Mariah Carey’s New Year’s Eve performance is well on its way to becoming a pop culture legend, especially now that Stephen Colbert has skewered it on The Late Show.
Carey was the final act before midnight on ABC’s Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest and experienced technical difficulties. The performance was derailed as Carey gave up on singing (and lip syncing), waltzing around the stage, while her back-up dancers continued on. “It just don’t get any better,” she said before leaving the stage.
She left the stage but walked into history and into Colbert’s waiting opening monologue. On Tuesday night, Colbert got in touch with his inner diva, claiming he was also facing technical difficulties. “I’m sorry, there’s nothing in my prompter here. Jim, can we fix that?” Colbert said, as backup dancers surrounded him. “I’m sorry, I was not informed. Am I supposed to be singing right now?”
Colbert was carried away by his dancers as he explained, “We’ve got a great show!” Watch below.
More Must-Reads From TIME
- The 100 Most Influential People of 2024
- How Far Trump Would Go
- Why Maternity Care Is Underpaid
- Scenes From Pro-Palestinian Encampments Across U.S. Universities
- Saving Seconds Is Better Than Hours
- Why Your Breakfast Should Start with a Vegetable
- Welcome to the Golden Age of Ryan Gosling
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time
Contact us at letters@time.com