What started out as a record-breaking Verzuz battle between two R&B greats, ended in a blunder and Babyface took to his Instagram to explain the situation with Teddy Riley.
Watch: Babyface speaks on failed battle with Teddy Riley
The Whip Appeal singer was scheduled to face Teddy Riley in a battle of the legends, at 21:00 EST (03:00 on Sunday morning in South Africa) via Instagram Live.
There is no need to remind everyone about the children Riley and Babyface’s music is responsible for.
Thus, it came as no surprise when the viewer tally on the IG Live feed peaked at 410 000 three rounds into the battle but… tragedy struck.
An audio system failure on Riley’s part caused a delay in proceedings, something that frustrated many celebrities and guests who had brushed aside quarantine plans to witness this moment of greatness.
A few minutes into the delay and the prospect of the battle carrying on diminished.
The live feed came to an abrupt end and everyone who had hoped for a reboot was faced with reality — it wasn’t gonna happen.
Babyface quickly took to his Instagram to share a message to fans, stating that a decision was reached that the best way forward was to postpone the event to a later date, when technical issues have been properly addressed.
Social media reacts to Riley’s audio blunder
It didn’t take long before fans took to Twitter to react to the failed battle. Celebrities and regular tweeps alike shared their thoughts on the way Riley approached the event.
Some felt that the extra sound setup, with two mic stands and multiple sound technicians was not necessary for an Instagram Live feed. Others could not help but understand the plight of an old head trying to figure out technology.
These are some of the best reactions we picked out on Twitter:
