Alicia Keys' voice crack during the Superbowl halftime show reminds us that "to err is human", and that we are all singers

As a society, we have impossibly high standards for professional singers and a low tolerance for imperfection.

We then apply these same standards to our own singing abilities which means sadly, many miss out on the benefits of singing.

Alicia Keys' voice cracked when she started singing during the Superbowl halftime show before a global audience of 56 million viewers. Some social media pundits were embarrassed for Keys while others applauded her courage.

The NFL has since edited the video, and any trace of her "mistake" is being removed from YouTube, causing yet more discussion on social media.

Photo by Patrick Hendry on Unsplash

The sanitisation of Keys' performance sends a message that mistakes in singing are not ok. It is this type of attitude which prevents many people from singing for themselves, which is a shame, because singing has so many health and wellbeing benefits.

Rather than critique Keys - or pretend it never happened by erasing the public record - we should draw courage from her example and sing, no matter the consequences, because research shows that singing is a great way to lift mood and improve wellbeing.

We need to reclaim singing as an activity for all, not just the elite performer. To err is human, to forgive divine. To sing is also human, and humans make mistakes. Let's stop judging ourselves and our idols so harshly and recognise singing for the birthright it is.