5 Infamous Lip Sync Scandals
Lip syncing is definitely a double edged sword. On the one hand, it is extremely difficult for performers to sing and dance simultaneously. On the other, fans go to shows to hear their favorite artists actually sing. We are not here to tell you whether or not it is more important to deliver a performance complete with choreography or stick to simply singing, but if you’re going to lip sync just try not to get caught like these 5 artists.
1. Britney Spears
Although there are a lot of lip syncing Britney moments to choose from, her half-hearted performance at the 2007 VMA Awards really takes the cake. Spears appeared to be out of it and put minimal effort into singing along to the obvious pre-recording. To top it all off, her dance moves were lazy and it appeared as though she had trouble even with the simplest movements. Fan’s hoped that this would be Britney’s come-back performance after a period of well-documented troubles but instead were left disappointed and concerned.
2. Whitney Houston
It turns out that Whitney Houston’s iconic performance of the Star Spangled Banner at the 1991 Super Bowl was actually recorded several days earlier in an LA studio. Houston was actually singing and the orchestra was actually playing, but all of the mics were turned off. The producers of the event were worried that something could go wrong during the live game and decided that the risk wasn’t worth it. Despite this minor “scandal”, Houston is still believed to be one of the best performers and singers of all time.
3. Jennifer Hudson
Similar to the situation with Whitney Houston, Hudson was persuaded not to sing the Star Spangled Banner live by the producers of the 2009 Super Bowl. Ricky Minor, the pre-show producer, explained to ABC News that he would not recommend for any artist to sing live at such an event, because even the smallest technical glitch would jeopardize the performance.
4. Beyonce
Even Beyonce could not escape this lip-syncing list. Forever a perfectionist, the world-famous performer decided not to sing live at President Obama’s second presidential inauguration. She later explained that she did not have time to rehearse with the orchestra and due to the absence of a proper sound check, she did not want to take the risk of a live performance. Beyonce went on to say that using a pre-recorded track is very common in the music industry.
5. Ashlee Simpson
This is perhaps the most infamous event in lip-synching history. Ashlee Simpson’s performance on SNL in 2004 immediately started off on the wrong foot. First, the wrong song began to play at the start of her set. Simpson had already performed “Pieces Of Me” earlier on in the show and was set to sing “Autobiography” at the end of the second half. But instead at her band started to play “Autobiography”, “Pieces Of Me” began to blast out of the speakers. Clearly caught off guard and uncomfortable, Simpson awkwardly dance the jig and walked off stage. She tried to save face by explaining that her band played the wrong song and she didn’t know what to do, but it was clear to anyone with ears that the recording of “Piece Of Me” that played accidentally contained music AND her singing.
