a listen to directly below as well.

The Top Gun franchise has excellent form with its movie music. The original 1986 movie soundtrack featured two hit songs, Kenny Loggins’ rocking "Danger Zone" — which makes a return in Top Gun: Maverick — and the ballad "Take My Breath Away" by Berlin. "Take My Breath Away" went on to win the Oscar for Best Original Song, could Lady Gaga repeat that feat with "Hold My Hand?" She’s already an Oscar winner for her song "Shallow."

Top Gun: Maverick is one of the most anticipated 2022 movies and helps kick off the summer blockbuster season. Tom Cruise returns to his role as Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, with the story taking place 30 years after the original movie and Maverick going back to Top Gun to train a new generation of fighter pilots. Of course, Maverick has his own way of teaching. 

Starring alongside Cruise in Top Gun: Maverick are Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Glen Powell, Jon Hamm, Manny Jacinto, Monica Barbaro, Jay Ellis, Ed Harris and Val Kilmer.

Top Gun: Maverick releases exclusively in movie theaters on May 27. But here’s the trailer to hold you over until then.

Michael Balderston

Michael Balderston is a DC-based entertainment and assistant managing editor for What to Watch, who has previously written about the TV and movies with TV Technology, Awards Circuit and regional publications. Spending most of his time watching new movies at the theater or classics on TCM, some of Michael's favorite movies include Casablanca, Moulin Rouge!, Silence of the Lambs, Children of Men, One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest and Star Wars. On the TV side he enjoys Only Murders in the Building, Yellowstone, The Boys, Game of Thrones and is always up for a Seinfeld rerun. Follow on Letterboxd.