After the heady experience of seeing Beyoncé on a Spike TV show, Lip Sync Battle could only come back down to Earth — even with future Psylocke Olivia Munn and Kevin Hart on the stage last night. There were no famous plus-ones, just fame-adjacent ones, like Taylor Swift squad member Jaime King. That’s okay! Bringing superstars onto the stage to sing their own song is not what a lip-sync battle is about. As RuPaul has said, it’s about who has the biggest charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent. So who had it? Let’s go to the clips.
Battle 1: Olivia Munn’s “Dilemma” vs. Kevin Hart’s “OMG”
Olivia Munn’s performance of the gymnasium-dance classic “Dilemma” by Nelly featuring Kelly Rowland is low-key charming. She starts off doing Rowland’s vocals before twirling around and donning a red fitted cap, bandanna, and, most importantly, unnecessary Band-Aid. (A Gucci hat would have been better, but it’s okay!) Kevin Hart went for the more contemporary Usher/will.i.am joint “OMG,” which allows him to do a lot of unnecessary pointing and grinding. At times he looks a little bit like an ‘80s aerobics instructor, but the frenetic energy is very on-brand.
Winner: This one could go either way, but nostalgia is calling. Olivia Munn, by a Band-Aid.
Battle 2: Kevin Hart’s “Slam” vs. Olivia Munn’s “Bad Blood”
This is what works for Olivia Munn: She has a sense of pacing. She manages to squeeze the drama out of the down-tempo song. After all, there isn’t really much else to do other than walk forward in a slow and sexy manner. Most unfortunately, she chose to forego the Kendrick Lamar rap, and instead brought out her “squad” of celebrities. Note: They are not Beyoncé-level celebrities, but people famous for being pretty, like Chanel Iman, Charlotte McKinney, and Jamie King (and WWE’s Big Show!). This is hardly anything to get worked up over, and really, at first we just thought they were backup dancers. Kevin Hart had no such celebrities flanking him, but rather one guy who did a very good jaw work on the side. With Onyx’s “Slam,” Kevin Hart picked the harder song, and better yet, he really put his neck into it.
Winner: Kevin Hart, by a buggy eye.
Overall: We get it. Neither performer was particularly memorable, but Kevin Hart’s “Slam” was technically better, and reached toward that elusive idea of camp. While he may be short in stature, he is big in performance. Kevin Hart for the win.
