Mariah Carey's New Year's Eve Fiasco

McKenzie Feldman
Staff Writer

​            Mariah Carey’s iconic hit “All I Want for Christmas Is You” has made her a holiday superstar, but the singer hit a bit of a rough patch during her performance on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest. Moments before the East Coast New Year’s countdown, Carey performed her set in Times Square. However, no one could have predicted what was about to go down. Three awkward performances followed, closing out 2016 on a bit of a sour note. What started as a lip-syncing mishap soon transformed into a technical catastrophe that would be unforgettable for all those who tuned in.        

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​        After taking the stage in Times Square, Carey, all glammed up in her sequined leotard and heels, started to appear visibly frustrated after singing to “Auld Lang Syne.” It was not long for viewers all across the country to realize that Carey was lip-syncing, but there was something else going on. As the music changed to her 1991 hit, “Emotions,” she started to say that she could not hear through her monitors on the stage. It was obvious there was a problem with her ear piece because she kept adjusting it throughout her performance. Carey was barely singing at this point as she paused to tell the audience, “Well, Happy New Year! We cannot hear, but I will just get through the moment.” She continued to motion for her ear piece, pleading for the production crew to come through. As the song ended, Carey looked completely defeated. She sarcastically told the crowd, “That was…amazing.” When it came time for her third song, “We Belong Together,” Carey just did her best with the choreography and invited the audience to sing along at times. She clearly had a good sense of humor, but she and the world knew that this was not her best moment. Before leaving the stage, Mariah could be heard saying, “I wanted a holiday too; could I just have one?”
            It did not take too long for the rest of the world to flood social media with their reactions. Twitter went all out as the disaster unfolded. A few hours after her performance, Carey posted a GIF of herself writing, “Have a happy and healthy new year everybody! Here is to making more headlines in 2017.”
            As for now, Carey’s New Year’s Eve performance is turning into an even bigger controversy. Carey’s team is blaming Dick Clark Productions for the technical mishap, claiming the company set her up to fail. Dick Clark Productions fired back with this statement provided by CNN, “As the premiere producer of live television events for nearly 50 years, we pride ourselves on our reputation and long-standing relationships with artists. To suggest that DCP, as producer of music shows including the American Music Awards, Billboard Music Awards, New Year's Rockin' Eve, and Academy of Country Music Awards, would ever intentionally compromise the success of any artist is defamatory, outrageous, and frankly absurd.” The statement then continued, “In very rare instances there are of course technical errors that can occur with live television, however, an initial investigation has indicated that Dick Clark Productions had no involvement in the challenges associated with Ms. Carey's New Year's Eve performance. We want to be clear that we have the utmost respect for Ms. Carey as an artist and acknowledge her tremendous accomplishments in the industry."
            Although 2016 came to an awkward end, the evening was not a complete bust. People all around the world celebrated the New Year as the clock crept closer to midnight. Fireworks illuminated the sky, and the world rejoiced as 2016 came to a close.  This year has been a tough one, but here is to a fresh start. Happy New Year!