The reason for Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ mutual online winks on social media is now clear to everyone, with the duo releases their first collaboration, “Die With a Smile”,‘ on Thursday (15 August).

The The classic and very country-inspired music video of the soulful ballad takes us back to Nashville in the 1970swith the pop superstars wearing matching light blue suits and red shirts. The mustachioed Mars look is completed by a white cowboy hat, while Gaga, her hair pulled up in a bun, holds a cigarette either between her lips or fingers throughout the film. Four minutes and 12 seconds long clip.

Other than that, the video is not overly complex. Mars plays a hollow-body electric guitar and sings the first verse, while Gaga is at the piano and takes over the second.

Die With a Smile Lyrics

(Oh, oh)

I, I just woke up from a dream

Where you and I had to say goodbye

And I don’t know what all this means

But since I survived, I have realized

Wherever you go, I will follow you

Nobody promised tomorrow

So I will love you every night like it’s the last night

As if it were the last night

If the world were to end

I want to be next to you

If the party were over

And our time on earth was over

I just want to hold you for a while

And die with a smile

If the world were to end

I want to be next to you

(Oh, oh)

Ooh, lost, lost in the words we scream

I don’t want to do this anymore

Because you already know what you mean to me

And our love is the only one worth fighting for

Wherever you go, I will follow you

Nobody promised tomorrow

So I will love you every night like it’s the last night

As if it were the last night

If the world were to end

I want to be next to you

If the party were over

And our time on earth was over

I just want to hold you for a while

And die with a smile

If the world were to end

I want to be next to you

Close to you

Next to you

Close to you

Oh oh

If the world were to end

I want to be next to you

If the party were over

And our time on earth was over

I just want to hold you for a while

And die with a smile

If the world were to end

I want to be next to you

If the world were to end

I want to be next to you

(Oh, oh)

I want to be next to you

What did Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars say about each other?

The press release for the song states: the two spoke in glowing words about each otheras expected, with Gaga revealed that Mars was the instigator of the collaboration.

“Bruno and I have great mutual respect and talked about working together”, says Gaga. “I was finishing up my own album in Malibu and one night after a long day he asked me to come to his studio to listen to something he was working on. It was about midnight when I got there and I was overwhelmed when I heard what he had started doing. We stayed up all night finishing writing and recording the song. Bruno’s talent is indescribable. His musicality and vision are on a whole new level. There is no one like him.”

Mars was equally flattering, albeit a little shorter: “It was an honor to work with Gaga. She is an icon and makes this song magical. I’m so excited for everyone to hear it.”