NEWSMariah Carey 'Looked Really Sad, Unwell' and 'Stiff' at Her Lifeless Australian Concert, Fan Spills: 'It Was Terrible'
Mariah Carey was accused of lip-synching at a recent concert.
Oct. 20 2025, Published 11:57 a.m. ET
Are Mariah Carey's days of performing live over?
This past weekend, the singer belted out several of her hits at Fridayz Live RnB Festival in Australia, but fans were left disappointed.
Mariah Carey 'Looked Unwell' During Recent Performance
Mariah Carey's performance in Australia was called 'sad,' with some accusing her of lip-synching.
"It was terrible! I felt really sorry for her. She looked really sad and unwell," one concertgoer at ENGIE Stadium spilled to a news outlet of Carey. "I couldn't even buy her T-shirt because I felt sad — I bought a Fridayz T instead. I'm sure she was lip-syncing and she kept going off stage in between songs."
"When she talked, I personally couldn't understand her," they continued. "I honestly am worried she's unwell. She needs to look after herself."
The fan added that they wouldn't ever pay to go to a solo concert of Carey's.
"It's like she couldn't move or open her eye fully. And she was always checking or reading or holding her earpiece," they recalled. "She didn't look comfortable. I've since seen she has arthritis and that makes sense. Poor thing! She was as stiff as a board. Hardly smiled. And it's like she couldn't open up her eyes to look at the crowd. She kept her eyes down/closed. Looked like she was reading lyrics."
(Carey has never confirmed she suffers from arthritis.)
Another fan who posted a video of her set wrote over the TikTok, "Think it was past someone's bedtime," while a commenter admitted, "This was a tough act to watch, I left halfway through her set 💀."
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The Singer's Criticized 2025 VMAs Performance
The star was also ridiculed for the awkward performance she gave at the 2025 MTV VMAs.
This marks the second time in less than two months that the mom-of-two, 56, was slammed for a lifeless performance, as she was also criticized after the 2025 VMAs.
The star sang a medley of her hits at the show before receiving the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, but viewers accused her of lip-synching and being unenthusiastic.
"Why does Mariah Carey look super stiff on stage. It looks like she's reading her lyrics off a teleprompter. #VMAs," one person tweeted at the time, while another wrote, "Am I crazy or does it seem like Mariah Carey is lip-synching and also her being stiff as a board is killing me #VMAs."
The Star's 'Bizarre' Interview
Carey was accused of acting off during a May interview.
The Grammy winner didn't mention any health struggles when she accepted the honor. After giving a speech, Ariana Grande — who presented the superstar with the trophy — helped the "We Belong Together" artist off the stage.
Carey sparked concern in May as well, as some people questioned what was to blame for her "bizarre" interview on the Australian talk show The Project. The singer gave short, monotone answers and occasionally laughed during the chat, which was branded as uncomfortable to watch.
