After 17 years and three ballots, Cyndi Lauper was finally inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on Saturday night. The institution celebrated her incomparable blend of New Wave, synth-pop, and heartfelt ballads, a mix that spawned career-defining hits like “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” and “Time After Time.”
Lauper was introduced by Chappell Roan, an artist with similar torch-bearing qualities and an unmistakable head of hair. Roan paid tribute to Lauper by wearing a replica of the skirt from the “True Colors” video and spoke about the song’s influence on her when she was growing up, sharing that she had sung it as a kid in her hometown in Missouri. “That was my first time ever winning a competition for singing, and it’s been important to me ever since,” she said.
Roan, who seemed to struggle with seeing the teleprompter, playfully interrupted herself and joked, “I messed up so bad by refusing to get contacts!” before continuing on about how much Lauper changed pop music. “It’s that courage that not only creates incredible art that gives everyone who experiences it the permission to be themselves — it opens their hearts, it changes their mind, and that is its power. Tonight, we honor a woman who redefined what a pop star could look like, sound like, and be.”
Following the speech, Lauper appeared onstage and sang “True Colors,” throwing her fist in the air at the end. She continued the performance with the 1984 classic “Time After Time,” accompanied by British singer Raye. The two of them switched off each line, coming together for the chorus. Lauper ended her medley with tons of energy, bringing Avril Lavigne onstage for “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.” Salt-n-Pepa also joined in, and the group of artists concluded the set with a call-and-response moment alongside the crowd, encouraging everyone to scream along.
Lauper delivered her speech next, kicking it off with the comedy she’s known for. “See what happens when you let the riff-raff in?” she joked. However, she grew more serious as she thanked legends of the past and present. “I just want to say that I stand on the shoulders of the women who came before me, and my shoulders are broad enough to have the women who came after me stand on mine.” She evoked the power of music before closing out. “The little kid in me still believes that rock & roll can save the world,” she said. “I just want to say now of all time, let’s come together again and do good in the world because it needs us.”
Lauper first heard about her induction from her manager, she told Rolling Stone earlier this year. Her first thought wasn’t what the honor represents for herself, but what it means to join the legion of women who paved the way for her and those who will follow. “It’s wonderful to be part of that legacy,” she said.
After waiting more than a decade and a half, Lauper’s induction fell right into place. She joins the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame class of 2025 alongside OutKast, Bad Company, Chubby Checker, Joe Cocker, Soundgarden, and the White Stripes.
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