We’ve already written at HuffPost UK about what singers do if they have to pee mid-live show.
We’ve even shared the unsettling noises they hear in their earpieces (no, it’s not always just the backing track).
But what about another live-show mystery ― how come singers’ legs, like Beyoncé and Taylor Swift’s, look so shiny on stage?
Is it lotion, sweat, or a secret third thing?
It’s actually part of the stage outfit
Believe it or not, the glossy look is actually created by pairs (and triads, and quartets…) of tights.
Speaking on The View in 2010, Beyoncé shared that she wears no less than four pairs of tights while performing.
“You have to keep it all supported,” she explained on the show (if “it” is the entire hosiery industry, she’s certainly delivering).
Her dance captain shared that she uses Capezio fishnets on top of the other pairs, as these “Blend a little bit better and look a little more natural. Your skin still comes through enough to make it look like you could be bare-legged, but you’re not.”
Taylor Swift allegedly uses the same brand, adding the Capezio Women’s Ultra Shimmery Tight Tights featured underneath.
And apparently Katy Perry started wearing the similarly shiny Wolford Neon 40s under her fishnets on advice from Beyoncé herself.
Tights have an extra benefit
Demi Lovato and Jessie J have admitted to wearing Wolfords, and Ariana Grande and Lady Gaga are rumoured to have done so too per Yahoo!’s In The Know.
Speaking to Racked in 2017, Beyoncé’s dance captain Ashley Everett shared they might all love the garments for reasons other than their look ― they’re really, really good for wedgie prevention.
“I always prefer to wear tights, because you never know. If you have on a little leotard or a bikini-type bottom, it’s just safer,” Everett said.
Hey, if it’s a consideration for gymnasts, why wouldn’t it crop up on stage too?