Last night, we were blessed with a Very Special Episode of Carpool Karaoke that saw host James Corden hang out with our lord and saviour Britney Spears. And it was everything we needed and wanted and deserved and more.
But yet, critics (see: people on the internet) are freaking out over the fact that Britney maybe/could’ve been/probably was lip syncing. Which brings me to two very important points:
1) Every artist sings atop their already-recorded songs. Carpool Karaoke is not a concert. James Corden is playing their song on the radio. So, you will hear the recorded version of their song along with the singer’s actual voice because again, this is a feature set in a moving vehicle and not Massey Hall.
2) Who cares?
Do you care if Britney Spears was lip syncing? I don’t, because Britney Spears has been through hell and back about 14 times and I’m just happy she’s performing like it’s 1999 and living her life and hanging in Vegas. Like, if Britney wants to lip sync, girl: lip sync. Lip sync like it’s never been done before. Lip sync like you believe it. Lip sync like no one’s watching. You’ve earned it. Also: the magic of Britney lies not within her voice.
I mean, her voice is good. It’s great! “Baby One More Time” etc. is a testament to that. But also, Britney is not Adele. She is a performer in the sing/dance/costume sense of the word. She is an entity — a host unto herself. The woman can carry a tune and she delivers some serious jams and she can dance better than 95 percent of the population — which means I doubt any of us are going to have a cry if we find out she sings overtop of a backing vocal. Seeing her do anything is about the experience. You know? Like, seeing her. Getting mad about Britney Spears lip syncing would be like getting mad at Beyonce for putting a show on and not delivering any of her lines from whatever-the-hell movies we’ve seen her in. Right? Britney Spears is bigger than whether or not she sings from her actual vocal chords every day.
So let’s dial it down. Carpool Karaoke was a delight. Britney Spears is a boss and a great sport and a goddamn legend. Plus, if whether or not Britney is lip syncing is the biggest problem anybody has, please tell me what it’s like to live such a chilled out life. That I want to know the truth behind. Those are the secrets I give a sh*t about.
