Alicia Keys’ Super Bowl halftime “voice crack” is no longer, as the National Football League (NFL) appears to have edited out her vocal imperfections from its recently uploaded YouTube video.
The 43-year-old pop star made a surprise guest appearance during Usher’s rousing halftime performance on Sunday (11 February). As the R&B singer finished singing his 2008 song, “Love in This Club”, Usher welcomed Keys – who performed a portion of her 2003 hit, “If I Ain’t Got You”.
Dressed in a red, sparkly gown, Keys was seen seated at a red piano where she sang the extremely difficult vocal arrangement. As she belted out the first verse, “Some people want it all”, her voice cracked. However, she continued unfazed and completed the rendition flawlessly.
Following Usher’s 15-minute show, which featured other special guests – including Ludacris, HER and rapper Lil John – several viewers took to X to point out Keys’ off-key moment.
“Alicia done lost her f***ing keys, wtf was that??” one person joked, with another adding: “She’s a great singer, she just left her keys at the studio tonight.”
The next day, fans were surprised to notice that Keys’ voice crack appeared to have been fixed in the NFL’s uploaded YouTube version of Usher’s Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show,
“Fascinatingly, the official NFL YouTube channel appears to be attempting to erase that little moment, having edited it out in their upload (second video),” someone wrote on X. Alongside the post, they included the original recording of Keys’ performance with the voice crack compared to the YouTube version.
“Personally this kinda grinds my gears because part of what makes live singing commendable is that mistakes may happen, and you’re vulnerable,” they added. “I wonder if she or her team was consulted for this edit, my guess is probably not based on the fast turnaround, but who knows.”
A second user argued: “People need to hear what a live performance sounds like. Human beings are not perfect machines. They should leave it.”
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The Independent has contacted the NFL for comment.
Sunday’s game saw the Kansas City Chiefs defend their championship title for the second consecutive year against the San Francisco 49ers at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
Taylor Swift was there with friends – including Blake Lively, Ice Spice and Lana Del Rey – to cheer on her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. The pair shared a romcom-worthy kiss after the Chiefs scored a touchdown and won the game.
It was a successful night for the Chiefs – and Swift’s PR machine – but Kelce has faced criticism after he was seen aggressively shoving his Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid in a furious exchange.
Sophie Anderson, a UK-based writer, is your guide to the latest trends, viral sensations, and internet phenomena. With a finger on the pulse of digital culture, she explores what’s trending across social media and pop culture, keeping readers in the know about the latest online sensations.
