First, let’s just say this: live musical performances are not easy to pull off, especially those conducted outdoors in freezing conditions in front of thousands of people, in addition to millions more on television. That said, Mariah Carey’s performance tonight on ABC’s Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve was one of worst live performances we’ve ever seen, and it was absolutely mesmerizing. It was an utter trainwreck that was virtually impossible to look away from, much like 2016, making it kind of a perfect way to send the year off into the dustbin of history.
Things seemed to start off okay, with Carey performing Auld Lang Syne, the folk song traditionally used to say goodbye to one year and welcome a new one. Carey then transitioned to perform two of her own songs — Emotions and We Belong Together — and that’s where everything started going downhill very fast. Among other things, Mariah expressed open annoyance with the dancers on stage with her, seemed to forget the words to her own songs, gave the stink eye to any number of people, and asked the crowd to sing in place of her. She concluded her performance by saying, “It just don’t get any better,” before turning and walking off the stage in an apparent mix of disgust and humiliation.
Mariah was the top trending subject on social media in no time flat, as you might expect.
Mariah Carey just puttin' a perfect bow on 2016. That shit was performance art and whatnot.
— George Wallace (@MrGeorgeWallace) January 1, 2017
Ohio State should thank Mariah Carey. They no longer have the worst performance of the night.
— Dave Zangaro (@DZangaroNBCS) January 1, 2017
There was a ball this NYE and it was dropped by Mariah Carey
— Olivia Caridi (@OliviaCaridi) January 1, 2017
https://twitter.com/toddycst/status/815423854164246529
Mariah Carey's disgusted sign off is a perfect goodbye to 2016 https://t.co/Ig35rXICTk
— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) January 1, 2017
Even Milli Vanilli is embarrassed by Mariah Carey's debacle. pic.twitter.com/8179cHu7jA
— Jimmy Traina (@JimmyTraina) January 1, 2017
And if all that weren’t bad enough, Mariah still had to spend more time hanging around with Ryan Seacrest. Chin up, Mariah. We still love you, girl. (UPDATE: Mariah responded to the controversy in perhaps the best way possible.)