Did Rihanna lip-sync during the Super Bowl halftime show? How to know if an artist is lip-synching or not

Rihanna made her return to the stage after a seven-year hiatus during the Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday and delivered an entertaining performance for her legion of fans.

However, many have questioned whether she sang live or lip-synced throughout her visually stunning 13-minute-long performance. Many on social media accused the pop icon of lip-syncing her way through the performance, with some calling it the "worst ever" infraction in halftime show history.

Howard Stern accused Rihanna of lip-syncing and claimed she was caught off guard by a series of microphone gaffes.

"You know, I don't know why she bothered showing up," Howard Stern said. "I could be wrong, but in my opinion, 85% of that performance was lip sync."

However, for Super Bowl halftime shows, lip-syncing is not a major concern. Live rehearsals are taped in advance per NFL protocol, so singers like Rihanna have a safety net and can concentrate on their choreography during the actual show. As such, they can sing over the pre-recorded vocals as much or as little as they like depending on their energy levels during the actual show.

What have experts said about Rihanna’s lip-synching incident?

To ensure a faultless performance while playing live, some singers choose to rely on a backup vocal track.

It's relatively easy to spot artists lip-synching during live shows. If a singer's mouth doesn't move in tune with the lyrics, it might be glaringly visible.

Observing the location of the microphone is another simple method for spotting lip-synching. Often, the volume of the singer's voice fluctuates when singing into a handheld microphone. However, if it remains steady throughout the performance, it's a sign that they could be lip-syncing.

For clues that a vocalist may be lip-synching, you can listen for signs of tension in their throat when they are belting out a note with a lot of vibrato. Another telltale sign is when they have difficult choreography but aren't out of breath while rushing around the stage.

To spot lip-synching, vocal coach Justin Stoney said he pays particularly close attention to the beginnings and ends of the lines. When lip-synching, it's common to see someone stop the note a bit too early or too late.

Stoney also scans the lyrics for P and S sounds. Popping Ps and slightly slurred S sounds are examples of imperfections that may indicate a genuine live vocal performance.

Katy Perry, Madonna and Red Hot Chilli Peppers are a few artists who have been accused of lip-synching during the Super Bowl halftime show.

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