Monday 27 January 2014

Did Beyonce Lip-sync "Drunk In Love" @ 2014 Grammy Awards?

beyonce jay z grammy 2014


With all the success- both critical and commercial- Beyonce's latest album is enjoying, it was only fitting that the A-Lister opened up the 2014 Grammy Awards. And kudos to the Diva for wanting to give an honest representation of what the album is (mostly) about by singing the sexually charged Drunk In Love . However, I'm not quite sure the Grammy Awards was the right gig for the performance she gave; it definitely wasn't strong enough to have been an opener.

With just a chair to keep her company for most of the time on stage, Bey had clearly listened to aunt Patti's advice on "heifers" needing too much on stage to impress. This was a stripped back affair that was relying on the singer's sexuality to sell it. And I think it could have worked if the choreography had been tighter and a little more interesting. The intro with its flashing lights, stuttering music and Bey's fierce silhouette- which drove everyone mad- attested to that. But it kind of petered out from there on.

Now to the lip-syncing. Right from the get go something seemed off. I'm sure Beyonce could sing this live, but I think the perfectionist in her, along with the nerves of being on stage alone, was enough to make her pre-record most of the track's main vocal- it was definitely live at the end. Now there's no evidence to prove this suspicion, and admittedly it's based on a feeling and two tiny parts of the video, but have read, a watch and make up your own mind.

First, we have the odd laugh at 2.40. Now that could have been pre-recorded and I wouldn't care. She's not singing after all. But her need to lip to it anyway was unnecessary and left me wondering if she did so as to not give people a reason to start asking questions, or doubt it was live. Not convinced yet, right? Well 2.56 is the part where most sat up and took notice. Watch how Bey moved the microphone from her mouth and yet the voice was still heard. What sorcery is this!? The fudge up was made more apparent by how quickly she moved the mic back to her mouth to cover it up. If I had been her, I would have just played it out, and let the fans make excuses for me- like it was reverb, or that the mic was sensitive enough to pick up the voice from a distance- but her reaction makes it hard to argue that that's what happened here.

Lipped or not, I love Beyonce's latest album. Released at the end of last year, I was tempted to call it my album of 2013, but resisted, worrying I was caught up in the hype. A month on, I haven't changed my mind and am still jamming to it daily. Drunk isn't my favorite cut, thanks in large part to Jay's repugnant line, "I am Ike Turner…Baby know I don’t play. Now eat the cake, Anna Mae. Said Eat the Cake, Anna Mae," but the rest of the album is golden as far as I'm concerned. It should be said, in fairness, I did clock the Diva echoing the line in this performance, and it has been added to my list of "questionable things Beyonce does". (Maybe one day, when I can afford round-the-clock security, I'll publicise said list.)


Still, looking forward to further performances from this era!

Thoughts?

27 comments:

  1. Andre 'TheTruth'27 January 2014 at 15:29

    I Think this performance was nice, not good not bad, I would have liked her to have completely come out and kill it (along with the rest of the hive) but I think once she gets into promoting I think her performances will get stronger. And YES BEYONCE's ALBUM IS THE SHIT. #Flawless

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  2. Andre 'TheTruth'27 January 2014 at 15:32

    And Taylor swift you better dance LOOOOL!

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  3. Giuseppe Cassarà27 January 2014 at 15:37

    It's all lipped till Jay-Z...too bad...her Grammy's performances used to be THE BEST! For example her vocals in DIL in 2004 were.........

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  4. Beyoncé: I never thought I'd see the day when a performance of hers left me underwhelmed; I was disappointed. Yes, it deviated from her usual (EPIC) high-octane showcases but I was quite unimpressed with the result anyhow. I wanted and expected more. She became just a little TOO HOOD & RATCHET for the Grammy's, especially with this song, hence the current media backlash; if this were at the AMA's, VMA's or Billboard awards, it may have been received much better. I wish she would've sung 'Pretty Hurts' and/or perhaps performed a medley of 'XO, Blow, Yonce, Flawless & Partition' etc. instead. Nonetheless, I did like the simplicity of it all and both her and Pink's performance stood TOWERS above every other performance by a Female regardless.

    Katy Perry: Once again, she proved why she is one of the most TALENTLESS (live) Pop acts of all-time – Smoke & Mirrors. Smoke & Mirrors. Smoke & Mirrors.

    Lorde' & Taylor Swift: [No Comment]

    As for the “Glorified,
    Suburban, Karaoke-Rappers”, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis winning over 'Kendirck Lamar, Kanye West & Jay-Z... I cannot and will not.

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  5. Clearly, parts of it were heavily lipped. Last quarter was live 'cos she sounds discernibly 'off' there.


    Beyonce is going down as quite the infamous 'lipper' (lol) at major events (Mariah is still the 'queen' there though). I still can't forget Beyonce's national anthem shenanigans, throwing off the ear piece and shit. Quite the 'performer' she is. Give her an Oscar already please.


    That said, she has incredible stage presence. I felt entertained by it. Vocally, quite underwhelming and not my favorite song by her (Jay Z kind of sh*ts on the song a little) but its fine...eh..

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  6. Weak choice. Not surprised at it.

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  7. Maybe it was the fact it took only two people to write their rap rather than an entire football team? ;-)
    I was more offended by that "radio active" song winning best Rock performance over Led Zep reunion performance of Kashmir. (or any of the songs they performed at that concert). On the other hand I WAS amazed to see they were even nominated. Didn't that performance take place on 2008?

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  8. I'm sorry everyone, this is coming from a real Beyoncé-fan but regarding the Grammy performance I'd go P!nk > Beyoncé everyday :/

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  9. I don't think so. Hip-Hop writing is, from a lyrical perspective, is a sole effort however, production wise, it generally isn't but it can be. :)

    Well, I actually like "that Radioactive song" but I don't think they should have won over Led Zeppelin and yes, that performance did take place in 2008, which is weird to me. Do you have any idea as to why it was nominated in 2014? :/

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  10. Holy *beep*! At first I thought this was a joke of some sort. This is incredible. Even though I find Pink's voice and singing very run-of-the-mill and forgettable, I can admire a singer for dares like this and coming quite well through it. How can she even keep up with the beat when she's being tossed around mid-air like that is beyond comprehension to me.


    It did take a considerable toll on her duet though. it really sounded terrible. Like a bad performance from X-Factor. :p

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  11. pink outshined nate and nate was sounding like he did all that crazy routine

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  12. i liked taylor swift head banging

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  13. Does no one remember how the Grammy's DO NOT ALLOW their artists to lipsync during performances? That's like one of the (very few) rules of the Grammy Awards. Honestly, I wish that Beyonce had done a different song, but I think it was mostly if not entirely live, as they don't need another fiasco as in the early 90s.

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  14. WEAK, BORING! sorry I love B but she's so overrated

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  15. I thought her performance was pretty cool. A little ghetto but cool either way.

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  16. I'm a fan but I think she needs to lose that ego she has gained. I hated this performance. What happened to ones like these

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZelBd4k6k20

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKlGcrFpoWU

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqzKEMqKwf0

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  17. Wow, I'm not alone! I love Beyonce, A LOT, but I thought it was lipped at the beginning too. At the end, I think she was singing live, but the mix was way too perfect at the beginning. It was pristine as a studio recording.

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  18. I looked it up and it turns out the video was only officially released last year.

    That was a bit of sarcasm btw the remark about the amount of writers it needs to write a rapsong. It seems to me a ridiculous amount of people considering how many whole novels most successful writers manage to write all by their lonesome self. And it does indeed take a boatload of people because I wasn't going by the number of "producers" but the number of folks credited as "writers" for most rap songs.

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  19. If this had been Miley in the same outfit singing the same "bleeped" lyrics and making the same moves....I shudder to think the responses. Oh but I forgot...a "ring was put on it" ;-D

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  20. it definitely sounds lipped.....
    im disappointed because SHE DOES NOT NEED TO DO THIS
    also this is probably my least favorite song from the album
    and i feel as though i am the only one who thinks 4 deserved way more success than this self titled album


    sure its been selling well but i just feel 4 was much more meaningful
    her new stuff is just ehhh - its not even catchy anymore
    also i dont think she should have sang this song at the grammys - she should have sang XO or something less sexually charged


    i wouldve expected this type of performance at the grammys from someone like rihanna but not bey - i thought she has a little more class than that

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  21. SHE DIDNT LIP SYNC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  22. I agree with the underwhelmed part. She is by far my favourite artist, and I absolutely love the new album + this song but this performance just left me wanting a lot more. It doesn't measure up to her usual performances, especially the ones she had at special awards like the Grammy's. But oh well, hopefully she'll perform a better version during her tour!

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  23. The beginning was lipped. She started singing after that around the "All night LOOOOO-ooong". And then she started lipping again till the same part in the second chorus.

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  24. Because a woman expressing her sexuality is classless? okay then.

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  25. Her new album isn't even suppose to be catchy. She spent months working on it to tell a story. Most of her songs on her album doesn't have the typical pop structure to it.

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  26. Beyonce is actually getting quite a bit of heat for this.

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