Mariah Carey's lip synching was 2016's last victim

The superstar singer's awkward performance gave 2016 the exclamation point it so richly earned.
 By 
Marcus Gilmer
 on 
Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

As much as we've all bemoaned 2016 as a rough year, no one was probably as happy to be done with it as superstar Mariah Carey after some technical glitches caused her performance on Dick Clark's New Years Rockin' Eve to descend into chaos and awkwardness.

Things got off to a rough start as Carey seemed lost when her hit song "Emotions" started playing, telling her back-up dancers to "just walk me down" and saying "Well, Happy New Year."

And it went downhill from there.

Carey said, "We can't hear," and then just seemed to... give up. "I say let the audience sing," Carey helplessly offered, holding the mic out to fans while she awkwardly strutted the stage.

A frustrated Carey said at one point, "I'm trying to be a good sport here," before making a half-hearted attempt to lip synch for "We Belong Together."

And then, after an excruciating five minutes, it came to a close with Carey giving the brush off that 2016 so richly deserved.

Carey seemed to shrug it all off with a tweet sent not long after the performance because, well, she's right: it happens.

The internet was less forgiving, though, as the internet is known to be.

The more cynical viewers pointed out it could be a ruse to raise interest in her current reality show, but whatever the case, 2016 now has the exclamation point it earned.

Mashable Image
Marcus Gilmer

Marcus Gilmer is Mashable's Assistant Real-Times News Editor on the West Coast, reporting on breaking news from his location in San Francisco. An Alabama native, Marcus earned his BA from Birmingham-Southern College and his MFA in Communications from the University of New Orleans. Marcus has previously worked for Chicagoist, The A.V. Club, the Chicago Sun-Times and the San Francisco Chronicle.

Mashable Potato

Recommended For You
Was 2016 the last good year?
Stylized illustration of a viewer facing TV screens showing the 2016 election, a gorilla, and two rival political figures celebrating.

Instagram is nostalgic for 2016 again (yes, really)
2016 glasses on a table

'Beef' Season 2 teaser is pure tension
The cast of "Beef" Season 2.

Leonardo DiCaprio's animated Golden Globes side conversation is the night's biggest mystery
A close up of Leonardo DiCaprio sitting at a table at the 2026 Golden Globes

Stephen Colbert mocks Trump administration walking back allegations against ICE shooting victim
Stephen Colbert on 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.'

Trending on Mashable
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 3, 2026
Connections game on a smartphone

Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 3, 2026
Wordle game on a smartphone

What's new to streaming this week? (April 3, 2026)
A composite of images from film and TV streaming this week.


NYT Strands hints, answers for April 3, 2026
A game being played on a smartphone.
The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
These newsletters may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. By clicking Subscribe, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!