8 Of My Favorite Lip Sync Battle Performances | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Entertainment

8 Of My Favorite Lip Sync Battle Performances

These celebrities know how to jam.

56
8 Of My Favorite Lip Sync Battle Performances
forbes.com

I am an unashamed fan of lip sync battles. When I want to blow off some time, I could spend a good hour binge-watching them on YouTube. While it's debatable whether lip syncing actually counts as a talent, it does require a fair amount of skill, and when it's done well, it is quite satisfactorily entertaining. It's ultimately just a bunch of celebrities goofing around in front of a packed audience, which is part of the appeal. Here is a compilation of some of my favorite lip sync battles. This is not a ranking, just some performances that are deserving of my top 10 list:


1. Josh Gad: "I Touch Myself" by Divinyls

This might be my all-time favorite. Josh Gad and backup dancers don orange wigs and three-piece suits to poke fun at Donald Trump's egotism and narcissism. The result is absolutely raucous, involving a wrecking ball with a Donald Trump wig and underwear made of money, and culminating with Gad making out with a wig-clad Johnny Galecki, the Big Bang Theory co-star of Gad's competitor, Kaley Cuoco. It is deliberately over-the-top, and as a result does not disappoint.


2. Joseph Gordon-Levitt: "Yeah!" by Usher ft. Ludacris & Lil Jon

Joseph Gordon-Levitt has mad lip syncing skills. He went all-out with "Rhythm Nation," dressing as Janet Jackson and showing off some stellar choreography. But my favorite of his actually involves no choreography, just him lip-syncing. He shows off some groovy dance moves, and superbly mouths Ludacris's rap bit. I've probably watched this performance the most times because it is incredibly entertaining to watch.


3. Julianne Hough: "I Just Had Sex" by The Lonely Island ft. Akon

Somebody had to do this one at some point, and Julianne Hough was just the one to do it. Much to the horror of her brother Derek, whom she battled, she gyrated, twerked, and grinded two shirtless male dancers. It's one of those performances that you cannot watch once...or five times...or ten times.


4. Anna Kendrick: "Booty" by Jennifer Lopez ft. Pitbull

Anna Kendrick is another celebrity who has proven herself a skilled lip sync-her. When going head-to-head with Lip Sync Battle co-creator John Krasinski, Kendrick delivered two stellar performances. For her second performance, she took it up a notch with some backup dancers and emerged as the clear winner, beating out Krasinski. Kendrick's next competitor should be Jimmy Fallon.


5. Stephen Merchant: "Boom Shake the Room" by DJ Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince

This list wouldn't be complete without including Stephen Merchant, the co-creator of the Spike show Lip Sync Battle. His reputation as a veteran of lip sync battles naturally meant a battle with Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show, as well as Joseph Gordon-Levitt. For his first performance, Merchant took it back to the '90s, and showed off his angry side by expertly mouthing a mad rap. Merchant showed his competitors how it was done and set the bar high, to the satisfaction of the audience, and this viewer.


6. John Legend: "U Can't Touch This" by MC Hammer

John Legend briefly gave up his soulful ballads to spit some raps in his contest with collaborator Common. For his second performance, he donned MC Hammer's famous outfit with the puffed pants and brought some '90s nostalgia to the battle, assisted by backup dancers. Watching him spit the rap is a treat, and he does so superbly, plus he shows off some pretty groovy dance moves.


7. Jimmy Fallon: "Fancy" by Iggy Azalea

This was the first lip sync battle I ever watched, on Jimmy Fallon's talk show against Emma Stone. Jimmy Fallon is another veteran of lip sync battles, hosting them on his own show, and therefore he had to be included on here. Whether this is Jimmy's best, I'm not sure, but Jimmy is a master at mouthing lyrics. It's fun, it's casual, and it has Jimmy Fallon written all over it.


8. Ellen DeGeneres: "Bitch Better Have My Money" by Rihanna

This was drastically out of character for Ellen DeGeneres, but it proved to be a smart choice in her battle with Jimmy Fallon on his show. After all of those years of being a laid-back, friendly comedian and talk show host, maybe Ellen just needed to throw some shade and blow off some steam. Needless to say, I don't think anyone minds...or if someone did, they might be afraid to say so!

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Relationships

Power of Love Letters

I don't think I say it enough...

444738
Illistrated image of a letter with 2 red hearts
StableDiffusion

To My Loving Boyfriend,

  • Thank you for all that you do for me
  • Thank you for working through disagreements with me
  • Thank you for always supporting me
  • I appreciate you more than words can express
  • You have helped me grow and become a better person
  • I can't wait to see where life takes us next
  • I promise to cherish every moment with you
  • Thank you for being my best friend and confidante
  • I love you and everything you do

To start off, here's something I don't say nearly enough: thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You do so much for me that I can't even put into words how much I appreciate everything you do - and have done - for me over the course of our relationship so far. While every couple has their fair share of tiffs and disagreements, thank you for getting through all of them with me and making us a better couple at the other end. With any argument, we don't just throw in the towel and say we're done, but we work towards a solution that puts us in a greater place each day. Thank you for always working with me and never giving up on us.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

11 Signs You Grew Up In Hauppauge, NY

Because no one ever really leaves.

18281
Map of Hauppauge, New York
Google

Ah, yes, good old Hauppauge. We are that town in the dead center of Long Island that barely anyone knows how to pronounce unless they're from the town itself or live in a nearby area. Hauppauge is home to people of all kinds. We always have new families joining the community but honestly, the majority of the town is filled with people who never leave (high school alumni) and elders who have raised their kids here. Around the town, there are some just some landmarks and places that only the people of Hauppauge will ever understand the importance or even the annoyance of.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Moana's Top 10 Life Tips

"Moana" is filled with life lessons that involve far more than finding true love as many other Disney movies do.

42470
Animated image of a woman with long dark hair and tattoos
StableDiffusion

1. It's easy to be fooled by shiny things.

Digital image of shiny gemstones in cased in gold. shiny things StableDiffusion

Tamatoa created a liar filled with shiny things simply for the purpose of tricking fish to enter and become his food. He too experiences a lesson in how easy it is to be tricked by shiny things when Moana distracts him by covering herself in glowing algae so Maui can grab his hook.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

7 Types Of Students You Will Meet In College

You wish you could be #5, but you know you're probably a #6.

21837
cool group of lazy college students in class
StableDiffusion

There are thousands of universities around the world, and each school boasts its own traditions and slogans. Some schools pride themselves on sports, while others emphasize their research facilities. While there is a myriad of differences among each and every school, there will always these seven types of students in class.

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

15 Rhyme Without Reason Greek Life Function Ideas

When you have no ideas for what to wear to this date function

322278
A dog and a frog
Healthy Pets

I am going to a rhyme without reason date function and I have looked at so many different rhyming words and I figured there need to be a new list of words. At these functions, there are usually at least two rockers and boxers and an umpteenth amount of dogs and frogs. I have come up with a list of creative and unique ideas for these functions.

If you like what you see, get a shopping cart going with these costumes.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments