Top 10 Behind the Scenes Secrets About Lip Sync Battle
#10: John Krasinski, Stephen Merchant &Emily Blunt Came up with the Idea While Driving Around Town
In an interview with AOL Build, “Lip Sync Battle” co-creator John Krasinski revealed how he and Stephen Merchant first conceived of the idea for their ground-breaking celebrity competition series. The story goes that the duo were cruising around town with Krasinski’s wife, fellow actor Emily Blunt, when Krasinski mused that he should have a lip sync battle with Jimmy Fallon during his upcoming appearance on the show. Soon all three were openly battling in the car, and it was clear they had something special on their hands. Krasinski and Fallon engaged in the first lip sync battle shortly thereafter and the rest is history! Ironically, Fallon’s own network, NBC, passed on the show when it was pitched to them.
#9: Prince, Beyoncé & Taylor Swift Are the Most Requested Artists
In an interview with Paste, “Lip Sync Battle” executive producer Casey Patterson spoke candidly about some of the show’s behind-the-scenes secrets. For instance, the artists most requested by celebrity contestants read like a who’s who of music industry legends. Songs by Prince, Beyoncé and Taylor Swift are frequently asked for, as are those by Adele, Bruno Mars and Michael Jackson. The King of Pop’s music was difficult to clear in the early days, but the showrunners were eventually able to overcome this hurdle, as evidenced by 2018’s “A Michael Jackson Celebration” special. Unfortunately, since his passing in 2016, Prince’s music has been difficult to obtain. However, Patterson remains hopeful that they’ll be able to get the rights to all of their most requested artist in the future.
#8: The Production Moved from New York to L.A.
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Paramount Network President Kevin Kay once described “Lip Sync Battle” as a “television and viral rock star”, due to its ability to garner millions of views on both media. Despite the show’s immediate success, the first season saw producers struggling to find celebrity contestants. This was due in part to the show’s original filming location of New York City. According to Casey Patterson, hosts LL Cool J and Chrissy Teigen were forced to call their celebrity friends in order to fill the show’s time slots. In fact, the only reason John Legend appeared in the first season was because they couldn’t book someone else! Since moving to L.A. the show has had no problem filling its episodes with A-list talent.
#7: Competitors Practice on Separate Soundstages
In order to keep their performances a secret, “Lip Sync Battle’s” celebrity contestants practice their routines at different times and on separate soundstages. This ensures that they are never in the same building at the same time as their opponent. And while Channing Tatum and Anna Kendrick knew that they’d be joined on stage at the end of their performance by Beyoncé and Jennifer Lopez respectively, the look of surprise on their opponents’ faces was 100% genuine. So, how much time goes into preparing for a lip sync battle? Well, according to executive producer Casey Patterson, it’s rarely more than an hour. Oh, and LL Cool J, Chrissy Teigen and director Beth McCarthy-Miller are there throughout the entire process.
#6: Channing Tatum Doing "Run the World" Convinced Beyoncé to Make a Guest Appearance
As one of the show’s most requested artists, not to mention one of the biggest pop stars on the planet, the team behind “Lip Sync Battle” had long campaigned for Beyoncé to make a special guest appearance. So, when Channing Tatum told them he wanted to do the iconic Queen B track “Run the World (Girls)”, they said, “"Okay, we should reach out to her, this is the right moment. Maybe this will be the one when she says, 'Yes.'" They pulled out all the stops to get her to come in, including using her personal glam team to get Tatum into character. The actor even requested a live horse – just like in the video – and while they tried to accommodate him, it proved too stressful for the animal.
#5: It's a Collaborative Process
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As the old entertainment industry saying goes, it takes a village to put on an elaborate and star-studded production. When it comes to “Lip Sync Battle”, a show that in the case of Channing Tatum had “four or five days to build the whole thing, from the first conversation…to the night he was on”, that saying takes on a whole new meaning. The first call between a contestant and the producers will also involve the director, stylist, prop department and music department. The calls tend to be quick, and sometimes leave the crew with just hours to put it all together. However, the celebs play a big part in the final product, working hand in hand with the show’s producers to ensure their performances are as impactful as possible.
#4: Joseph Gordon-Levitt Hired Janet Jackson's Choreographer to Help Him Practice
While studio rehearsals tend to only last about an hour, that doesn’t account for what the celebs do on their own time. In the case of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, whose rendition of Janet Jackson’s “Rhythm Nation” was nothing short of epic, that meant hiring the same choreographer who worked on the original video - Anthony Thomas. JGL is “such a huge Janet Jackson fan”, and as such felt that in order to do the original video justice, he needed to pull out all the stops. Gordon-Levitt rehearsed privately with Thomas to ensure his performance was as authentic to the original as possible. We’d say it was totally worth it!
#3: There's No Pre-Cleared Music: the Celebrities Pick Their Own Song
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According to Casey Patterson, “Lip Sync Battle” lets its contestants choose whatever song they like, “because we felt the only way to really celebrate music, their love of music and the love of these artists they’re paying tribute to, is to let the talent choose their own music.” Unfortunately, this can quickly become problematic, as acquiring the rights to certain songs and artists can be an arduous process. Michael Jackson requests posed problems for them in the past, while acquiring the rights to Prince tracks continues to be a thorn in the show’s side. That means not every request can be accomodated.
#2: The Competitors Mostly Choose Their Own Opponents
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Not only do the contestants get to pick their opponents, they’re often the ones who reach out to the show’s producers in the first place. Kaley Cuoco once called saying, “"I have to be on! When are you guys going to be back in production? I have to be on the show!" By the time the series agreed to have her on, she’d already recruited her “The Wedding Ringer” co-star and friend Josh Gad to join her. Often times the celebs will come in fully prepared, locked and loaded with song choices, creative concepts and choreography ideas.
#1: The Show Isn't Live, But They Still Only Do 1 Take
While “Lip Sync Battle” has had its fair share of live shows, it’s generally taped and then broadcast at a later date. How then do they get such a raucous reaction from the crowd every time a celebrity performs? Simple: they only do one take. This in turn creates a buzz in the building, as everyone from the fans to Chrissy Teigen knows that the celebs only have one shot to nail their performance. According to Casey Patterson, “It’s not about being perfect. It’s just about being committed, having fun and loving the music.” The show has apparently “never done a second take” and based on the consistently epic crowd reactions, we’re inclined to believe them.
