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NO LIP-SYNC. NO TRICKS. JUST A WOMAN WITH A VOICE BUILT FOR MOMENTS LIKE THIS. Kelly Clarkson didn’t just show up at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade — she owned the whole morning. The crowd was bundled up, breath turning into little clouds in the cold, and then she stepped onto that float like she’d been waiting for this exact moment. No lip-sync, no safety net… just her voice cutting clean through the New York air. There was this tiny second where the crowd went quiet, almost like they had to check if what they were hearing was real. And then she hit those big notes — the kind only Kelly can throw out like it’s nothing — and people just stared, smiling like they’d been handed a gift. Raw. Live. Perfect.

Kelly Clarkson Delivers a Fiery Performance at the Coldest Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on Record

Kelly Clarkson has never been one to shy away from a challenge — and in 2018, she proved it once again.
That year, the Voice coach traveled to New York City to perform at the iconic Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, despite weather conditions that pushed performers to their limits.

According to The Weather Channel, the parade that year became the coldest ever recorded, with temperatures plunging as low as 17 degrees on the morning of the event.

Kelly Clarkson Performs “Heat” in Freezing Temperatures

Perhaps fittingly, Clarkson chose to perform her high-energy track “Heat,” released in 2017.
Bundled in a fur-trimmed coat, she powered through the icy temperatures as her unmistakable vocals lit up the city streets. Brynn Cartelli — winner of The Voice Season 14 and a member of Team Kelly — joined her onstage, providing smooth backing vocals.

After the performance, Clarkson took to Instagram to clarify something many viewers had been wondering: yes, she sang live in that freezing weather.

“Umm, I don’t know if y’all know this, but that was live!” Clarkson shared at the time, as reported by E! News. “Brynn Cartelli, thank you — singing in this cold weather with me. It’s so cold in New York.”

Clarkson continued, praising Cartelli’s vocal control despite the temperature:

“I just wanted y’all to know… you probably all thought that sounded so good from Brynn Cartelli, but that was live, as well. So Brynn Cartelli’s just rocking those runs this morning. I didn’t even give those runs this morning. I was like, nope!”

The Truth About Lip-Syncing at the Parade

That same year, John Legend sparked discussion online when he revealed that most performers at the Macy’s Parade are required to lip-sync.

“We all have to lip sync on this parade because the floats don’t have the capacity to handle the sound requirements for a live performance,” he wrote on X.

While Legend’s statement seemed to contradict Clarkson’s claim, the difference came down to logistics. Legend performed on a float — which limits audio equipment — while Clarkson did not.
Instead of being tied to a float’s technical constraints, Clarkson performed directly in front of Macy’s Herald Square, allowing for a fully live vocal setup.

What to Expect at This Year’s Parade

Regardless of whether performances are live or pre-recorded, fans can always count on exciting entertainment at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
This year’s lineup includes Colbie Caillat, Cynthia Erivo, Lainey Wilson, Mickey Guyton, Russell Dickerson, and more.

The parade will air on NBC and Peacock on Thursday, Nov. 27, starting at 8:30 a.m. across all time zones.

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Country Music

IT TAKES YEARS TO REALIZE THIS: STAYING IN LOVE IS A MIRACLE. There’s something quiet and powerful about couples who stay—really stay. Vince Gill’s “Look at Us” captures that feeling in a way no fancy love song ever could. It’s not about fireworks or grand gestures. It’s about the soft victories no one sees: choosing patience, choosing forgiveness, choosing the same person even when life gets messy. The way he sings it feels almost like a prayer. Gentle. Honest. A little bruised, but proud. “Look at us,” he says—like two people who walked through every storm and still ended up side by side. It’s the kind of love that doesn’t shout… it lasts.

Country Music

“WHEN A FATHER’S VOICE MEETS HIS DAUGHTER’S… SOMETHING ELSE HAPPENS.” Last night, Vince Gill and Jenny Gill shared a late-night duet that felt less like a release and more like a moment they finally let the world witness. It was recorded past midnight, when the house was quiet and everything softened a little. No studio pressure. No big plan. Just a dad and his daughter facing two microphones like they’d been practicing for this their whole lives. Jenny’s voice comes in first — shaky in the sweetest way, honest like she’s telling a secret. Vince joins her, low and warm, and suddenly it feels like family history unfolding in real time. You can almost see her smile, and you can hear the pride in his breath. When the last note fades, it doesn’t feel like music anymore. It feels like love growing up.

Country Music

“This is the next diamond,” Alan Jackson whispered with pride in his eyes, and in that moment, his concert became something more than music—it became a beautiful glimpse into the future. The music paused as the country legend bent down to kiss his young grandson, a little boy who looked just like him, and the entire arena held its breath, witnessing not a superstar, but a grandfather sharing his legacy. It wasn’t a rehearsed part of the show; it was a raw, beautiful moment of family love playing out on the world’s stage, leaving every heart in the crowd melted and fans completely amazed by the quiet promise of what’s to come for country music.

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Country Music

NO LIP-SYNC. NO TRICKS. JUST A WOMAN WITH A VOICE BUILT FOR MOMENTS LIKE THIS. Kelly Clarkson didn’t just show up at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade — she owned the whole morning. The crowd was bundled up, breath turning into little clouds in the cold, and then she stepped onto that float like she’d been waiting for this exact moment. No lip-sync, no safety net… just her voice cutting clean through the New York air. There was this tiny second where the crowd went quiet, almost like they had to check if what they were hearing was real. And then she hit those big notes — the kind only Kelly can throw out like it’s nothing — and people just stared, smiling like they’d been handed a gift. Raw. Live. Perfect.

Country Music

IT TAKES YEARS TO REALIZE THIS: STAYING IN LOVE IS A MIRACLE. There’s something quiet and powerful about couples who stay—really stay. Vince Gill’s “Look at Us” captures that feeling in a way no fancy love song ever could. It’s not about fireworks or grand gestures. It’s about the soft victories no one sees: choosing patience, choosing forgiveness, choosing the same person even when life gets messy. The way he sings it feels almost like a prayer. Gentle. Honest. A little bruised, but proud. “Look at us,” he says—like two people who walked through every storm and still ended up side by side. It’s the kind of love that doesn’t shout… it lasts.

Country Music

“WHEN A FATHER’S VOICE MEETS HIS DAUGHTER’S… SOMETHING ELSE HAPPENS.” Last night, Vince Gill and Jenny Gill shared a late-night duet that felt less like a release and more like a moment they finally let the world witness. It was recorded past midnight, when the house was quiet and everything softened a little. No studio pressure. No big plan. Just a dad and his daughter facing two microphones like they’d been practicing for this their whole lives. Jenny’s voice comes in first — shaky in the sweetest way, honest like she’s telling a secret. Vince joins her, low and warm, and suddenly it feels like family history unfolding in real time. You can almost see her smile, and you can hear the pride in his breath. When the last note fades, it doesn’t feel like music anymore. It feels like love growing up.

Country Music

“This is the next diamond,” Alan Jackson whispered with pride in his eyes, and in that moment, his concert became something more than music—it became a beautiful glimpse into the future. The music paused as the country legend bent down to kiss his young grandson, a little boy who looked just like him, and the entire arena held its breath, witnessing not a superstar, but a grandfather sharing his legacy. It wasn’t a rehearsed part of the show; it was a raw, beautiful moment of family love playing out on the world’s stage, leaving every heart in the crowd melted and fans completely amazed by the quiet promise of what’s to come for country music.