Lip-synching in music is "moving the lips in synchronization with [pre-]recorded speech or song" to give the appearance of a 'live' performance. It is generally considered dishonest, though some producers argue that it needs to be done in some performance contexts.
Lip-synching, also called miming, can be used to make it appear as though actors have musical ability or to misattribute vocals, to enable them to perform live dance numbers, or to cover for illness or other deficiencies during live performance. The practice of lip synching during live performances is frowned on by some who view it as a crutch.
2008[]
On September 26, 2008, Gaga performed live at Sunrise in Australia. This performance became famous because of the accusations from the show of her lip-syncing the song:
- This morning’s performance from Lady Gaga was obviously not live.That is a clear breach of Sunrise policy on music performances.We’d like to apologise for the segment and assure you we view the breach extremely seriously. We pride ourselves on our live music performances and will continue to deliver Australian audiences with the best acts from here and overseas.
- Adam Boland
Executive Producer
She defended herself stating that she was actually really sick that day and decided to lower her microphone volume and put the backing track louder to cover her hoarse voice. On the soundcheck for the performance, Gaga said to the crowd: "I'm a bit sick today so I could use all the cheering I could get".
- "I was sick the day of the show but I absolutely, 100 per cent, was singing live. I have never lip-synched and never will. Even on my worst day, I never will."
During her performances in 2008, Gaga used a backing tracks that also included some of the lead vocals to make the performance sound fuller and closer to the album version. During her performances a month later, Gaga removed most of these lead vocals and made them noticibly quieter.
2009[]
- “I would never even think about it (lip synching). The whole point to me is, if you’re gonna be number one, you better really be fucking number one. If you’re gonna be on top, you better be able to do all those things, because it’s a real privilege to be able to make music everyday, and I get away with a lot…Andy Warhol says art is what you can get away with, and I get away with a lot with my music and my clothes, and I work really hard so I could truly be a real artist for all my fans. That’s really fucked up when you lip-synch.”