While the jury is still out on the whole Beyonce Lip-SyncGate (we’re still refusing to believe Queen Bey committed such musical treason), there are definitely a handful performances we’ve witnessed in the past that could have used the lip sync treatment. Whether you’re singing at the Grammys (the biggest ceremony in the music industry), or performing on American Idol (where your voice is all that’s keeping you in the competition), sometimes singing live just doesn’t cut it. These stars may have beautiful voices and amazing musical talent, but for some reason, an odd performance gets away from them. Here’s a few (unfortunately) memorable performances that would have been served better with the lip-sync treatment.
Train, “Hey Soul Sister” on the Today Show
Screeching vocals don’t exactly float our boat. The recorded version is nice enough to listen to, Train should have just played that.
Selena Gomez and the Scene, “Love You Like a Love Song” on Good Morning America
Could Gomez not hear herself, or was she simply out of breath during her GMA performance? This does not sound like the catchy ear worm we love to find on the radio.
Katy Perry, “Firework” at the American Music Awards
Oof. Perry just could not hit those high notes… unfortunate, as they make up the entire song. Not only that, but she couldn’t even get all the words out! Maybe this one is too difficult to sing live… ever.
Bob Dylan with Mumford & Sons and The Avett Brothers, 2011 Grammy Awards
Everyone was pretty taken aback when Dylan unveiled his newfound “old man voice” during this joint performance. Dylan’s always had a pretty polarizing voice, but this is hardly the icon we know and love.
Kristy Lee Cook, “8 Days a Week” on American Idol
This poor Idol contestant relied a bit too much on her vibrato, and it came off as nerves. Not exactly a show stopping performance. There’s a reason why she didn’t win her season!
Black Eyed Peas, Super Bowl XLV Halftime Show
When a group’s major hits are mostly autotuned, you can’t be surprised by a lackluster live performance. And with the Peas penchant for jumping around, there’s the extra problem of hearing them gasp for breath.
Taylor Swift and Stevie Nicks, “Rhiannon” at 2010 Grammy Awards
When contemporary star Swift paired with the legendary Nicks, what could have been a great duet came off as amateur hour. Sadly, young Swift couldn’t quite harmonize with her onstage partner.
Music’s Greats, “Across the Universe” at the Grammy Awards
So many musical styles all vying for the spotlight was just too overwhelming, not to mention a song choice that was already very stylized. What we wound up with was a performance that was messy and pretty all over the place.
Lana Del Ray, every performance ever (especially Saturday Night Live)
Oh, Lana, what can we say? You should stick to the studio. Always.
Kanye West, “Heartless” at the 2008 American Music Awards
We reiterate what we said about the Black Eyed Peas: when your hits are all computer edited and auto-tuned, singing live is not going to go over well.
[Photo Credit: Mark Wilson/Getty Images; NBC; Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images; Al Bello/Getty Images]
Follow Sydney on Twitter @SydneyBucksbaum
More:
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