Beyoncé sang at the presidential inauguration on Monday, though many people are saying that she actually lip-synched her performance. (Others say she didn't.) She wouldn't be the first to "fake" a performance at a presidential inauguration: Four years ago, Itzhak Perlman and Yo-Yo Ma synched themselves to a recorded track because the extreme cold could've damaged their instruments.
Commenting on Beyoncé's potential lip-synching are Jay Cowit, technical director for The Takeaway, and Jeff Spurgeon, the morning host of WQXR, New York Public Radio's classical music station.
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Comments [14]
We put so much emphasis on the performer and forget that the National
Anthem is NOT about the performer but about our country and our people. If you want a sincere performance, I suggest the next performer be a wounded veteran.
OMG I could NOT BEGIN to care less. Have we not more pressing matters to vex us and interfere with our days?
Get a grip, Takeaway! Someone wasn't paying attention. Did you see her remove the earbud halfway through singing the anthem (note I said singing!) The double voice you heard when you played your "evidence clip" of her singing, was probably exactly what your commentator experienced when singing--more than one of his own voice. She pulled out the earbud/phone & kept right on singing.
If it wasn't Beyonce's voice, then it might have mattered but you could take the high ground and assume that they were doing a "backup contingency" in case the feed from her mike didn't work in the great outdoors! As one of you mentioned who had sung the anthem at a baseball game, when outdoors & miked one can have feedback issues bigtime. She clearly (review the video) removed her ear-monitor towards the middle & kept right on singing. In fact, I think she was indeed doing her own stuff! And good on her!
Try to focus on some serious news. This, it was not!
Beyonce? it matters not a whit and to call it a "national controversy" is a lazy abuse of language. Let's call it what it is a "trivial distraction" like whether or not the Queen ever wears odd socks to a ribbon cutting :)
Please stop talking about this!
Given the conditions described on the program, having a simultaneous tape for broadcast while Beyonce actually sang as well -- audible to those on the platform -- makes entirely good sense. As others have indicated, we important matters to worry about. This is not one of them. As I recall, Yo-yo Ma, Itzhak Perman and others did the same four years ago; the weather was so cold that they recorded the music in advance and then played along. In that cold, instruments might not work properly, a string could break. It made sense, just as the arrangements this time made sense. (Perhaps the 2009 situation came up on the program; if so, I missed it. I would be surprised if it had not.)
Tempest in a teapot.
As an AV tech that works on "live" shows for broadcast. An example the super bowl etc. EVERY live performance is prerecorded by the artist "live to tape" and then lip synched. Usually the band isnt really playing their instruments. We actually set up mics etc. just so it looks like they are playing live. This is so in case of any technical glitches with the live performance a bad mic etc. the show can perverbaly go on. Welcome to showbiz...
Washington is "Hollywood" on steroids: It's fitting if Boyonce lip-syched.
who cares??? Don't we have more urgent, human-condition issues to worry about than whether or not Beyonce was lip-sinking???
Let's be thoughtful about this: Don't the solos by jaes t. and Kelly _. need to be discussed along with Beyonce's singing? Kelly sang beautifully and hasn't been given a nod. As she sang, you could see her working so carefully to do it right - Is there any question about her singing? James T. sang as he could, seeingly against the physical circumstances, and it was deeply appreciated - Is there ay question about his singiong live? Beyonce wasn't the only star asked to sing to us. Copnsider them all - compare if it helps - appreciate each separately. Talk about them and what they accomplished.
What does it say about us that whether Beyonce did or did't lip-sync has become a 'national controversy?
VOLUMES!!!
It's taken my a while to learn to like your show but, this conversation simply reminds me of bad AM radio.
Get a grip and find something worthwhile to talk about.
Beyonce was actually responsible for creating those Texas earthquakes!!!!
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