Stars Who Forgot Their Lyrics On Stage

Musicians face immense pressure to deliver perfect performances, often resulting in unexpected moments when they forget their lyrics. Despite their incredible talent, even the biggest stars face the possibility of slipping up on stage. Forgetting lyrics can happen to anyone, no matter how seasoned they are. From major concerts to intimate gigs, artists have shared their relatable experiences of forgetting their own songs. The spotlight can be blinding, and the audience's expectations can be overwhelming.

In these moments, some artists manage to brush off their mistakes with humor and grace, while others may feel flustered. For the audience, witnessing a star momentarily lose their way can be both amusing and endearing. After all, it highlights their humanity and reminds us that nobody is perfect. In this article, we'll explore some memorable instances when prominent musicians forgot the lyrics to their own songs while performing live.

Whether it's Pink asking the audience for help or Justin Bieber fumbling through a verse, these moments can add an unexpected layer of fun to a performance. Join us as we recount the stories of these talented stars who, in the heat of the moment, found themselves lost in their own songs.

Table of Contents

• Who knew? Not Pink
• Drake messed up his own 'Motto'
• Demi Lovato didn't follow her own instructions
• Justin Bieber does 'Despacito' dirty
• Adele is all of us
• Jay-Z quits preaching 'No Church in the Wild'
• Beyoncé is still the queen
• Shawn Mendes had a clever solution
• Sia's brain went to sleep
• What does Ed Sheeran know? Not the words to his songs
• Ariana Grande's memory isn't 'right there'
• Chris Martin begged for this moment not to go on YouTube
• Lady Gaga's bad memory of 'Bad Romance'
• Kid Cudi blames it on reefer madness
• Kelly Clarkson can't catch her lyrics
• Mariah Carey DGAF
• Jason Mraz can't remember one important thing
• Katy Perry, ur so forgetful
• Jessica Simpson had another 'chicken or fish' moment

Who knew? Not Pink

In April 2018, Pink forgot the lyrics to the second verse of her hit "Who Knew" during a live performance at Madison Square Garden. She was brutally honest about the flub, griping to the crowd, "I forgot the words, s**t! It's been a week ... Does anybody else know it? ... I wrote it, maybe I don't want a second verse anymore!"

Still, she recovered quickly and handled it like a champ in time for the chorus, showcasing her resilience as a performer. Unfortunately, it wasn't the first time the Philadelphia-bred crooner spaced out on her lyrics. In August 2009, she forgot the words to her hit "Family Portrait" during a concert in Adelaide, Australia, telling the audience, "S**t, now what happens? ... Does anyone know where we're at? Who wants to sing the next line?"

Months earlier, she performed "I Don't Believe You" in Dublin, Ireland, and blanked after singing the line, "I'm giving up," sheepishly admitting to the crowd, "I give up!" She semi-hummed the melody and stopped playing guitar, adding, "I can't remember the words. I have to drink! That's what the problem is! I can't not drink ... now it's coming out in my guitar shredding. Shall we skip to the chorus again?" She chuckled, "This is the best performance of my lifetime."

Instead of finishing the song, she launched into a cover of "Redemption Song" by Bob Marley. Like a boss.

Drake messed up his own 'Motto'

What's the use of having a motto if you can't remember it? Such is the question for Drake, who messed up during a performance of "The Motto" during a New Year's Eve performance in 2011. He went noticeably silent when he was supposed to be rapping, leading a member of the crowd to point out that the artist formerly known as Aubrey Graham forgot his own lyrics.

The Degrassi alum tried to fill in the silence with some "yeah yeahs," but he quickly gave up. It wasn't the end of the world, but the incident may well give a little more credibility to all those rumors that he uses a ghostwriter. It's supposed to be easier to remember words you came up with yourself!

Demi Lovato didn't follow her own instructions

Oh, the irony! Demi Lovato forgot the lyrics to "Don't Forget" during a concert in Dallas, Texas in July 2009. In a clip, Lovato gets quiet for a bit and then giggles. "I totally forgot," she says, grinning. "I want to do my best for you guys because this is my hometown!" She breaks into laughter a few more times before asking the audience to sing the song for her and launching into a sweet guitar solo.

It wasn't the only time Lovato lost her lyrical place. During a performance on Good Morning America in April 2013, she repeated the same verses in "Heart Attack," which she acknowledged slightly with a knowing grin but kept on belting like nobody's business.

Perhaps on a darker note, in July 2018, Lovato forgot the lyrics to her heartbreaking ballad "Sober," the song in which she revealed she'd relapsed after six years of sobriety, laughing onstage to her fans in a video, "F**k, I forgot the words!" Tragically, just days later, Lovato suffered a near-fatal overdose.

Justin Bieber does 'Despacito' dirty

Not only did pop star Justin Bieber forget the lyrics to his massive hit remix of "Despacito" with Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee, but we don't think he ever really knew them to begin with.

"I don't know the words so I say 'poquito,'" he begins in a video of a May 2017 performance. ("Poquito" means "a little" in Spanish.) He follows with, "I don't know the words, so I say 'dorito.'" After a while, he gives up, not even bothering to attempt singing the verses in Spanish, and instead tries to get the crowd to do the dirty work for him. Then he just babbles incoherently. Baby, baby, baby, no!

Adele is all of us

Adele had what may be the most human reaction to forgetting her lyrics: She cursed and got on with it the best that she could. At a May 2011 concert in Boston, she forgot the lyrics to her breakout hit "Chasing Pavements." A clip of the moment shows Adele cracking up, laughing and telling the band to stop playing. "I forgot the words," she said, taken aback and amused at her own flub. "I've never forgotten the words to that song!"

She quickly recovers and starts over, but not without almost breaking into laughter yet again. Years later in May 2016, Adele forgot