DO sing along quietly. DON’T say the n-word.
Hulu’s The Greatest Hits was a musically-inclined shoot. Duh, the movie is about songs that allow a woman (Lucy Boynton) to time travel. Writer-director Ned Benson even hosted a karaoke night with the cast and crew. “We thought it would be fun to make them sing,” he said at the film’s premiere in Los Angeles. “Austin [Crute] has the voice of an angel. He sang Frank Ocean and blew all of our minds.”
With that glowing endorsement, we asked Austin Crute (Daybreak, Justin Bieber on Atlanta) the dos and don’ts of singing in public. The etiquette of karaoke is a hot button issue, and we need guidance.
Don’t Do a Long, Sad Song If You Don’t Have the Long, Sad Chops to Back It Up
“If you can really sing, yes. But if you can’t, with friends and family only.”
Do Sing Along Loudly, But Only If Drunk or Bad at Singing
“Drunk, yes. Because ‘haha, it’s fun.’ Sober, no.” Interestingly, Crute says you should sing quieter than the performer if you’re a better singer. Let your friend shine with what they have: “If you can sing, be quieter than the other person. If you can’t sing, just go crazy because you’re having fun.”
Don’t Use Karaoke as an Excuse to Say the N-Word
“I would say No on white people saying the n-word because it’s in the song. However — and this might be controversial — I think if you don’t want people to say something in the song, then maybe you shouldn’t put it in the record. Especially if you know your audience is predominantly not Black.”
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