Cher faces lip-sync accusations again after SNL performance
Fans react with laughter and defense as Cher's SNL return sparks renewed lip-sync debate
Cher is facing new accusations of lip-syncing after performing as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live this weekend. The 79-year-old star’s rendition of DJ Play a Christmas Song, a track from her 2023 Christmas album, appeared to feature a heavily altered vocal that prompted social media speculation about whether she was singing live.
During the set, Cher opened with DJ Play a Christmas Song but viewers quickly noted the vocal was heavily processed, triggering a flurry of memes and comments about lip-syncing. Some observers praised the singer’s stage persona, while others mocked the apparent reliance on digital enhancement. A moment in which she shifted her microphone away from her mouth while the voice continued heavily circulated online, fueling speculation about whether the performance was being sung live. She then returned to the stage to perform Run Run Rudolph, a Chuck Berry classic also featured on the same Christmas project.
Run Run Rudolph followed as the second number, continuing the same vocal treatment heard on the earlier song. Like DJ Play a Christmas Song, it is tied to her 2023 Christmas album, which marked her first Yuletide record and blended original material with seasonal standards. The sequence underscored a moment many fans have long watched for: whether Cher sings live or relies on studio processing or vocal effects during televised performances.
The SNL appearance is the latest chapter in a long-running conversation about lip-syncing in live settings. Cher was previously accused of lip-syncing two years earlier at Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York while performing DJ Play a Christmas Song. Some viewers argued that lip-syncing is a common practice at large-parade productions, while others pointed to moments—such as a microphone being moved away from the mouth yet the voice continuing—as evidence of mimed singing. The parade debate has persisted in Cher’s career, with supporters noting that parades often rely on pre-recorded or enhanced tracks for consistency.
This is not the first time Cher has faced lip-sync scrutiny. In 1991 she drew controversy for lip-syncing during ABC’s In Concert to promote the album Love Hurts, a period still cited in discussions spurred by the Milli Vanilli scandal the year prior. The ongoing questions surrounding her live-versus-recorded vocal approach sit within a broader entertainment conversation about how performers balance showmanship, technology, and vocal delivery.
Some fans have defended Cher, arguing that lip-syncing—whether for a parade, a televised special, or a high-energy performance—can be a deliberate artistic choice intended to deliver a spectacle. Others say live singing should be the standard, particularly for an artist with a decades-long record of vocal prowess. The latest SNL episode has reignited that debate among viewers and fans alike.
Representatives for Cher did not respond to requests for comment immediately on Sunday. As the discussion continues online, observers will be watching to see how the performer’s forthcoming appearances are presented and whether additional context about the vocal production on SNL is provided by her team.