One brief clip of people quarantined in Italy on their balconies has become the source material for a plethora of fake videos making the rounds on social media.
They’re supposedly singing along to everything from Cher’s cover of ABBA’s “The Winner Takes It All” to Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs.”
It’s all thanks to people with more time on their hands than usual, who are adding audio from live performances by different artists to the video of people listening to "Macarena" on their balconies that circulated last week. Italy is on a national lockdown to halt the spread of COVID-19.
Among those who were initially fooled are Black Sabbath and pop stars Madonna and Katy Perry.
Quarantined Italians Singing Sabbath pic.twitter.com/tfMT1HMyEs
— BlackSabbath (@BlackSabbath) March 18, 2020
“You cannot break the human spirit. We are one in this,” Perry captioned a retweet of a doctored clip in which folks sing along to her hit “Roar.” (She has since deleted the tweet.)
Madonna shared a clip in which the people in Italy seem to be singing “I Rise” and wrote: “Let Us All RISE UP. everywhere around the world!!”
Let Us All RISE UP. everywhere around the world!! #irise pic.twitter.com/NJv93kWnWs
— Madonna (@Madonna) March 15, 2020
Other videos have the neighbourhood doing Rihanna’s “B**ch Better Have My Money” and “Track 10” by Charli XCX.
“I’m not crying,” tweeted UK pop star Cheryl Cole along with a clip in which the people in Italy sing “Fight For Love.”
I’m not crying https://t.co/kRq4HCAP5D
— Cheryl (@CherylOfficial) March 15, 2020
Stomach is sore from laughing at Cheryl Cole thinking that those Italians were ACTUALLY singing Fight For This Love
— party ross anthem (@Rauss_Mc) March 15, 2020
A different video clip purports to show residents singing “Sometimes.” One person who shared the video tweeted: “So beautiful seeing Italians under quarantine united by the power of Britney Spears.”
Here are some of the fake clips going around:
Italians singing "Lose You To Love Me" while they're in quarantine! #LoseYouToLoveMe #BestLyrics #iHeartAwards @selenagomez pic.twitter.com/3eR70fw99j
— Selena Gomez Charts (@SelGOnCharts) March 16, 2020
quarantined Italians singing @cher's the winner takes it all from their balcony ❤ pic.twitter.com/FlejNBWq35
— (@cherkkj) March 16, 2020
Wow. While Italy is under quarantine, the whole neighborhood came out on the balcony and sang "X1-MA/PICK ME" by @x1official101 to show their support and thank god for keeping the boys healthy. Italians say x1 reboot #COVIDー19 pic.twitter.com/lC00pESNiD
— dany ㅡOISD (@istgminhee) March 16, 2020
A whole neighborhood in Italy is singing “Track 10” by Charli XCX while they’re on lockdown and self-quarantined. #COVIDー19 pic.twitter.com/P3UiVoiFVH
— (@burnrvbber) March 15, 2020
So beautiful seeing Italians under quarantine united by the power of Britney Spears pic.twitter.com/z3Pp1ZAJl2
— Yann (@yannhatchuel) March 15, 2020
Italians singing You’ll Never Walk Alone due to the Coronavirus outbreak pic.twitter.com/LuPDJYI15v
— Jeff_Tymer (@Jeff_Tymer_) March 16, 2020
italians singing shine forever by monsta x on their balconies this is amazing pic.twitter.com/zGGrfBQZkT
— sara♡wonho (@monstatrxck) March 15, 2020
Italians singing “Earned It” by Chief Keef while on lockdown. pic.twitter.com/G2TWHEAjXd
— Blueface Sandusky (@bluufacebleedem) March 17, 2020
italians singing to cool for the summer by demi lovato from their balconies through such a difficult time...music is truly incredible pic.twitter.com/O7rPUJ6ryd
— denis (@demisvibrator_) March 14, 2020