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Lip Synching
简体
Lip Synching
假唱

Learn English with this music English lesson

Date: Mar 04 2013

Themes: Pop Culture

Grammar: Adjectives

Intro

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With all the lights and props performers use these days, it’s hard to know what’s really going on onstage when you go to a concert. Are they actually singing up there, or just lip synching?

Lip synching is when you move your lips as though you are singing, but you don’t make any sound. You’re just pretending while a recording plays.

Generally, fans don’t like it when artists lip synch. In the ‘80s, the band Milli Vanilli’s career was ruined when people found out they were lip synching.

Recently, the singer Beyonce sang the national anthem during the inauguration for President Obama’s second term. Or did she? Find out what Mason and Lily think about this controversy in this music English lesson.

如今,在所有灯光和道具人员的工作下,去听音乐会时,很难了解舞台上真正发生了什么。他们是真的在上面唱歌还是只是假唱?

假唱就是你作出唱歌的口型,而不发出任何声音。你只是在播放录音时装作在唱歌。

一般而言,歌迷们不喜欢歌手假唱。在上世纪 80 年代,米立-万尼立 (Milli Vanilli) 乐队的生涯就是因为被歌迷发现假唱而毁于一旦。

不久前,歌手碧昂丝 (Beyonce) 在奥巴马总统的第二任就职典礼上高唱国歌。她是否在假唱?在本节以音乐为话题的英语课上,看看梅森和莉莉怎样看待这场争辩。

Dialog

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Mason

Mason

Lily

Lily

Mason:  So, did you catch the inauguration?

Lily:  Yeah…

Mason:  What, you’re not excited about the second term?

Lily:  Well, no, it’s not that. I’m just upset about this whole Beyonce business.

Mason:  Oh. What? Wait, the lip synch thing?

Lily:  Yeah! It makes me really mad when people do that. It’s sort of like lying to your public, you know?

Mason:  OK. Even if she was lip synching, and I’m not convinced she was, but even if it was something that was a pre-recorded track, she still sang the track, right?

Lily:  Yeah, and she does have the pipes to back up her chops. But still, it’s kind of an unforgivable thing.

Mason:  I don’t know. It feels like it’s such a big deal! She’s under a lot of pressure standing next to Barack Obama, the coolest President we’ve ever had.

Lily:  But, when you’re on stage, you’re under a lot of pressure too, and as a vocalist, you need to handle that pressure. That’s part of being a performer.

 

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Discussion

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Lily is angry with Beyonce for lip synching during the inauguration. She thinks when artists lip synch, they are basically lying to their fans.

Mason isn’t sure that Beyonce was lip synching. He thinks she may have been singing along to a recording of herself, but that she was actually singing. Either way, he feels like she was under so much pressure at the inauguration, he understands why she wouldn’t want to sing live.

Lily thinks famous singers have to be able to handle pressure and that they should never lip synch.

What do you think about lip synching? If you were at a concert and found out the artist was lip synching, how would you feel?

 

Comments

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DELI72

DELI72

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

I dont have any problem with it,dance is better:)

12:03 PM Oct 06 2013 |

laptop786

laptop786

India

lip synching is bad thing at a concert it shows that the performer singer has not talent.!

07:27 AM Mar 09 2013 |

gabrieltr17

Venezuela

Well if the style of the music is too moved, I mean respective to rythm of the song.. I would understand that because it’s not easy, and whole people would like to watch a good event.. But if It is not like this and just has to sing stand up or sit down I would be very sad..


 About the preasure a think, I’m agree with Lily She should handle  the preasure., It is not a reason for lip synch.!


 

11:57 PM Mar 04 2013 |

david yun

South Korea

Well.. Actually I agree with Lily’s. I don’t feel like seeing a singer lip synching, especilly a famous singer. As I can see, the singer doesn’t manage her voice and practice that much even if she has her own problems. I mean, her job is a singer, vocalist so that she is supposed to practice singing. It might be under pressure but is really needed, I think. 


If I were at a concert and found out the artist was lip synching, I would feel sad… well.. that’s it.   

11:10 PM Mar 04 2013 |

I M P E R I V M

United States

They can do as they please, but they should advertise it: “beyond live lip syinching concert” and see how many people go.

08:27 PM Mar 04 2013 |

Eliza09

Eliza09

United States

Although It was her voice, I agree to Lily that it was dishonest her performance. Everybody or most of us were  thinking she was singing at the time. How a singer like her with great experience can do that?


07:44 PM Mar 04 2013 |

glassy heart

Saudi Arabia

lip synchic is benificial in somwahy  ,when the artist have pressur  sike,or he is unawar of what will happen on the stage that day he is going to sing alive, also,it will be easer to mix it with Vedio or dancing on  the concert,i think  its also has clearer voice.but anyway live singing on the concert is much more excitment  for both of the singer and the listenr..:)

07:02 PM Mar 04 2013 |

superbchuck

Brazil

Well I think lip synching has its own place. If somebody, for fun, was pretending to be a famous singer by lip synching it would be not only acceptable, but also amusing. However, it’s a bit frustrating knowing that the music, or show you are watching is out of a lip syncher.

05:23 PM Mar 04 2013 |

Ngubo Sixtus

South Africa

 lip synching is needed sometime if we need that voice of artist.that happen in funerals because they can’t get artist to sing  lives mybe she or he is not around,so they take someone to lip synching.

04:19 PM Mar 04 2013 |

 julito

julito

Argentina

Well, it seems  that   this is a topic  to be much  discussed about.  I have been browsing the web  to know more  about it  and it appears that many artists lip synched   while performing at live shows . Is this questionable  or not , for me is hard to say, bands  have to perform  year round ,shows  that have been sold out  a year before, maybe the sound is not good or the voice of the lead singer is failing him ,whatever  it  could be,  lyp synching  is necessary   to go ahead with the show . Your idol is there ,   his    music, the lights  and the props , enjoy the show , a cancellation  would deprived you  of the possibility  to see the band performing live.

12:07 PM Mar 04 2013 |

Englishty

Englishty

Egypt

I’m the exact opposite of Lily, for me i like the singers to lip synch at the concerts, i like to hear the song the way i heard it on the CD.

10:11 AM Mar 04 2013 |

kareem_10

kareem_10

Egypt

Lip synching is not always a bad thing..sometimes it’s necessary..like that inauguration thing..it’s something very formal and in presence of many important dignitaries so you can’t make any mistakes..not even a little lapse..besides,..lip syching or not..that is Beyonce for God’s sake..Beyonce!!!!!!!!!_!!!!!!!!!!!!   

08:42 AM Mar 04 2013 |

masoudhsn

masoudhsn

Canada

If I have a plan to go to a concert, I expect that singer show me her/his overwhelming chops with maximum pipes on the scene in a live music. Trying to lip synching during performance make audiences dissatisfied. However, in some especial events like an inauguration, it is very tough for a performer to handle the live performance because the singer would be under a lot of pressure. When I catch on the TV, it isn’t a big deal how the singer want to perform her/his song. 

08:36 AM Mar 04 2013 |

whipiry

whipiry

South Korea

Her pipes to back up her chops !, even if she is a big thing in the entertaintainment industry. she must have been under a big pressuer that she can’t handle . lip synch is not werid sometimes, singers can be seen in a big event like inaugration, it could be a big honor to them in itself.


I understand their pressure, but i hope they could have a big gut to do performance ahead people.


07:24 AM Mar 04 2013 |

Min Min Hla

Myanmar

I think not good about  lip synching. Would like to be lied to feel,if i were at a concert and  found out the artist was lip synching.

07:22 AM Mar 04 2013 |

Talia Do

Talia Do

Viet Nam

I do not think lip synching is good. It is like the performer is cheating everyone. Since singers make a lot of money and normally audience often have to pay quite an amount for the performance. So it is not fair if the singer receives a full amount of money and just provides a lip synch to her fans. 
This is similar to if the customers pay for a bowl of Phở (The Vietnamese traditional noodle), they should get real bowls of Phở. And if you are as a seller who gives them just the smell of Phở, (not include noodle, beef or chicken, spring onion, broth etc.) then you definitely must reduce the price to its real value and hold the responsible to tell them it is just the smell of Phở and there will be nothing coming into your stomach. :)  

05:51 AM Mar 04 2013 |

reza.daroodi

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

i pay for real voice ,not for lip synching.i hate lip synching.

04:56 AM Mar 04 2013 |

1 person likes this

seungmanlee68

South Korea

I think that lip synch is an ambidextrous issue according to situations. If audiance make a payment to listen to her vivid voice, Event organizer should not permit for singer to use lip synch. Even lip synch situations that singer cannot continue chops because of unexpected terms and conditions, E.O. must announce to the public by using text or other signs. Because it’s an ethical attitude for consumers. However, if artist misuses lip synching at any time when she or he wants, It should be blamed by public. 

04:31 AM Mar 04 2013 |

dearpesar

dearpesar

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

no, i don’t like it :(

02:57 AM Mar 04 2013 |

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