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With a musical theme for this year’s 2024 Rose Parade, it was perfectly fitting that the parade opened with a performance by Destiny’s Child icon Michelle Williams, “The Voice” champion Cassadee Pope, “American Idol” alum David Archuleta and Los Angeles singer/songwriter Rush Davis.
On the Rose Parade opening stage, alongside the Honda float themed “Keep Dreaming,” the acts merged their talents for the start of the New Year’s Day parade.
We’ll set the scene: Shiny space costumes. Choreographed dances, some out of the roof of a Honda. Lots of songs, mostly throwbacks and in 30-second bits.
And the reactions on social media were… not great.
My face watching this #roseparade opener pic.twitter.com/tWwRvWmvAd
— Thomas (@thomasAgraham) January 1, 2024
Opening to the rose parade was….embarrassing
— Dean Walker (@feastoffoolss) January 1, 2024
This opening to the @RoseParade has SNL music video parody written all over it.
— Pam B Marino (@PamBMarino) January 1, 2024
With a curation of performers with no particular affiliation with each other, some critiques focussed on the “why” of it all:
Can someone explain to me how they put this trio of singers together for the Rose Parade lol
— I (@turtleneckN64) January 1, 2024
Whoever creative directed this rose parade opener needs to be fired wtf is this
— skylar (@Sky_Elysse) January 1, 2024
For others, song choice wasn’t ideal.
It’s 2024 and the Rose Parade opens with “vocal sensation and American Idol finalist” David Archuleta singing “Chasing Cars.” He was on Idol in 2008. That song charted in 2006. Everything old is new again? I guess pic.twitter.com/c5JhDIplFQ
— Amy Dabbs (@amydabbs) January 1, 2024
Somehow this ominously sounds like the perfect way for the #RoseParade to start off 2024: a performance of the Snow Patrol song that always plays on Grey’s Anatomy when everyone in the hospital is dying.
— W6KSR – Ed Little (@W6KSR) January 1, 2024
cassadee pope doing a panic at the disco cover out of the sunroof of a honda…. welcome to the rose parade
— allison (@aaallisondawn) January 1, 2024
And, for some people, the performers weren’t the issue, but the performance itself.
What is going on with this rose parade? Are they trying to be like the Macy’s parade with all these weird singing acts at the beginning in these bizarre outfits- nobody wants to see this. #ugh #NewYear2024 #RoseBowl #roseparade
— OGHoneyBadger (@TerrainHB) January 1, 2024
@RoseParade Why! There is no need to have a musical performance. We want the Rose Parde floats and marching bands only! #HappyNewYear
— 2seekaccuracy (@2seekaccuracy) January 1, 2024
Can we please stop the awful singing on the rose parade please
— Snarky Sewist (@ThatsJustGroce) January 1, 2024
