Singer Tyrese Gibson presented a new look at the warm-up game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Dallas Cowboys, which caused a stir among the fans.
On August 11, the R&B singer ran to the 50-yard line to sing the national anthem. Trying to channel his inner Marvin Gaye, Tyrese did his best to recreate the legend’s iconic rendition of the “Star-Spangled Banner.” But instead of receiving applause, fans were left baffled, wondering once again what was wrong with the troubled star.
The “Sweet Lady” singer went all out for his performance, dressing like he came straight out of the ’70s. He wore a black and white patterned shirt, a fringed vest, flared trousers and a wool hat, all in keeping with Gaye’s signature look. To top it all off, he added a toupee and a beard, fully committing to the transformation.
When clips of his performance made the rounds on social media, fans did not hold back with their reactions.
The Shade Room’s followers were quick to respond with a comment, with one asking, “How did he manage to grow hair and a beard in two days?”, referring to Tyrese’s recent appearance at the Rams football camp where he had neither a beard nor hair.
Others focused on his outfit and completely ignored the sudden hair growth. Comedian Lil Duval joked, “Did he wear a wig to sing at a preseason game?”
One fan couldn’t help but think of Eddie from “The Five Heartbeats” and posted: “Nights like this… I wish… there would be raindrops falling, ahhh-ahh-ahhh-allllll.”
Dude, why is Tyrese getting all the “Tyler Perry accessories” while singing at a Cowboys vs. Rams preseason game??? 🤣🤣🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/MCogueMVI9
— Van (@vanman_1000) 12 August 2024
Another summed it up: “The jokes write themselves,” and someone else remarked: “You’re not Marvin. Not even Temu Marvin.”
“Marvin Gaye is on his way here from the upstairs room to pat Tyrese on the back… that’s just not possible,” joked one follower, with another adding, “Alexa, play ‘What’s Going On?’ by Marvin Gaye.”
However, one fan speculated that Tyrese’s appearance could be related to his upcoming role as Teddy Pendergrass in a biopic.
“I think it’s for his upcoming role as Teddy Pendergrass,” said one fan, trying to make sense of it all.
Despite the jokes, some fans expressed concerns, especially because they know Tyrese can sing without all the theatrics. Others believe he knows exactly what he’s doing.
“I’m convinced he loves trolling. He does things he knows he’ll get grilled for; he really doesn’t care lol,” commented one fan.
Tyrese seemed to acknowledge this in a recent Instagram post where he talked about his new project and emphasized his uniqueness.
His caption read: “You can be as crazy as you want… Welcome to the club though? Here’s a breaking news story… Crazy people aren’t really aware that they’re crazy; they just ARE… Most fake crazy people out here trying to tap into their inner eccentric fake low by wearing crazy clothes and lighting incense? lol that’s not natural for you… You’re just COPYING… Copycats are never leaders, innovators, game changers, they’re just BLAH.”
However, Tyrese’s sudden change in appearance may not be entirely an attempt to troll him. In his Instagram stories, Tyrese posted videos of his appearance and also tagged the new film he stars in: “1992.”
In “1992,” which premieres Aug. 30, Tyrese’s character has a full beard very similar to the one he wears at the Rams game.
However, in the film he doesn’t seem to have a full head of hair or wear flared jeans.
Whether his performance was a nod to Marvin Gaye, a method acting moment for his Pendergrass role, or a bit of calculated trolling to boost album sales, one thing is for sure – he got people talking, and Tyrese is a master at that.
