Adele’s fans blast Academy for not inviting singer to perform at Oscars 2025 as Raye sings ‘Skyfall’

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: The Academy is under fire after failing to invite Adele to perform her own James Bond hit 'Skyfall' at the Oscars 2025 on Sunday night, March 2.

Instead, British sensation Raye took center stage, delivering her own rendition of the song.

While many were blown away by Raye’s performance—some even calling for her to record the next Bond theme—not everyone was happy.

Adele fans rage as singer is not invited to sing her Oscar-winning song

Adele—who literally lives in Los Angeles—was nowhere to be seen at the event, leaving many flummoxed as to why she wasn’t the one belting out her Oscar-winning song.

Instead, Raye flew across the pond (skipping the BRIT Awards) to take the Oscars stage, and Adele fans were not happy about this.

“…. Why not just have Adele sing Skyfall #Oscars,” one fan questioned on X.

“They should have asked Adele to sing,” another insisted.

“Could we not afford Adele or?! #Oscars,” someone else quipped.

“I love Raye but tbh I wish they invited Adele to perform it again,” a comment read.

“If Adele isn’t singing Skyfall, I don’t wanna hear it. #Oscars #Oscars2025," another fan declared.

A star-studded James Bond tribute

The 97th Academy Awards pulled out the big guns for a full-fledged James Bond tribute. Three of pop’s biggest stars—K-pop queen Lisa from Blackpink, Grammy-winning rapper Doja Cat, and Raye—joined forces to honor the legendary James Bond movies' soundtracks.

Lisa kicked off the set with a fiery rendition of Paul McCartney’s 'Live and Let Die', followed by Doja Cat bringing her signature flair to Shirley Bassey’s 'Diamonds Are Forever'. Raye then closed out the performance with 'Skyfall', dressed in a stunning black and white body-hugging gown, according to Billboard.

Doja Cat hyped up their upcoming performance earlier in the day. “Lisa and Raye are such a f**king combo I feel so lucky, man," she posted on X.

Raye, on the other hand, reflected on her journey from industry struggles to an Oscars moment. “They said my career was over and now I’m holding my 7th Brit award and I’m singing at the Oscars tomorrow!” she gushed.

Raye’s rocky road to the Oscars

Raye’s rise to the Oscars stage didn’t come easy. The South London-born singer has been through hell with her former record label, Polydor, which held her back from releasing her debut album for years. Frustrated, she walked away in 2021 and went independent—a move that clearly paid off.

Before stepping into the spotlight herself, Raye made a name for herself behind the scenes, writing songs for Charli XCX, Little Mix, and even Beyonce. Then came her big break—her 2022 hit 'Escapism', which dominated social media and cemented her as one of the UK’s hottest talents.

She smashed records last year, becoming the most-nominated artist in BRIT Awards history with seven nominations—and she walked away with six trophies. Her wins included Album of the Year, Artist of the Year, Song of the Year, Best New Artist, Best R&B Act, and Songwriter of the Year. At the 2025 BRITs, she snagged another Best R&B Act award.

Funnily enough, this isn’t Raye’s first time going head-to-head with Adele. Back in 2022, Raye was nominated for a BRIT Award for 'Bed'—her collab with David Guetta and Joel Corry—but she lost to Adele’s 'Easy On Me'.

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