The Selfie Showdown: How Miranda Lambert Sparked a Concert Debate
Smartphones have completely changed how we experience concerts. For some people, snapping selfies and recording videos is all about keeping memories alive and sharing them with friends. But for others, those glowing screens can feel like a distraction, stealing the magic of being fully present.
No one seems to have stronger feelings about this than country music superstar Miranda Lambert. Her bold stance against taking selfies at her concerts has created a storm of opinions, both in her fanbase and online.
The drama began during Miranda’s Las Vegas Velvet Rodeo residency last year, during her performance of the emotional ballad Tin Man. At the Bakkt Theater, just as she began singing, she noticed something in the crowd that threw her off. A group of women in the audience were taking selfies instead of paying attention to her performance.
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Lambert suddenly stopped the music and addressed the audience directly. Her voice carried through the theater as she pointed toward the group.
“I’m gonna stop right here for a second,” she said, clearly annoyed. “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.”
The crowd gasped, some falling silent while others cheered. Lambert then asked the group to sit down and restarted the song.
The Incident Goes Viral
A fan-recorded video of the moment hit TikTok shortly after, sparking thousands of comments and reigniting a long-standing debate about fan etiquette at live shows.
While some concertgoers in the room seemed to support Lambert, the response online was divided.
One Twitter user criticized her approach, saying, “Way to embarrass and shame your loyal fans who adore you. She could’ve posed in the selfie and then asked them to enjoy the show. Not cool.”
Another person commented, “Now you can’t take pictures at concerts? These people need to get off their high horse.”
On the other hand, many fans applauded Lambert for prioritizing the music. “Finally, an artist standing up for the experience of live music!” one comment read.
The tension was summed up perfectly by another user: “Going to a concert is about creating a memory. If someone wants to take a picture, they should be able to. But let’s not forget, it’s about the music, too.”
The Fans Speak Out
Adela Calin, one of the fans Miranda had called out, later shared her side of the story.
“It felt like I was back at school, being scolded by a teacher,” Calin told NBC News. “We’re just grown women in our 30s to 60s trying to take a picture to remember the night.”
Calin claimed the selfie only took “30 seconds at most” and felt Miranda was determined to make them seem vain. The next day, Calin posted the photos on Instagram, showing six women smiling while Miranda performed in the background.
“These are the two pictures that got us in trouble,” she wrote in the caption, adding an eye-roll emoji.
A Playful Response
The controversy didn’t end there. At another concert, Lambert spotted a fan wearing a T-shirt that read, “Shoot tequila, not selfies.” She laughed and gave the fan a shoutout, reading the shirt out loud to the crowd.
The moment got mixed reactions. Some found it funny, while others thought it was Lambert doubling down on her anti-selfie stance.
“Wow! Can’t believe this was her response to her rudeness,” one critic wrote online.
A Broader Problem
Miranda Lambert isn’t the only artist standing up to smartphone distractions at concerts. Bob Dylan famously stopped playing during a 2019 show in Vienna when he spotted a fan taking pictures. “If you can’t put your phone down for two hours, why are you even here?” Dylan once remarked.
Other artists like Beyoncé, Alicia Keys, and Jack White have also spoken out. Beyoncé humorously scolded a fan who was too busy filming to sing along during her performance of Irreplaceable. “You gotta seize this moment, baby! Put that d*mn camera down!” she said.
Alicia Keys has taken it further, requiring fans to lock their phones in special pouches during her shows, and Jack White has called phone use at concerts a “disrespect” to live music.
The New Concert Culture
Phones aren’t the only concern. More recently, artists like Adele and Harry Styles have called out fans for throwing objects on stage, a dangerous trend that left singer Bebe Rexha injured after being hit by a phone.
Adele joked during one of her performances, “Have you noticed how people are forgetting show etiquette? Throw something at me, and I dare you.”
Where Do We Go From Here?
The debate around phones at concerts isn’t going away anytime soon. Fans argue that documenting the experience is part of the fun, while artists stress the importance of living in the moment.
For Miranda Lambert, the backlash doesn’t seem to have fazed her. Reflecting on her career, she told Taste of Country: “I give less of a s**t about what strangers think of me. You can’t let it bog you down. I’m just trying to be the best person I can and learn from my mistakes.”
The question remains: Can fans and artists find common ground? Until then, the concert selfie debate will continue to divide audiences everywhere.
What do you think? Should fans put their phones away at concerts, or do they have the right to document the moment? Share your thoughts below!
