Entertainment
Mariah Carey Loses A Shoe Onstage Plus the 21 Weirdest Performances of 2014
As the year comes to a close, Mariah Carey gracefully slid into the home plate to increase this year's number of weird performances by one. As reported by E! Online, Mimi's holiday concert performance went wacky when she lost a shoe in the middle of the set. But things got weirder.
At one point she began crying and even stopped the show altogether after she had an issue with her earpiece. Man, Mariah. This was a tough one. But fortunately she won't have to bear this burden alone. There's an entire year's worth of baffling onstage antics and the Head Lamb herself is just on the tail end of things.
Here are the 21 weirdest performances of 2014, some delightfully strange and others, not so much.
Ariana Grande's Country Music Awards Performance
2014 has been a great year for Grande, but her awkward set at the Country Music Awards wasn’t her best performance.
Beyoncé & Jay Z's Strangely Boring Grammys Performance
It feels like musical blasphemy of the highest degree to include the Carters on this list, but Beyoncé and Jay Z’s Grammy performance was uncharacteristically boring. Seriously, I don’t know what the hell was going on with them that night but this underwhelming show of “Drunk in Love” was downright weird.
Katy Perry's "Dark Horse" Grammy's Performance
Um, not sure why Katy Perry went all Grammy goth on us, but it was a wee bit strange seeing her sing and dance around to “Dark Horse” with broomsticks and crystal balls, in place of her usual cheery, Rainbow Brite-themed performances.
Lorde's "Royals" Grammy Performance
While I will agree that Lorde’s Grammy performance was chillingly amazeballs as per usual, her creepy, blackened fingertips made me wonder if she tried to retrieve a horcrux before taking the stage.
Hugh Jackman, LL Cool J & T.I.'s Tony Performance
Hugh Jackman rapping the lyrics of “Rock Island” with LL Cool J and T.I. has to be one of the most strange and cringeworthy performances ever.
Miley Cyrus' Bangerz Tour Performances
Last year, Miley Cyrus freaked everyone out by inviting a virtual crying cat onstage with her at the AMAs. But this year, she took it a huge step further by embarking upon the notorious Bangerz Tour, which featured all-around peculiarity such as Cyrus' weed-adorned leotard, dancers clad in neon-colored animal costumes, and a giant hot dog.
Magic! and Wyclef Jean at the American Music Awards
It takes two to serenade, and Magic! and Wyclef Jean’s awkward AMAs performance proves that their wooing skills are weirdly ineffective.
Maroon 5's 'Saturday Night Live' Performances
After catching flack for their disturbing “Animals” video, Maroon 5 didn’t do much to help their case when they took part in back-to-back awkward Saturday Night Live performances.
Jason Derulo at the Country Music Television Awards
I wish I could say the strangest thing about Jason Derulo’s CMT Awards performance was well, Jason Derulo, but…no. The pop singer was also joined onstage by Florida Georgia Line, Luke Bryan and ZZ Top. SO WEIRD.
Weird Al Yankovic's Emmy Performance
Watching Weird Al’s bizarre theme song medley at the Emmys wasn’t exactly unexpected, but it was still fittingly strange.
Darlene Love's Impromptu Oscar Performance
For the most part, the scheduled performances for the 2014 Oscars went off without a hitch. But things got really strange when actress/singer Darlene Love sang an impromptu acceptance speech on behalf of the 20 Feet From Stardom documentary’s win.
MIchael Jackson Hologram Billboard Awards Performance
Personally, all of the hologram performances are just entirely too strange for my taste, but the Michael Jackson hologram performance at the Billboard Awards was super high on the weird-o-meter.
Image: michaeljacksonVEVO/YouTube
Lorde's "Yellow Flicker Beat" American Music Awards Performance
Sorry, Lorde. You make the list twice. The crazy dance moves from the “Yellow Flicker Beat” AMAs performance were too quirky not to include.
TEDX performance
This TEDX performance by Rizal Abdulhadi featured several odd elements, most notably the fact that he played on a homemade instrument he created called the Rasendriya, a combination of a bamboo guitar, a didgeridoo and percussion.
one was weird, but in a good way. guitar, percussion
Image: TEDxTalks/YouTube
Usher & NIcki Minaj's MTV Video Music Awards Performance
Minaj’s butt is a work of art, but Usher bumping his shoulder against her backside during the pair’s VMAs performance was an odd way to show his appreciation for it.
Christopher Walken's 'Peter Pan Live' Performance
Honestly, Walken wasn’t the sole Peter Pan Live oddity, but I just cannot get past his wonky portrayal of a one-two stepping, tap dancing Captain Hook.
Image: NBC/YouTube
Lady Gaga's South By Southwest Vomit Performance
There’s hardly a “weirdest of” list that Gaga hasn’t landed on, but she practically outdid herself at this year’s SXSW festival when she allowed herself to be vomited on during a performance.
Lana Del Rey Performed in a Cemetery
If Del Rey performing in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery isn’t the weirdest thing ever, I have no clue what is.
Jacque LeWarne's Ball Performance on 'So You Think You Can Dance'
Trying to exercise on a stability ball is difficult enough, so SYTCD’s Season 11 contestant Jacque LeWarne gets all the props for executing this strangely beautiful ball routine.
Image: Brooklin Rosenstock/FOX
Jessica Lange Sings Lana Del Rey's "Gods & Monsters" on 'American Horror Story'
Lange’s ability to combine creepy and sultry made for one of AHS’ most deliciously odd performances of the year.
Dana Carvey Performs "Choppin' Broccoli' on 'The Tonight Show'
Carvey’s rendition of Saturday Night Live ’s “Choppin’ Broccoli” is arguably one of the most fantastically weird performances of all times.
