By: Azira Aziz

Leave the lip syncing to music videos..

Lip syncing is unforgivable in my books. It’s like being served roast chicken with shoestring fries when the menu boldly showed roast chicken with Waffle fries. I expect nothing less than waffle fries! Shoestring has no room in the limited imagination of my reasonable expectations.

Were you upset when you first saw Britney Spears perform live obviously lip syncing? And did it make you less upset when the reason was “She can’t dance AND sing at the same time.”? – That’s like the waiter going “Technically, you’re still getting fries.”

It makes me Eminem mad to watch singers lip sync on stages as big as the Grammys (*cough* Chris Brown *chokes* Rihanna). Dancing while singing has been done before – ask ‘N Sync for tips – so no excuses there.

I was going to condemn the word “lip sync” into the eternal hellfire of unnecessary existence UNTIL….it appeared in music videos. I realize how much more fun it is when someone else is lip syncing to a song. It’s like the waiter brought me an extra pleasant surprise dish on top of what I ordered. Here, there is always more to the story than being an audience blatantly fooled. I’m actually not a picky eater anyway…

Below is a list of forgivable lip syncing music videos and their stories……

Paul McCartney – My Valentine (with Natalie Portman)

So soft, so elegant – Paul McCartney directed this simple video featuring a poised Natalie Portman (with leftover gold dust of her Black Swan days still floating in her aura) lip syncing and hand signing the lyrics to the gentle song. Nothing could be wrong with this picture right? Well……

…except when The British Deaf Association pointed out that the video might have signed “tampon” instead of “appear”. It was probably something that got lost in translation. But at least the lip sync was in sync?

Rufus Wainwright – Out Of The Game (with Helena Bonham Carter)

What a delightful side of Rufus that we surprisingly see through…Helena Bonham Carter?! She plays bored librarian turned naughty in this little whimsy. Rufus and Helena reportedly have been pals for awhile and sometimes it pays to use your friends. According to the singer, he “very much appreciates her friendship for furthering (his) career”. Read his lips!

“Out Of The Game” record drops 1st May.

Elton John – This Train Don’t Stop There Anymore (with Justin Timberlake)

I’m very sure JT has a special place in Elton John’s heart – just as many other estrogen-filled beings also do. This one began from JT starring in a David LaChapelle-directed concert video of Elton’s “Rocket Man” with the idea being expanded into a music video of Elton’s “This Train Don’t Stop There Anymore”.  Justin is so convincing (as Elton’s secret fantasy of being a much hotter younger self) that he’s probably getting signed up to star in an Elton biopic. For someone who doesn’t lip sync during his singing&dancing concerts, JT’s got some serious lip syncing talent!

Ed Sheeran – Lego House (with Rupert Grint)

Here’s another rope-in-your-other-famous-friend-to-play-you music video. Two English redhead boys thought it’d be funny to mess with their audiences abit. And it is actually quite funny especially because they both almost look alike. Harry Potter fans get to see their Ronnie play an obsessive groupie stalker and Ed Sheeran gets more fans. Smart syncing!

Jamal Abdillah feat. Malique – Aku Maafkan Kamu (with Zizan)

When this video was released, there was an online APB out on rapper Malique almost. Everybody went, “Where is Malique?” as if Wally would appear just because you asked “Where’s Wally?”. In this video that depicts a song by Too Phat’s controversial rapper collaborating with the King of Malay music, Jamal Abdillah, we see comedian Zizan lip syncing Malique’s rap verses instead. What an oddity but hey whatever makes more people watch this video right?

I have a syncing..I mean sinking..feeling about Malique’s absence but I have no official sources. Jamal Abdillah has mentioned that Malique refused to make any public appearances unless it’s of utmost importance. Whatever the reason, we hope he’s doing fine and if the song lyrics have anything to do with it, I hope Malique keeps laying low and continues producing more good stuff like this!