Mariah Carey's awkward New Year's TV performance, and her subsequent clapback, have already gifted us with the first meme of 2017. Carey's failed lip syncing in Times Square went viral after it aired and led to her representative Nicole Perna blaming technical difficulties. "She was not winging this moment and took it very seriously," Perna told Billboard. "A shame that production set her up to fail."
In a statement released on January 1, the production company behind the show called such claims "absurd."
"As the premier producer of live television events for nearly 50 years, we pride ourselves on our reputation and long-standing relationships with artists," it said via Associated Press. "To suggest that dcp (Dick Clark Productions), 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 admitted that in "very rare instances" there are technical errors that can occur with live television. However, the company added that an initial investigation, suggested technical difficulties were not to blame for Carey's performance.
