Lip me baby one more time! Even Britney has to pretend
SUSPICIONS that Cheryl Cole may not have sung every note live on The X Factor have re-ignited the debate about lip-syncing in pop.
Just how great a crime it is depends on your definition of a live performance. Elton John was in no doubt when he accused Madonna of miming on her Re-Invention tour in 2004. He asked: ‘Since when has lipsyncing been live? Anyone who lip-syncs on stage should be shot.’ Yet it is acknowledged many of today’s dance-pop acts use backing tapes during concerts, primarily to flesh out their vocals during energetic dance routines. Britney Spears (pictured) faced miming allegations on last year’s Circus tour. In Australia, some fans walked out in protest. But others were more forgiving, with rocker John Mayer saying: ‘If you’re shocked Britney was lip-syncing, life may continue to be hard for you.’
But reliance on technology can be dangerous — German duo Milli Vanilli were famously caught out at a gig in 1989. Miming their hit Girl You Know It’s True, they ran offstage after their vocal track malfunctioned. They later confessed to not even singing on their records and were dropped by label Arista.
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