People are calling out Rita Ora for lip-syncing at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade — John Legend isn't here for it
Fans who tune in to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade each year likely know that the musical performances tend to include lip-syncing. With the cold weather and wind, the sounds of the New York City crowds and the fact that the floats are moving, it’s not exactly easy to put on live performances at the event.
But when Rita Ora‘s mouth didn’t seem to line up with the words on her vocal track for “Let You Love Me,” plenty of people tweeted about Ora’s reported lip syncing. The mistake doesn’t appear to have been her fault, though — based on the videos, it seems as if the track in her earpiece might have been off time.
Y’all Rita Ora just lip synced and wasn’t even singing on time at all😂😂 (two videos) #MacysDayParade pic.twitter.com/if3aD1cAOZ
— Michelle Ericsson (@Mishyyfishyy) November 22, 2018
#ritaora lip sync fail at FULL EFFECT😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/odVJFnGjxQ
— Infinite (@AdonnisInfinite) November 22, 2018
Yikes Rita Ora caught lip synching at #MacysParade pic.twitter.com/nkd4w9VKRM
— Ryan Schocket (@RyanSchocket) November 22, 2018
Rita Ora missing her cue for the lip sync and forcing the camera crew to only use wide shots is the highlight of the parade for me.
— The Screech Queen 🏳??🌈 (@katiepersak) November 22, 2018
Happy Thanksgiving to the fine folks in the NBC control room who keep panning away from Rita Ora’s face because her lip-synch is off by a solid four bars.
— Madison Malone Kircher (@4evrmalone) November 22, 2018
John Legend, who also performed at this year’s parade, jumped into the Twitter conversation in Ora’s defense. “We all have to lip sync on this parade because the floats don’t have the capacity to handle the sound requirements for a live performance,” Legend tweeted, in response to a tweet about his and Ora’s performances. “Hope y’all enjoyed it anyway.”
Fun fact. We all have to lip sync on this parade because the floats don't have the capacity to handle the sound requirements for a live performance. Hope y'all enjoyed it anyway. Know that if you come to my shows, the vocals are 100% live! https://t.co/C2bGj63AF6
— John Legend (@johnlegend) November 22, 2018
Ora then retweeted Legend’s message, adding that her performances at her shows are “100 percent live.”
Fun fact @johnlegend thank you for clarifying what I was about to also tweet. It’s annoying for us but anyway! All my shows are 100 percent live always have been! When you come to a ORA show get ready! Back to holidays! Have a good one guys! 🙂 X https://t.co/pO5hnnQgvg
— Rita Ora (@RitaOra) November 22, 2018
Exactly!! You got that right! You know this girl doesn’t lip sync it’s not my world! Now let me go find some turkey!! https://t.co/GmC5TCMBSx
— Rita Ora (@RitaOra) November 22, 2018
Some fans were quick to respond to Ora’s tweet with defenses of the singer, with one person sharing a video to prove that, yes, Ora really can sing.
*throws cape on* I will not let yall slander Rita Ora when her vocals are 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/ofb9rNKWz0
— Gage (@KingGage_) November 22, 2018
We know that you‘re the queen of vocals! WE LOVE YOU RITA
— RITA‘S WIFEY ?? (@RitaOrasWifey) November 22, 2018
YASS GIRL YOU SAY IT. I’ve seen you live sooooo many times now and not once have I ever witnessed you lip sync! My girl has vocals out of this world😍😍😍??
— Freya?? (@freyaoraa) November 22, 2018
Still, not everyone was convinced, with some people responding to Legend’s tweet that they believed other parade performers really were singing live.
Bare naked ladies were live. @RitaOra was just lazy
— Darkrai DestinyBond (@DarkraiDBond) November 22, 2018
I mean @ellamai just sang live on her float soooooo idk
— Jeremy Wein (@thismyshow) November 22, 2018
Kelly Clarkson just sang live
— Hazelnut (@hazelnut317) November 22, 2018
Legend also took the time to answer the question that’s probably on a lot of fans’ minds. He tweeted that he did actually sing during the performance so that it would be convincing, even if the track that fans heard on Thursday was prerecorded.
I sang exactly as I would've if you could hear me. I figure that's the only way to believably do it. But I'm not an expert in these matters. https://t.co/jBj37kOPwj
— John Legend (@johnlegend) November 22, 2018
Some fans might have had their Thanksgiving Day Parade love dashed just a little on Thursday, after learning that the performances aren’t really live. Still, that doesn’t make the parade any less fun to watch, and it seems like Ora and Legend had a great time performing, despite the controversy.
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