Shaggy stirred up some conversation this holiday season by performing his 2000 hit “It Wasn’t Me” at the 99th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
The 57-year-old Jamaican-American artist delivered an exciting performance alongside singer Rayvon, also 57, on the Jenny O. Big Turkey Spectacular Float in New York City on Thursday morning.
Beginning with the catchy “Mr. Bombastic” from 1995, the music paused before Shaggy jumped into “It Wasn’t Me,” a rather suggestive song about a man catching his partner with someone else.
“Honey came in and caught me red-handed/Sneaking with the girl next door,” he sang, as children and spectators danced along. “How could I forget that I had a spare key for her, that I gave it to her?”
Interestingly, before moving on to his 2000 track “Angel” with Rayvon, Shaggy opted to skip the explicit parts that detail being caught “butt naked” and “on the bathroom floor.”
The performance definitely captivated the audience, though many took to social media to question the appropriateness of Shaggy singing “It Wasn’t Me” during a family-friendly event that also featured “Sesame Street” characters and a giant Buzz Lightyear balloon.
One user remarked, “I’m serious, no one wants to hear Shaggy sing ‘I Wasn’t Me’ about being caught cheating.” They added, “Imagine having to explain those lyrics to a child who can’t stop singing them.”
Another stated, “It was quite something that Shaggy sang ‘It Wasn’t Me’ in front of elementary school kids at the 2025 parade.”
One more chimed in, saying, “No disrespect, but Shaggy singing ‘It Wasn’t Me’ at a Thanksgiving parade might be a bit out of place.” While another noted, “Shaggy singing ‘That Wasn’t Me’ at the Macy’s parade is certainly a choice.” They weren’t calling it a bad choice, just a choice.
On the flip side, some viewers were excited to see the risqué performance from Shaggy and Rayvon.
“Shaggy playing ‘It Wasn’t Me’ on a huge turkey float was just the Thanksgiving morning I dreamed of,” said a delighted fan.
Interestingly, this isn’t the only curious moment from the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade this year.
Busta Rhymes faced criticism for allegedly lip-syncing a medley of songs, including “Break Ya Neck” and “Look at Me Now,” during his performance on the Nickelodeon float.
One viewer humorously mentioned forgetting they recorded a lip-sync ad-lib at the parade and bursting into laughter at the bus stop.
Another fan expressed gratitude for Busta Rhymes’ lip-syncing with the Ninja Turtles on the float, saying, “This is what I need in my life.”
It’s worth noting that Busta Rhymes, 53, was accused of not singing live, but it’s common for artists to use backing tracks at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
John Legend explained this back in 2018, when Rita Ora faced backlash for lip-syncing as well. He stated, “Fun fact: Everyone has to lip-sync in this parade because the floats can’t handle the acoustic requirements for live performances. We just hope everyone enjoys it.”
