Spoilers ahead. HBO Max's Friends: The Reunion celebrated all the things that fans love about the world-renowned sitcom. From a fashion show of the series' wackiest outfits (yes, even the Holiday Armadillo made an appearance) to a rundown of Friends' most iconic scenes (pivot, PI-VOT!), the special felt like a warm walk down nostalgia lane — and right into Central Perk.
Besides the show's theme by The Rembrandts, however, there's one particular song that demanded to be revisited: Phoebe Buffay's seminal classic, "Smelly Cat."
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT
The song first appears in season 2's episode "The One With The Baby On The Bus," when Phoebe tells Rachel that her song "Smelly Cat" is her most popular work. Later on, the song is used for a cat litter jingle, and then Phoebe records a ridiculous music video for it with a record company.
In Friends: The Reunion, Lisa Kudrow, who starred as Phoebe, sits down to play the song on the coffee shop set. All of a sudden, Lady Gaga enters in full Phoebe cosplay and sits down to play with her on the famous orange couch. Of course, the Grammy-winner belts "Smelly Cat" in the most stadium rock Gaga way, and then the two sing the refrain together. But then comes another surprise: gospel singers pop appear and join in for a full-throated chorus of "Smelly Cat," giving it the anthemic treatment it deserved from day one.
It's the end of the segment, though, that is truly the most touching. "Can I just say something?" Lady Gaga asks Kudrow. "Thank you so much for being the person for all of us on Friends who was — I don't know if this is the right way to say it, but — the 'different' one, or the one that was really herself." It's a sentiment that especially carries a lot of weight coming from the "Born This Way" singer, as she herself has always been a beacon of individuality, outspokenness, and unapologetic quirkiness.
"Thank you, and thanks for carrying it along," Kudrow says on the verge of tears.
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT
The exchange absolutely ignited both Friends and Lady Gaga fans online, who delighted at the brilliance of pairing these two twin spirits together.
I’m sorry but Lady Gaga can make Smelly Cat absolutely slap pic.twitter.com/V9DgdcJbso
— Liv Marks (@OliviaLilyMarks) May 27, 2021
Smelly Cat by Lisa Kudrow ft. Lady Gaga has now spent 100 weeks at #1 on the Hot 100. It's the first song in history to do so. #FriendsReunion pic.twitter.com/LllUzfqIX4
— Allure (@alluregagaa) May 27, 2021
'Smelly Cat' gets the @ladygaga cover it deserves on the #FriendsReunionhttps://t.co/gdoTQcpXYR
— UPROXX (@UPROXX) May 27, 2021
pic.twitter.com/Uaq2d7dH3s
not phoebe buffay casually making taylor swift and lady gaga sing smelly cat........ can she be any more powerful?? #FriendsReunion pic.twitter.com/ntbuHFVMWe
— ali (@leagendsalonga) May 27, 2021
Good morning! Lady Gaga singing Smelly Cat is the duet I never knew I needed. 😻#FriendsReunion pic.twitter.com/VF4NoMOVVJ
— Jazz Tangcay (@jazzt) May 27, 2021
Give them the Grammy, you smelly cowards!
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT