Smartphones have totally changed how we experience concerts these days. For some, snapping selfies and filming videos is all about capturing memories to share with friends. But for others, it can feel like all those glowing screens take away from the magic of being in the moment.
And nobody seems to feel stronger about this than country superstar Miranda Lambert. Her unapologetic stance on selfies at her shows has fans — and the internet — buzzing.
Miranda Lambert’s bold take on concert behavior has reignited a heated debate about fan etiquette in live music settings. The controversy stems from her now-infamous callout of audience members taking selfies during her performance of ”Tin Man” at her Las Vegas Velvet Rodeo residency last year.
Just as she began singing her hit song at the Bakkt Theater, Lambert halted the music and addressed the crowd after noticing a couple of girls taking selfies on their phones.
The Texas native expressed her frustration with the girls, who she felt were more focused on taking selfies than listening to the song. She pointed to the area in the crowd and stated: “I’m gonna stop right here for a second… These girls are worried about their selfie and not listening to the song. It’s p***ing me off a little bit.”
“I don’t like it, at all. We’re here to hear some country music tonight; I’m singing some country damn music.” Lambert then asked the group to sit down and suggested starting the song again.
A fan-recorded video of the incident circulated on TikTok, generating thousands of comments from the online community. While the “Mama’s Broken Heart” singer resumed singing, the response from the audience was a little mixed.
While some concertgoers had seemed to support Lambert, other social media users weren’t as supportive. “Way to embarrass and shame your loyal fans who adore you,” one Twitter user wrote. “She could’ve poked fun and posed in the selfie and then encouraged them to be in the moment after that. Not cool.”
”I think her reaction was a bit rude and uncalled for,” one person tweeted.
“Now you can’t take pictures at concerts? These people need to get off their high horse,” another critic added.
One Twitter user summed up the tension: ”Going to a concert is about creating a memory. If someone wants to take a picture, they should be able to.” Others countered that constant phone use detracts from the shared energy and authenticity of live music.
Fired back at Miranda Lambert’s selfie shaming
The fan involved in the initial incident, Adela Calin, later spoke out, sharing her perspective. Calin, who was ”appalled” by Miranda Lambert’s reaction, explained that the selfie only took “30 seconds at most.”
“It felt like I was back at school with the teacher scolding me for doing something wrong and telling me to sit down back in my place,” the concertgoer told NBC News and continued:
“I feel like she was determined to make us look like we were young, immature and vain. But we were just grown women in our 30s to 60s trying to take a picture.”
The next day, Calin shared the photos on her Instagram, showing the six women smiling for the camera while Miranda Lambert performed in the background.
“These are the 2 pictures we were talking about when Miranda Lambert stopped her concert and told us to sit down and not take selfies 😱,” she captioned the post.