Secretary of State John Kerry was in France Friday to try and mend relations after top U.S. officials were criticized this week for not sending a more high-profile representative to a Sunday unity rally in Paris.

But Kerry didn’t make the trip alone — singer/songwriter James Taylor also attended an event at the Paris city hall, serenading the French people with his hit “You’ve Got A Friend.”

Before his trip, Kerry said he wanted to give a “big hug” to the French people. He gave a speech in French there on Friday and laid wreaths of white lilies and red roses at the sites of the two terrorist attacks — at the offices of Charlie Hebdo, a satirical weekly magazine, and another at a kosher supermarket.

While Sunday’s unity rally was attended by the U.S. ambassador to France, the White House admitted Monday it was wrong to not have “sent someone with a higher profile.” More than 40 world leaders were present at the event.

Watch a video of Taylor singing in France above.