What Fans Really Think About Halsey's Performance At The CMT Awards

Like many other awards shows this season, the CMT Music Awards were hosted with very few in the audience and virtual contributions from many artists. Still, that didn't keep the annual country music ceremony from giving us some awkward, emotional, and divisive moments. Host Kane Brown and fellow music star Chris Young, for example, shared a particularly emotional exchange during Young's acceptance speech for best performance of the year. Then, there were some strong opinions about the youngest Cyrus sibling's choice in dress. 

Throughout it all, the night was still made special by celeb appearances, ranging from Taylor Swift to Carrie Underwood to Blake Shelton — even if they did show up from the comfort of their homes (on the plus side, we got a peek into Shelton and Gwen Stefani's spacious living room). The musical performances gave the event an extra oomph where the in-person fanfare was lacking, as spectators watched on while remaining socially distanced. 

However, a certain pop-tastic performance by Halsey and Kelsea Ballerini has left fans on Twitter divided. 

Halsey and Kelsea Ballerini took to the striking CMT Music Awards stage, which was set up as an empty bar, featuring tables, high-top chairs, and all the works. A red stage light gave their performance of "The Other Girl" an extra flair of drama, as Ballerini first entered in a black leather bodysuit, while Halsey joined in by singing on top of the bar in a similarly-styled outfit. Calling the performance "very empowered," Ballerini told Country Now, "We're both trying to really show off our confidence as artists and as women."

For some in the Twittersphere, however, it all seemed to go downhill from there, with a number of fans tweeting out that the performance appeared too staged for their liking. Some called out the two for their alleged "terrible lip syncing," while one user wondered why the artists were supposedly "dancing like strippers." Others slammed the duo for their hairstyles, calling Halsey's box braids "a mess," and noting that Ballerini should "fire [her] stylist if she supported the greasy hair look." Ouch. Meanwhile, another fan felt the performance was considerably lacking in country.

However, not all was lost for these duetting partners. Many fans voiced their support for Halsey and Ballerini's performance, believing that they actually pulled off a "beautiful" and powerful performance. Other viewers were particularly impressed with Halsey's vocals, in stark contrast to those who criticized the reported lip syncing. What did you think of this CMT Awards performance?