Rihanna Lip Syncing at the Superbowl???

Saw the outrage trending on Twitter and thought it was worth looking into and bringing some things to light!
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[@wrighteousj]

Added note: They usually record the rehearsal and mix that into the main performance to eliminate the vast majority of technical risks

[@princeofpcos9804]

Technical risks? There was more risk of a marshmallow tweaking their back. Haha.

[@wrighteousj]

@@princeofpcos9804 track going out, in-ears not working, click being off, drum mics falling off, mic eq getting messed up on the board, wireless packs not working, I could go on and on lmao

[@princeofpcos9804]

@@wrighteousj maybe they should get back to musicians playing music for a music halftime show? Click tracks. Pffff

[@macwillssecuritylimited6594]

@@wrighteousj If you like let your opinion be posted 1Million times on KZbin....RIHANNA does not care, same as to those who respect her efforts, so move along white boy. If its easy leave that small cubicle of yours and go do it.

[@thatsvickiIRL]

this part but everyone with fingers is a critic these days 🤣

[@emad1473]

her voice was so good they thought she was lip syncing 🤣🤣🤣

[@aaamgelplays]

LITERAL!

[@faithk13]

First performance in ~7 years and she did so good people think she’s lip syncing 😂😂 it’s just proving how good she is and how much of an icon she is. And while pregnant! What a queen

[@astralkiss4089]

literally. like bro listen closely. She sings every song. And ppl think she only sings at the end. Bruh. I bet those who said this would think the one who were actually lip syncing as actually SINGING.

[@nanada4423]

I am not a Rihanna fan and listen to her music casually only.. however I am pregnant just like Rihanna and for her to perform like that postpartum (literally less than a year) AND being currently pregnant is AMAZING and ADMIRABLE. I cannot stand people saying that Rihanna isn’t the first women to be pregnant and have to work but helllloooo do you know how tiring it is to JUST be pregnant let alone be pregnant AND sing and dance like that plus we haven’t seen the work and rehearsal that was done prior to the show. She must be EXHAUSTED. And for the safety of her and her baby, she is smart to not over do it. So good for Rihanna!

[@wrighteousj]

Congrats on the baby!!! ❤️💚💙

[@zachrully5672]

Tell them all

[@noramanns6144]

Love what u said

[@LPnerd]

then she should have said that. I was a dancer and had no problem in any show up to about 4 months when I really started to show. she did not dance, no reason for her not to sing. I just wish she would explain, and stop all the fighting. and arguing. anyway, none of this really matters. We all have much bigger fish to fry so this is the end of my conversing on this subject. Peace.

[@user-ot7bl7fi4j]

It is ridiculous to say rihanna is brave enough to perform while having pregnant.If she was pregnant,she should have said no to the job The backtrack is obviously blocking her voice as she is not confident enough to show her real voice. Also,the pregnancy obviously restricted her dance. We should not admire to perform while having pregnant,she should not take the job when she did. This is literally the borest super bowl I have ever watched

[@jennyb4115]

My husband and I got in an all out argument over this. I could not understand WHY he thought she was lip syncing. I even tried to explain a backup track and he thought I was the naive one! 😡

[@dkds8544]

She did not, but she has a backtrack and a great sound engineer that mixed it well. I’ve seen it in KPOP. That’s why people think K-pop lip sync. No, they have a backtrack, esp with that high-energy choreography. Rihanna worked that entire stage and she is pregnant. She needed to breathe. Geez. People are just salty.

[@kfings]

Finally a real musician speaking about this. People be so uninformed.

[@Myho07]

Thank you for waking up the "deadheads." She has more talent in her little pinkie than most people will find in a lifetime. She was amazing and quite professional from beginning to end! 🙏If you don't like backing tracks, your concert tickets are going to be a lot higher to pay for extra musicians. I personally don't care. I think little mama did an amazing performance. As well as her dancers!

[@wrighteousj]

Boom say it louder 😂

[@LPnerd]

@@wrighteousj Not many are disagreeing with her talent. But all that talent was wasted on the biggest TV show of the year, why?

[@enrgy-xh5uq]

She was bad, Wake up!

[@Dankaloriginal]

@Myho07 please be respectfull in the comments

[@pjn_UT]

Anyone who says she’s lip syncing must not know much about vocals/singing technique. You can tell by the way she moves her mouth, the shape she makes with her lips, and how she dips her chin when reaching for those lower notes. That’s real singing y’all. People just like to hate! She is obviously an amazing vocalist!

[@wrighteousj]

Boom

[@suhaylamusna3524]

Yes and you can see the veins in her neck… a tale tale sign when a singer is emoting. That doesn’t happen with lip syncing.

[@nyanity]

@@wrighteousj Can you explain why her voice is picked up by the mic although she turns away at 17:32?

[@wrighteousj]

@@nyanity every mic has a curated gain, compressor, threshold, etc. which you set to capture output regardless of distance. It’s the same reason why I can stream and within 2 feet of the mic it still pics of the same lvl. Also the backing at a live show (given the technology which she definitely has) will fill the audio gap and match her output also that is given from the mic 🤘

[@wrighteousj]

@@nyanity also remember latency is even more drastic the larger the venue, so you always hear a vocal just barely after it’s sung 🤘

[@leahrockmix]

I'm from a family of singers and musicians (I can't sing or play to save my own life but) I know when I'm hearing a good performance. It was just so simple, mesmerizing, and fun (I think I've watched and listened to this over 20x) but what really impressed me was how seamlessly the songs were joined together without stopping. I went back to past Super Bowl performances and I can't find anyone who did it this way. I'm not saying she's the best (people mentioned cold play, Snoop, etc) but my thing is she did it solo. Just saying.

[@zachrully5672]

Period

[@LonnaJo]

I thought Rihanna’s performance was POWERFUL. I cried!

[@jordiimichael9579]

This was my ABSOLUTE favorite Riri Super Bowl Reaction video I have seen yet. Thank you for your expertise and input on this topic of backing tracks and the difference from lip syncing. I thought she was lipping some portions of this until I watched your breakdown in this video. You are so right! She truly knows her voice, her songs and studies her production - she was perfect and pregnant!!!!! Lol

[@jordiimichael9579]

Also I am subbing to your channel NOW

[@wrighteousj]

Thank you for watching!!!

[@chrisstaley682]

she wasnt even lip synching, it was just her backing vocals in the mix. people just complain way too much.

[@nicoli8437]

She is pregnant and she sang very well, generally when you are pregnant it is very difficult to control your breath, And I agree with you in everything.

[@suhaylamusna3524]

Thank you for this. I knew she wasn’t lip syncing

[@Cappuccinocream]

I know right.. they are not just jealous, they are just haters not believing that she really sounds as her recordings while singing live.🤦‍♀️ Just believe it.

[@cherisew]

Lmaooo Just believe it 😂

[@goeienacht]

I’m flabbergasted that people hopped on the “she’s lip syncing” bandwagon. If not that, it’s a “this was boring” or “oh my god, she’s pregnant” outcry. Why can’t people just see a woman (who happened to perform while pregnant-which HAS to be obviously uncomfortable) who sang for a high-choreo performance. What the hell does everyone want her to do? Skydive and sing out of breath trying to go hard on the dances while, again, pregnant? Just enjoy the damn show, people, and stop focusing on silly things?

[@bbeckett5103]

Facts over your feelings people, she sang live that's it. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@luriafigueiredo1389]

I'm from Brazil, but this is the best quality reaction I've ever seen. You detect every part of the show and not to mention that RIRI had not performed on stage for 7 years, and it was incredible for us🤩

[@uronlinefriendmechi]

People trying to talk shit about her while they're probably laying on their couch at home is so funny to me. My girl is clearly winning in life, people went to the game to see HER. Twitter snakes can say whatever, she's obviously one of the best singers of the last decades

[@colourrs]

Lol IKR 😂 I bet all these people couldn’t sing & dance for the minimum 5 minutes. Yup, currently the highest payed female artist of all time. They big mad at her success cause she’s created an untouchable Legacy ❤️‍🔥

[@emmamcintyre6997]

Facts, Rhi Rhi is a Queen more than Beyoncé, sorry not sorry, The only artists who could do this other than her & keep up would be BTS and she did a homage dance routine to Run BTS choreo which we stan, love from ARMYs to NAVYs 💜👏💜👏💜👏💜👏💜👏💜👏💜👏

[@kiwanareidl823]

I don’t get what people are talking about…you can clearly hear when she comes in singing live and the differences between the studio recording and her singing live. Also, yes, there are times when she lets the backing track take over to allow for breaths, dancing, movement, etc.

[@emmamcintyre6997]

She’s not lip syncing she has a backing vocal track as well as doing the ablibs live as she was 6 months pregnant & was moving for 14 mins straight.

[@yuhzilia]

She’s not lipsynching it’s 2023 I would hope by now y’all would notice tv shows ALWAYS do this and add a backtrack into every damn performance, people who were at the show recorded and you can hear her more clearly she was definitely hitting them notes

[@yuhzilia]

Tv does a lot of editing including making the audience quieter so I think that might have an effect on the artist sounds on tv

[@terybrem8323]

This

[@dayrz4199]

Thank you for this reaction!! I'm a big rihanna fan and the way she sings her songs here it's not the same as the studio version, so if she was lipsynching that means she had to memorize all the bits she does not sing, all the note changes, the pauses... I don't think she would bother memorizing all that. Rih is known for never lipsynching like she doesn't care if she has a bad vocals day you will always hear her real vocals

[@jackielehman8945]

I couldnt believe the backlash on the dancers! Most are the same through the whole performance (soooo long to give'er). And most of the moves are CULTURE. They are very common moves to Barbados and some of her videos. It was magical! And seeing them when the camera pulled away is so impressive!

[@johariyj1300]

as a 27 years old men, personally grew up with her song in my teenagerhood. either she sing lives or lip syncing, it's undeniably that the fact she can sing live (to haters - do watch her singing live performance in award show / concert tour. KZbin is Free. Duh) also watching her superbowl performance after long hiatus, it brought me to tears and jaw drop at the same time for being able to perform while pregnant on the hanging platform like that.

[@Captin12Obvious]

Rihanna’s live vocal is also slightly deeper than the backing track I thought that was obvious

[@deimaa222]

I will show this video to anyone who dares to say Rihanna is lip syncing

[@wrighteousj]

Lol! Let me know!

[@MM-NolascoPH]

"Marshmallow minions" 😂 I love it!

[@quincylhoward]

The fact that she was pregnant while doing this 💅🏾

[@larryd4352]

It was live...you can hear her take breaths multiple times. Not into that style of music, but I know she has millions of fans all over the world.

[@wrighteousj]

Yep yep 100%

[@morgangilley8521]

You are one of my favorite people to see review live performances. You always explain things clearly and in a way that I, as a non-musical person, can understand :)

[@emacarvalho7889]

Unfortunately saying someone lip syncs is a strange and stupid attempt to destroy someone. We all just should be respectful and be happy for the success of others. There’s a huge difference between of not liking and just plain envy.. BYW, the video is great😃

[@MJ-hz6gh]

How is saying someone is lip syncing is an attempt to destroy someone esp if they are truly lip syncing? Where's the logic in your comment, Ema?

[@andreareddorkinghood1371]

When I saw her performance on tv I was like wow she killed it singing. It was pretty obvious to me that she was actually singing, so I was surprised to see later that so many people thought she was lip-synching.

[@londynebridgessdeveraux7688]

She didn’t lip sync, but if she had, that’s her sh%t…. Haters stand down with the BS!!!! ..

[@luna_ytx]

You can literally hear her breath and she does her notes differently in some parts.

[@MsAda.]

People just want to hate, u can tell the difference from when she is singing and when it's just back up track, it's louder and cleaner when she is singing, like at the end when her mic didn't work, the difference was just clear.

[@Kea661]

Your face when the ad popped up is ME 😂😂😂

[@wrighteousj]

Makes me rage EVERY TIME

[@thepressgirl]

I really appreciate this reaction video. Cause I heard those puff of air too whenever she would sing certain words. Her voice is just amazing and I absolutely loved it.

[@aGumball]

that confused me when people were saying that cause as I'm watching the performance I CAN CLEARLY HERE HER VOICE. I was genuinely confused. like where tf is she lipsyncing?? you can clearly distinguish her real voice from a back track

[@marinalindsay133]

Who cares if she lip sync or not she did very very good I am proud of Riri. You go girl 👏

[@Kiki-cm1pm]

I love your back and forth reaction from „she‘s singing guys“ to „MARSHMALLOW MINIONS“ 😂 love it. Rihanna killed that performance

[@forfun2777]

As a navy/army, this was right up my alley. They need to leave my girl alone. We needed this after a long riri drought. thanks for your very positive honest reaction.

[@forfun2777]

Oh and Mike Reid was the drummer.

[@turnsufficient4971]

When she was walking across the stage at around the 10 min mark - you hear her breath in the mic as she began singing different lines.

[@musanyathi2298]

It's been known for years that superbowl performances are not totally live. Only 7mins to set up stage etc. Technical risks are huge and no time to test sound.

[@wrighteousj]

Boom

[@neri859]

8:40 That's what I'm saying!!! The simplicity of the whole thing, not so much going on and she's having fun but that makes it perfect!🔥🔥🔥

[@rickboss8856]

She isn’t even lip syncing 😭😭her voice sounds the same that’s all people are just dumb you can hear she changes the tone of her voice on some notes that’s how yk she isn’t lip syncing

[@phoenixflame8]

Thank you so much for this J. Rhi Rhi killed it that night and i was so happy for her. I would have loved to see it live. Keep being amazing! Borahae 💜

[@trishf3576]

Just watched Prince Superbowl performance. That was purely live and all the more special for it. I think now, many artists have a lot of safety nets that previous artists didn't have. Here you can clearly hear when it's her and when it's not. Most performances are like this now. Also, live performances can now be pitch-corrected in real time. It becomes ambiguous but yes, critics should learn the difference between lip syncing and the play back help. Don't think Rihanna should be singled out as these techniques are commonplace.

[@lynandrews7075]

She’s Amazing live! People just don’t realise how good she is vocally and she sounds like her songs because they don’t do much to her voice in production on her recorded songs. She just sounds like her actual live voice. People need to stop being so judgmental.

[@MsElectricLover]

I LOVE her, she had fun, sounded amazing and looked spectacular, the hits are insane, the setlist was fire and the production is monumental. She did AMAZING, I don't know what the hell they were expecting, I'm glad she didn't give them what they thought she was gonna do.

[@crazybabysittertwin]

I can't speak to the backing track, but she had actual live back-up singers performing with her. So when people can hear vocals that don't seem to match up to the close-up on Rihanna, it's because there is another whole person singing that line/phrase so that Riri can move on to the next lead part of the vocal phrase. Allowing the back-up singers to do exactly what the job description says: Back her up.

[@melodietimm276]

GREAT COMMENTARY. JEALOUSY CAUSES RUDE REMARKS. AWESOME SINGING FROM HER AND SHE CAN SING.

[@mdogg95]

Ri-Ri would never

[@wrighteousj]

would never

[@mercuryyoung9206]

Like I need folks to understand what a backing track is and the fact that literally everyone uses it.

[@reneezemlock7880]

Fun Fact.... Sienna Lalau, one of the dancers in this, is also the person that choreographed ON and Dionysus for BTS (as well as Chicken Noodle Soup and part of the Butter Grammy performance). :) She's a dancer with The Lab out of LA. At 13:59 of your video... she is the one on the far left next to Rihanna.

[@kyramarie4671]

She is so talented!!💜💜💜💜💜💜💜

[@kashataylor6430]

Rhianna got bangers.

[@vanessaasmus4790]

I have to say this was was on the best videos I’ve seen in a while lol thanks for the info and the laughs!

[@wrighteousj]

Lol thank you!

[@fatimaalkamoosi6578]

I’m not a music expert but I was so confused when ppl said she was lip syncing she obviously wasn’t

[@Jeeyaz]

So what. She did it for free and she's pregnant. Brilliant business move. Rihanna's Music streams and Fenty Cosmetic and lingerie sales are up. Everyone else paid 7 million dollars for super bowl ads.

[@rissacarter1045]

Thank you. People will always be haters. Disturbing.

[@agatakozowska8320]

I agree. She is extraordinary.

[@andyshane4167]

A billionaire music icon with tens of millions of fans at age 34 balanced on an airborne platform pregnant and danced perfectly with 88 people after coordinating a staff of 800 while singing. When did Rosemary Clooney or Judy Garland ever attempt something like that? I'll wait.

[@rhonda5056]

Exactly...welll said.

[@georgedixon9863]

thank you - so many people saying she was terrible, lipsynching the whole time. People so clueless :)

[@JoaoVictor-rd9gz]

Ppl dont know the difference between backing track and lip syncing lol

[@michaelstefanik5918]

She moved any harder, her water would break... I don't know how it is to sing pregnant but I imagine it can't be easy

[@wrighteousj]

For real. Underrated comment.

[@aijousarang]

My voice would not be that stable if I was on the platform with no railing, harness, or handle bar. My ass would be laying down with my eyes closed.

[@missg5385]

Lmao so true 😄😄😄😄👍🏽

[@beazirconaus946]

As a first time Superbowl viewer (couple of Aussies playing for the Eagles), I thought Rihanna did a great job. Not a fan but she seemed a hundred percent committed and only occasionally patted her bump(comfort for the baby).

[@wrighteousj]

Momma first 🤘❤️

[@saxyben81]

That stadium is not built with proper acoustics so to proper fill that venue, a backing track is used to enhance her voice and her being pregnant she also might get winded and miss a word here and there. It happens like he said ALL THE TIME and especially when the acoustics are crap.

[@turnsufficient4971]

During the performance she pulled the mic away from her mouth and there was a chorus backing track - maybe that's what they were talking about ? I'm a musician and it looked to me like she was singing. There's backing tracks and that might be what people are confused about. Although, there's probably lots of people who just want to insult her, bc it's pop music.

[@AshIsChillie]

You can also hear the echo off the mic so you can hear she's not lip syncing

[@vibangscorner5164]

Just Imagine if this gal is not pregnant! come on give the pregnant lady a credit due to her.

[@wrighteousj]

Boom

[@HN-dr4ro]

Totally agree your opinion! The performance is so simple and clean, that’s why I love it so much.

[@ceecee6271]

Thanks for breaking this down ❤❤❤

[@noeliaormazabal4765]

I love watching you react!!! I did like her performance and it was clean, sharp, full, very well done in my opinion! And you are just so much fun to watch and really give us info about what performances entail as well as fun comments (marshmallow minions)❤ pretty easy on the eyes you are! Ty for putting a smile on my face!

[@MBella123]

She’s such a queen! I’m not a professional singer but I learned how to tell if someone’s lip synching and she’s definitely not. I can hear her voice and it sounds great. Btw, she just announced her second baby on this show 💜

[@AC-fm8qq]

THANK YOU! ❤ seriously she’s just amazing!

[@pramiteechakrabarty6391]

She did not lip sync cause we could hear her voice properly when she was singing and when she was not the background song was kinda faded and not as clear as her real voice

[@ishmaelkelly951]

All the people that said Rihanna was lip-syncing are haters🖕 they mad cuz they can't be her ,you do your thing Rihanna ,let the haters hate😎

[@maruragu8192]

hey! thanks for keeping it real.. love the passion.. u meant every word you said there.. felt it! well done x

[@wrighteousj]

Thank you 😂❤️

[@lanihyastephenson3841]

It shouldn't matter if shes lip singing she still did her thing she still singing

[@prisciroman1]

POV marshmallow minions! I love it 😂

[@dangerousdevil7233]

How can this LEGEND lip syncing? ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@nestnest8225]

So excited this perform ❤️ Riri so amazing... 💯 Thx for reaction

[@joellez6832]

Normal catch phrase "transitions" has officially been changed to "marshmallow minions"....lol

[@wrighteousj]

Lollll

[@StefaniYee]

I really wish people got that music production has changed and backing tracks are basically inescapable. So many songs have layered vocals, vocals used as instrumentation, sythed instruments etc etc.

[@tinarowland4120]

Thank you for setting it straight, it felt live to me and yet perfection.

[@bayareaefusjon]

Love this video. Very educational. One question is when her microphone goes back and forth, is it the backtrack that hides the volume fluxuation?

[@wrighteousj]

So There’s very specific things on the mix board that you dial-in so that even if you’re a foot away from the mic it captures the same lvl of audio from a voice. It’s almost like a force field that captures anything with that range the same whether you’re right up next to it or move it away. Hope that makes sense!

[@MissMoneMonique]

THANK YOU!! I just want to jump on you & hug you for this! Lmao

[@rhonda5056]

Thank you for the recap and professional take on Ms. Rihanna's performance. Of all of the reviews, I have listened to, yours has been the best. Thanks again.

[@wrighteousj]

Awe thank you!

[@emmanolan1250]

I just found your channel and I loved your defence of my girl ❤

[@katelynkurtz4421]

She has clearly earned her spot at the top with hit after hit and such unbelievable live performances. She is Queen RiRi

[@katelynkurtz4421]

I actually watched this video bc I thought you were trying to say she WAS lip syncing, and I wanted to watch you prove it lol bc I definitely thought she was really singing. I loved this video! 💜

[@gosiakrzyzanowska592]

I don't think anyone who saw the concert live will say she lip-synced. In the amateur fan-made videos, it's obvious her singing voice is set much louder than the backing track. Whereas the professional video has her vocals barely louder and I think they were airbrushed (??). I know the video is definitely airbrushed because 1) they made the sky much darker compared to every other fan-made video, 2) when Diamonds starts, there are signs everywhere (turn on your flashlight ) and they should be visible behind Rihanna, and they are not.

[@savemyhoa]

Good analysis! The band also played to a backing track as you can see the drums have zero mics on them. Drums require a bunch. Also one of the band members is guitarist Nuno Bettencourt (of the band Extreme) She used him for previous tours and Grammy performance.

[@marinal.]

Hi, i am back. Ty for doing this. Love her voice and stage. She slayed. Such a cool performance. Marshmallow minions, lol. Hugs. -NY USA 2019 Army💟

[@unapologetic2992]

That's what happens when the show is flawless and excellent. Haters will accuse you of lip-syncing. I'm happy to have an analysis from an actual performer.

[@LPnerd]

OMG flawless, excellent??? what the hell were you watching. I mean lets at least be fair. Rianna, is a treasure, this performance sucked.

[@marchhenorotoni9262]

@@LPnerd Bobo mo 🤣🤣

[@unapologetic2992]

@@LPnerd and why do you type like you're entitled to me agreeing with you? I said what I said. Grow up.

[@LPnerd]

@@unapologetic2992 I don't agree, so I should grow up? I'm pretty sure I was trying not to be rude, with no thoughts of you agreeing or disagreeing.

[@LPnerd]

@@unapologetic2992 maybe because I have some experience on this subject? and you obviously do not?

[@user-xy6uk9fz7x]

WTF, people ? The ones who say she's lip syncing, go get some info about what lip syncing is! I've been doing music for quite some time now and i can tell you for sure that you can hear her voice throughout the whole performance. You can even hear when she starts singing and where she finishes in each song and where the backing track gets in. What i wanted to say is that i absolutely agree with the author of this video. And every single person who's somehow connected with music will tell you the same thing that there's NO lip syncing in her performance. Period

[@muhammimam506]

That performance its like Rihanna's Tour🔥🔥

[@carissawills7377]

Just had a baby AND pregnant again. Dude, she slayed out there. What did people want her to do? Also, we are gonna need a TS react when Era’s starts. Please 😂

[@tiisetsokompi7940]

I'm counting how many times you say mushmellow minions 😆

[@Akaiiiable]

Drinking game: Drink a shot when he is saying ”marshmellow minions”