Sam Tsui & Casey Breves, Die With a Smile | COVERS

In the 10th edition of COVERS (2025), Sam Tsui & Casey Breves deliver a compelling rendition of “Die With a Smile” by Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars.

[otw_shortcode_dropcap label=”A” size=”large” border_color_class=”otw-no-border-color” shadow=”shadow” square=”square”]h, it’s time to get cozy and cover up! In COVERS, we highlight a musician or band covering songs by another musician (likely a popular musician). COVERS focuses solely on the musician who covers.  It is open to established musicians and musicians who may not be as well-known. In the 10^th edition of COVERS (2025), Sam Tsui & Casey Breves deliver a compelling rendition of “Die With a Smile” originally performed by Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars.[/otw_shortcode_dropcap]

“If the world was ending / I’d wanna be next to you.” “Die With a Smile” by Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars was a big deal. How big? The duet earned both decorated artists more Grammy hardware: Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.  Covering this former number one hit is an elephantine task. However, two married tenors can handle it, right? Absolutely! Sam Tsui and Casey Breves, who have been married since 2016, bring their spin to “Die With a Smile”.  The most obvious contrast is two male lead vocalists instead of the female/male. Guess what? It works out marvelously! We stan!

Tsui caught my eye ‘back when’ as one of the biggest content creators on YouTube (aging myself).  I was aware of how talented he is vocally. This marked my first time hearing him sing with his husband, believe it or not, who is incredibly talented, too! Naturally, their chemistry is spot-on – I’d expect no less from these two love birds! Both tenors, Tsui has a lighter voice, while Breves’ is slightly more robust – ‘heavier’ in sound.  The contrast between them is as sweet as the chemistry.  Their vocal harmonies are locked in something fierce – it’s ear-catching to the nth degree.  In this Valentine’s Day 2025 release, the production is stripped compared to the original.  No, the piano accompaniment doesn’t ‘soar’ with the expensive backdrop of the Grammy-winning recording, but the sound palette is sufficient – more than enough.  The stripped nature makes “Die With a Smile” more intimate, which is fitting given the fact Tsui and Breves are husbands (Gaga and Mars are not lovers, obviously).  I could ramble on more, but the big takeaway is that Sam Tsui and Casey Breves deliver a sweet take on this big-time pop hit.

Sam Tsui & Casey Breeves // “Die With a Smile” // mudhutdigital.com // 2025

Sam Tsui & Casey Breves, Die With a Smile: Covers No. 10 (2025) [📷: Brent Faulkner /The Musical Hype; mudhutdigital.com; Alan Cordero, Wolf Art from Pexels; AcatXIo, Enrique, OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay]