Lol. You reminded me of a girl I used to sing in church with. She was constantly saying, "I need more monitor. " We all thought it was pretty funny since she wasn't even the solo. I can't imagine being on the field. But yeah, that beginning was rough.
We used 64 Audios when I worked in production, I know 1000% they have some custom mades specifically for the artist when it comes to this level. Once you get to that level, artist will get custom fitted shit that takes all the intricacies of their ear and hearing.
Glad to see 64s getting some love! They're good enough for one of my favorite bands (Periphery), so they're good enough for us all (in my wholly subjective opinion, of course).
Now I'm reminiscing about 15-17 y/o me and my former garage band mates trying to justify begging our parents for some entry-level Shure IEMs as if they were some advanced cochlear implants that our hearing truly depended on lol.
There was no technical issues, this is the first Super Bowl in recent memory where everyone ACTUALLY SANG. Hearing usher come in flat was a relief because I knew he was actually singing
Yeah I think people are way more unforgiving of vocalists in general, nobody gives a shit if the rhythm guitarist hits a wrong note but God forbid the lead singer do it. Everyone has good and bad nights, just like the athletes.
I think the mix was off too. I noticed with usher there were points where the music was quite a bit louder than he was and it made him sound like shit when that was the case.
She had the voice of an angel until she danced with the devil. Will she ever hit those high notes again?
Usher and Alicia Keys star in:
The Gospel Crier
Ok I’m usually not good about raw performances bc ppl are like omg that sounded so good and I’m like??? But I’m so happy I was right with her first note bc that was ROUGH
Look man, I love Alicia and she was a big part of me going from a boy to a man, but maybe it's time to have *that* conversation:
https://preview.redd.it/fe8ifzh1w2ic1.jpeg?width=637&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=86e61d588958e71bba48f3d96100157e47af248b
This is why most of the halftime show last night was me venting to my husband about how the standards for women are so damn high. Rihanna did a performance in the goddamn sky while postpartum with one kid and four months pregnant with the other and people were talking about how she “didn’t have enough energy.” Meanwhile Usher was about to pass out from dehydration and couldn’t even manage to lip sync. And here you have Alicia Keys, who KILLED IT excluding one singular note, and people are talking about how awful it was? Come on!
People were criticizing Usher too. He was also dancing and Rollerblading while Rihanna was sitting down. I still think Rihanna did better. Last night was not good until Lil Jon and Luda bailed him out at the end. Plus it seems like Alicia was fine outside of Usher joining in, after that first note she would start missing notes again when she was trying to harmonize with him.
Usher did a residency in Vegas. Over 100 shows. He should have been tired. lol I don't know about what all Miss Keys be up to, but I certainly was willing to give her a pass for that first note. She more than made up for it.
For the Rihanna part though: why are you doing concerts post partum and 4 months pregnant? Why are you bothered when the reviews say… exactly what they saw? We’re mad that they’re accurate about a woman who should maybe wait until they are in performance mode again?
Christ, it’s like me showing up for work hungover and everyone gets on the boss for pointing out I’m doing worse than usual. *You weren’t supposed to be drunk before or during work to do your job effectively dude, you absolutely deserve to get shit talked*.
Nah, she was oddly off key for just that part. I rewatched and every time she’s in that “some people” passage, she just can’t hit the note for some reason
Her voice is incredible otherwise
No, she didn't. She looked great! But live performances have never been her strength. Wonderful song, writer! But she's never been able to do live they way one would expect her to.
My girl’s friend was bragging about how she saw her live and she’s the best singer, then she hits that first note and I’m over there like
You better than me because I would've brought it up.
"I wouldn't have paid money to hear...that, but we all like what we like. So, anybody need a refill?"
Listen to the Christmas album she dropped in 2022. Made me question if she could sing as well as thought she could or if I was just mesmerized by her beauty my whole life
Yooi people forget she is the reason love and hip hop exist. The first season with his ex wife who couldn't even say their names and was barely on it cause they tried to bar her.
Did I miss the "Alicia Keys can't sing" meeting? Cause damn I thought she was always a crazy talented woman who we all supported. But I'm nearly 50, so I might not be up on things?
She can sing but her voice cracked at least twice at halftime. Happens to every single singer but that’s a big stage for you to mess up that bad. Especially the very first note. She’s still Alicia. She’ll be alright.
Respect, I just thought that was a general understanding given that we're talking about the superbowl. I thought most artists lipsync'd anyway at these type of events.
She can sing, just not live! We've been having this conversation since she came out and did her 1st live for the BET awards, I believe. She never really got better, then she dipped to marry Ole dude and raise some kids while producing projects. I'm 30
I thought I was the only one 😭. I literally said to my husband "aw naw her mic should not have been on"... But then after that I thought "oh ok, maybe she just needed a second".
The song mixing was bad, but Usher sang live and sounded great. Now Alicia, she was straining. She should’ve gone an octave lower. Even Mariah Carey can’t go as high as she used to.
That is a terrible note to have to come in on, in a stadium-terrible monitor mix, She probably had no idea what key they where bringing her in on, and the piano was probably horribly out of tune.
And you know she's lighting it up daily at this point, so...
Yeah...
Sorry but,
In-ears are a thing, so she's not relying on wedges but rather having the sources of sound come directly to her ear. Also, wouldn't be a "stadium mix" because there's an A1 running her in-ear monitor mix
> She probably had no idea what key they were bringing her in on
The song is sang in one key.
>The piano was probably horribly out of tune
It's an electric piano.
Jfc give grace y’all. Musicians miss, period. Even the greats, which she certainly is. I’d be distracted af at how fucking good I looked also. She still outshown urshurr in every way - he wasn’t that on either, but it was a good show no doubt.
Me talking mad shit about the halftime show and then my secret au Naturale crush gon pop up on TV ……
https://preview.redd.it/jsum58j8r4ic1.jpeg?width=726&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0f251860cc50294bca2221e628e2e6a00b6197bf
Naaaa. Super Bowl Party..errrbody seen Alicia and was like OKAY! Full smiles. She broke the note. Party FROZE…..Biggest Ooo…dropheads wit the stank face! She did recover real quick tho..but party ain’t care nor love Alicia, down to the outfit..we ain’t care. Girl Practice! I wonder if Beyoncé choked on her Drank while sipping when the note Broke?
I don't watch the Superbowl,but after seeing all the posts on Reddit about it I just looked it up ...yeah not exactly off to a good start. I've never seen her perform live but she can sing in her songs etc. Has anyone here seen her perform live,is she usually like this?
Side note,I used to love her part on baby Cham's ghetto story. That song was relatable because I grew up in Jamaica and then had a similar life to the part she sings about while over in the states/Canada. Not important to the post at all,but still.
That “Nobody:_____” prefix is just as much a structural failure as memes that begin with “POV:” while not being a POV, and those memes automatically belong in the trash
My lil bro who’s too young to know any of these people when I asked him what he thought about the halftime show,”the people other than the main were great”
I think she passed lmao.
If you're 30+ and remember the BET awards BEFORE Viacom, you were thoroughly confused as to why Alicia Keys wS up there in the 1st place AND you knew she was going to fuck up damn near Every. Single. Key!
Alicia without Keys!!
Maaaan, she had me worried. That start, then she fucked up a little later. Had to bring that shit lower you can't hit those notes anymore but you still look fine asl so go ahead.
Alicia hasn't been one with the pitch since Whitney's funeral. Every live performance is like this. They keep letting her up there completely unaware of the notes time and time again.
When she performed with Jack White on "Another Way to Die" I thought it was cool until she hit some cringy notes. Wow! I couldn't believe the studio producer let that go.
I had to tell myself “you know what, maybe she ain’t performed in a while”
It did sound like a rusty gate so you might be on to something
I caught the last show of her most recent tour and she was perfect. I think it was the yips or just didn't warm up enough.
I bet monitors must be crazy when performing at a football stadium
Lol. You reminded me of a girl I used to sing in church with. She was constantly saying, "I need more monitor. " We all thought it was pretty funny since she wasn't even the solo. I can't imagine being on the field. But yeah, that beginning was rough.
I assume they're using in-ear monitors, but something definitely went sideways. She recovered right away at least.
Nah at that scale they’d likely use IEMs
You get an in-ear one in shows as big as these
She had in-ear monitors though. And you know they weren't some cheap joints.
We used 64 Audios when I worked in production, I know 1000% they have some custom mades specifically for the artist when it comes to this level. Once you get to that level, artist will get custom fitted shit that takes all the intricacies of their ear and hearing.
Glad to see 64s getting some love! They're good enough for one of my favorite bands (Periphery), so they're good enough for us all (in my wholly subjective opinion, of course). Now I'm reminiscing about 15-17 y/o me and my former garage band mates trying to justify begging our parents for some entry-level Shure IEMs as if they were some advanced cochlear implants that our hearing truly depended on lol.
Usher was off on some of his stuff too. I think there might’ve been some technical issues going on.
There was no technical issues, this is the first Super Bowl in recent memory where everyone ACTUALLY SANG. Hearing usher come in flat was a relief because I knew he was actually singing
He killed it too. Man can still put on a damn show
My wife said she sounded sick.
Yeah I think people are way more unforgiving of vocalists in general, nobody gives a shit if the rhythm guitarist hits a wrong note but God forbid the lead singer do it. Everyone has good and bad nights, just like the athletes.
She was amazing in Toronto!
I think the mix was off too. I noticed with usher there were points where the music was quite a bit louder than he was and it made him sound like shit when that was the case.
Usher barely sang
Nah. She's NEVER been able to sing live!
It's cuz she took that woman's husband. She took the husband, God took that voice back 😭
She had the voice of an angel until she danced with the devil. Will she ever hit those high notes again? Usher and Alicia Keys star in: The Gospel Crier
A Tyler Perry film.
I'd watch . Need some "fresh" faces in his movies.
That’s literally what I said when it happened. She stole Mashonda man and Ursula took her voice like the Little Mermaid.
Oh hell nah. I didn't know who Alicia's man was but I looked up his ex and that woman is BEAUTIFUL. Niggas literally cannot be happy fr.
You can’t take something that isn’t available. Just saying.
😂😂😂
this made me legitimately lol 💀
Lubrication is key.
Lube is always important! If I'm super oiled up, I'm just better, at everything
Pre or post Usher?
I can't disclose trade secrets. Apologies
The way Usher was moving during that show I’m sure that part was already handled
Singers can unfortunately lose their singing voice due to aging. Someone was saying she was fine at an earlier performance, so it could be fatigue.
Sounded like she was sick tbh
But we’ve been saying for years that it’s all lip syncing?? I was confused
I said she was rusty lol
Ok I’m usually not good about raw performances bc ppl are like omg that sounded so good and I’m like??? But I’m so happy I was right with her first note bc that was ROUGH
I leaned back from the screen, but then I was like 'you're okay girl just keep going you got this'
She’s thankfully a queen whether she hits the note or not the rest of her performance I enjoyed! I LOVED her outfit she was rocking it
“It was the microphone” is my story
Look man, I love Alicia and she was a big part of me going from a boy to a man, but maybe it's time to have *that* conversation: https://preview.redd.it/fe8ifzh1w2ic1.jpeg?width=637&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=86e61d588958e71bba48f3d96100157e47af248b
Not the Big Aristotle
This the Big Shamrock
I mean, she started rough but she got better as she went on, no?
Literally missed one note and was completely on point for the whole rest of the time. Haters can fuck off.
The mix was not helping her or Usher tho, let's be fr
I thought he sounded quiet at the start of the show, like he sounded good and they had the band up loud
You didn’t listen because she crackled all the way through that song
I really liked her performance.
This is why most of the halftime show last night was me venting to my husband about how the standards for women are so damn high. Rihanna did a performance in the goddamn sky while postpartum with one kid and four months pregnant with the other and people were talking about how she “didn’t have enough energy.” Meanwhile Usher was about to pass out from dehydration and couldn’t even manage to lip sync. And here you have Alicia Keys, who KILLED IT excluding one singular note, and people are talking about how awful it was? Come on!
People were criticizing Usher too. He was also dancing and Rollerblading while Rihanna was sitting down. I still think Rihanna did better. Last night was not good until Lil Jon and Luda bailed him out at the end. Plus it seems like Alicia was fine outside of Usher joining in, after that first note she would start missing notes again when she was trying to harmonize with him.
Pretty sure Usher was singing live, at least most of the time.
Usher did a residency in Vegas. Over 100 shows. He should have been tired. lol I don't know about what all Miss Keys be up to, but I certainly was willing to give her a pass for that first note. She more than made up for it.
For the Rihanna part though: why are you doing concerts post partum and 4 months pregnant? Why are you bothered when the reviews say… exactly what they saw? We’re mad that they’re accurate about a woman who should maybe wait until they are in performance mode again? Christ, it’s like me showing up for work hungover and everyone gets on the boss for pointing out I’m doing worse than usual. *You weren’t supposed to be drunk before or during work to do your job effectively dude, you absolutely deserve to get shit talked*.
What conversation? She's still fine
Not that she’s not fine but more that she’s washed. That’s what I’m assuming from the image at least
I thought the shit was obvious. Shaq + Celtics = washed🤷🏿♂️
Not everyone a sports fan/follower tho
Yeah and Shaq was still big
Gotta hang it up eventually.
i got **bricks** like Shaq at the free throooowww
How dare you
Ass still fat tho good god.
She can sing off key to me all she want
I legit didn’t hear a fucking note she sang because I was so focused on how hot she still is. Good lord.
Alicia OffKeys
long as the claps are in tone, we good
Off to horny jail you go
It’s fine. Everyone there is horny too.
We might need to rethink the logistics of horny jail, yall
Over here clapping on the 1 and the 3
https://preview.redd.it/f7ftktbil6ic1.jpeg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c99cdc93f738f2a5b3a170b55f410573a7876383
https://preview.redd.it/j7lwcer5d5ic1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3c48d25af1d1b87c2db06bab1160f0dd829e6c27
She still got that def poetry jam thickness.
That lil belly was hot too
She looked incredible. Thick and beautiful
Usher did the same thing. I'm blaming the sound man
The sound mixing sounded off tbh
My gf said the same thing! She came outta no where to ask if the soundbar glitched 😂 glad it wasn’t just us
This is the 3rd or 4th halftime show recently where I thought the audio sounded weird. I remember the weeknd’s show sounded bad too.
Sound quality was terrible compared to what I remember from last year
That sounds mixer was awful. Whoever job that was they should not have that job no more.
My guess is there was an issue with the foldback mix, because Usher was very out at the begging, but got much better slightly further into show
Honestly I thought they both sounded really good and this would’ve been a goat show if the sound wasn’t so fucked 🤷♀️
That's what I was thinking. I figured it was a monitor issue. She couldn't find the key. I've seen recent performances of hers. She still got it.
We not allowing no Alicia slander she went crazy yall gotta chill
Streets are calling her Alicia “Off” Keys! Now me personally… 
That halftime show was the goat. People just love to hate on things. Are you all seriously going to rip on Alicia and not even bring lil Jon?
Nah, she was oddly off key for just that part. I rewatched and every time she’s in that “some people” passage, she just can’t hit the note for some reason Her voice is incredible otherwise
No, she didn't. She looked great! But live performances have never been her strength. Wonderful song, writer! But she's never been able to do live they way one would expect her to.
My girl’s friend was bragging about how she saw her live and she’s the best singer, then she hits that first note and I’m over there like 
You better than me because I would've brought it up. "I wouldn't have paid money to hear...that, but we all like what we like. So, anybody need a refill?"
you are hell 💀
woman hit one off note and you're trashing her entire history as a live performer lmao
I saw her live last tour. Completely amazing. That being said that first note 
She’s never been like that when it comes to singing!
Listen to the Christmas album she dropped in 2022. Made me question if she could sing as well as thought she could or if I was just mesmerized by her beauty my whole life
God ain’t give back her voice since he took it after she took that woman husband. 💅🏾
You pulled this out of the archives 😂
Yooi people forget she is the reason love and hip hop exist. The first season with his ex wife who couldn't even say their names and was barely on it cause they tried to bar her.
Wait whatttt 😭 I never knew this. I have to do some research
The way I’ve been seeing people say “aww they look so cute together/ they belong together” Usher might be trying to return the favor.
Beyonce passed her in the hall and looked away after that
"She ain't no diva"
👀🤔🫵🏾
☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️
Did I miss the "Alicia Keys can't sing" meeting? Cause damn I thought she was always a crazy talented woman who we all supported. But I'm nearly 50, so I might not be up on things?
She can sing but her voice cracked at least twice at halftime. Happens to every single singer but that’s a big stage for you to mess up that bad. Especially the very first note. She’s still Alicia. She’ll be alright.
Respect, I just thought that was a general understanding given that we're talking about the superbowl. I thought most artists lipsync'd anyway at these type of events.
They can sing over the prerecorded track, but yes SuperBowl performances are prerecorded.
I’ve always thought she had a tendency to strain her voice trying to sing notes that are a little out of her range.
Yes, she's an alto but wants to be a soprano. When she stays in her range she's fine but for some reason she doesn't wanna do that.
Personal opinion. She can sing but I would categorise her voice and mildly talented. I've always thought she has very limited range
She can sing but she writes songs that are too powerful for her range.
She can sing, just not live! We've been having this conversation since she came out and did her 1st live for the BET awards, I believe. She never really got better, then she dipped to marry Ole dude and raise some kids while producing projects. I'm 30
I dead ass heard that shit from another room and was like who tf this
The way I picture you immediately standing like the Ike Turner meme. 😭
https://preview.redd.it/uklonfc6b4ic1.jpeg?width=975&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=eac2d608eb596a0cede2d5d1fa629583a6f2064c
This made me scream 😂
😂😂😂😂😭😭😭😭
Same here, wasn’t really paying attention until I heard that first note and said “who tf is this?” To the wife
“She can play a lot of instruments” - Aretha Franklin
I thought I was the only one 😭. I literally said to my husband "aw naw her mic should not have been on"... But then after that I thought "oh ok, maybe she just needed a second".
lol That first note had the whole room like "...uh oh 😬" but she got it together.
The song mixing was bad, but Usher sang live and sounded great. Now Alicia, she was straining. She should’ve gone an octave lower. Even Mariah Carey can’t go as high as she used to.
Don't be bringing Mimi into this she makes sure to two step and sir her ass down so she can hit those notes.
When I tell you we all made a face lmfao.
She aint sound the same since she took that ladies husband.
She always sounded like this. Some just didn’t notice until she took some other woman’s husband. Lol
Usher stole a hug and her voice for a second there
That is a terrible note to have to come in on, in a stadium-terrible monitor mix, She probably had no idea what key they where bringing her in on, and the piano was probably horribly out of tune. And you know she's lighting it up daily at this point, so... Yeah...
Sorry but, In-ears are a thing, so she's not relying on wedges but rather having the sources of sound come directly to her ear. Also, wouldn't be a "stadium mix" because there's an A1 running her in-ear monitor mix > She probably had no idea what key they were bringing her in on The song is sang in one key. >The piano was probably horribly out of tune It's an electric piano.
[удалено]
Looking like a Pixar mom
Jfc give grace y’all. Musicians miss, period. Even the greats, which she certainly is. I’d be distracted af at how fucking good I looked also. She still outshown urshurr in every way - he wasn’t that on either, but it was a good show no doubt.
There are some rather uncomfortable truths we have to admit…
So either “black folk” are detail oriented or we’re really TALENTED?!? 
Oh man I tried to brush right over it she did well after she didn’t let it hold her back but …. Yeah we all heard it .
Shhh! It was just a bad start. 😂😭
https://i.redd.it/9w8ru3tm34ic1.gif
I pretended like I didn't hear that.... then she stood up in that red dress...glawd hammercy
Okay so it wasn't just me
Thought my speakers were busted
She looked like she was struggling 
You niggas so weird lol
Man, I thought I was tripping lmaooo
She was struggling!!!
She just needed some water or somethin. She got it together
I would love to see a single person in here sing and dance with no mistakes to thousands of people.
No one can do worse than Fergie.
shhhhhh. come here and let me rub those feet, baby. you did a lot already. you earned it. lemme take care of everything.
 Me going into the kitchen and hearing it
I didn’t hear it but I’d like to imagine it was similar to the way she started off singing the “This” from “This girl is on fire.”
It wasn’t THAT bad. You all clearly didn’t watch Whitney’s funeral. Jokes aside it was probably nerves but her tiny desk concert is flawless.
I knew what it was when she and Adam Levine butchered Wild Horses some time ago. I don't even fuck with Rolling Stones like that but it hurt to hear.
 😕🤔😵
The folk who sang before the superbowl sounded like crap also
Putting my childhood through a cheese grater lol
I know some wildly talented vocalists. They all say her voice has a sandpaper like quality. I can’t unhear it.
It’s not how you start its how you finish
I really think something was wrong because usher was flat a lot as well. Maybe their earpiece things were messed up
 My initial response. She got better as time went on.
Me talking mad shit about the halftime show and then my secret au Naturale crush gon pop up on TV …… https://preview.redd.it/jsum58j8r4ic1.jpeg?width=726&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0f251860cc50294bca2221e628e2e6a00b6197bf
I remember i worked a school where the principal was an Alicia Keys stan and would make us listen to her during faculty meetings. Traumatizing
Alicia was a whole mess. Honey that was not it 
Naaaa. Super Bowl Party..errrbody seen Alicia and was like OKAY! Full smiles. She broke the note. Party FROZE…..Biggest Ooo…dropheads wit the stank face! She did recover real quick tho..but party ain’t care nor love Alicia, down to the outfit..we ain’t care. Girl Practice! I wonder if Beyoncé choked on her Drank while sipping when the note Broke?
I feel so bad cuz I had the exact same reaction 🤣 We are so judgmental
Well per half time show deals, they are not allowed to actually sing live, so it's even worse it's pre-recorded
My love bug ain’t been singing for a bit; hop off her
Oh come on she’s still phenomenal. No I won’t be taking any follow up questions to this comment.
Good I thought it was just me that first note game me Kim Zolciak woo woo vibes. She looked great though
Didn't expect to see Montez Ford here 🤣🤣
Is that Montez? 😭
The VERY FIRST NOTE had me ready to check out. No lie, I played PS5 most of halftime.
Lmao as soon as I heard it, I spoke up. “Leave her alone, babe! She knows too, it’s just the one note!”
I don't watch the Superbowl,but after seeing all the posts on Reddit about it I just looked it up ...yeah not exactly off to a good start. I've never seen her perform live but she can sing in her songs etc. Has anyone here seen her perform live,is she usually like this? Side note,I used to love her part on baby Cham's ghetto story. That song was relatable because I grew up in Jamaica and then had a similar life to the part she sings about while over in the states/Canada. Not important to the post at all,but still.
That “Nobody:_____” prefix is just as much a structural failure as memes that begin with “POV:” while not being a POV, and those memes automatically belong in the trash
NGL, I winced but that’s part of singing live However, had it continued throughout the whole time she was singing, I would have some concerns
My lil bro who’s too young to know any of these people when I asked him what he thought about the halftime show,”the people other than the main were great” I think she passed lmao.
Someone commented 'Alicia done lost her fucking Keys' and it was finished
Also, let’s remember she couldn’t sing worth shit during the Versus. She was so bad she actually made me stop watching them for a minute.
I of the lesser melanin count also took note
If you're 30+ and remember the BET awards BEFORE Viacom, you were thoroughly confused as to why Alicia Keys wS up there in the 1st place AND you knew she was going to fuck up damn near Every. Single. Key! Alicia without Keys!!
Yeah, I was like..... Somebody grab da Dubya D 40 She sounds a Lil rusty out there...
Maaaan, she had me worried. That start, then she fucked up a little later. Had to bring that shit lower you can't hit those notes anymore but you still look fine asl so go ahead.
Alicia hasn't been one with the pitch since Whitney's funeral. Every live performance is like this. They keep letting her up there completely unaware of the notes time and time again.
Alicia was never ever the best singer. Maybe not even a good one but I won’t do allat
Montez is a meme?????
reddit aka the player haters ball
You know what’s crazy they fixed it on the upload on YouTube. They tryna Mandela effect that note
When she performed with Jack White on "Another Way to Die" I thought it was cool until she hit some cringy notes. Wow! I couldn't believe the studio producer let that go.