Ariana Grande returned to Saturday Night Live last night (Oct. 12, 2024), giving viewers uncanny impressions of Britney Spears, Celine Dion, and others.
The singer, set to play Glinda in the upcoming Wicked film this November, shared her excitement about returning to the iconic studio for the show’s milestone 50th season in her opening monologue.
“Thank you so much,” said Grande. “I’m so happy to be back hosting. This year has been truly amazing. I got to play Glinda in the Wicked movie. It’s awesome, because I’m such a theater kid. And it’s every theater kid’s dream to be Glinda or Elphaba. Well, it’s every theater kids dream to lose their virginity. But their second dream is of course to be in Wicked.”
Reflecting on her previous hosting gig, the pop star quipped, “The last time I hosted was in 2016, right on the verge of electing our first female president so I guess second time’s the charm.”
Grande, renowned for her incredible vocal range, playfully downplayed her singing prowess, saying, “I just want to make one thing clear; I am just hosting. I’m not going to make this about me. I’m just going to have fun, take it easy, and keep it low key.”
When handed a microphone from offstage, Grande feigned surprise, “Oh, what’s this?” She then burst into song, claiming, “I’m not going to sing my favorite notes…I’m not going to do my impressions…” The two-time Grammy winner proceeded to showcase her vocal talents with spot-on impressions of Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus, and Gwen Stefani, nailing Stefani’s rendition of No Doubt’s 1995 hit, “Don’t Speak.” “I promised I won’t do a lift,” Grande joked, as she was hoisted into the air, joined by a dazzling chorus line in suits.
Bowen Yang joined Grande onstage, donning the classic “Wizard of Oz” Glinda costume. “Bowen, didn’t anybody tell you? We cut the Wicked sketch.” “Oh, that’s okay,” Yang replied. “I didn’t really want to do it anyway.” Grande sang back, “Great, and this isn’t a wand, it’s a flask,” playfully snatching the top of Yang’s pink Glinda wand.
“I’m not gonna do a duet tonight,” she continued singing, “So please don’t bring out Stevie Nicks! And the last thing I’m gonna do is bring out some hot dancers to do some insanely high kicks!” Grande was then joined by a glamorous chorus line in sparkly suits.
In another brief sketch, Grande channeled Celine Dion, spoofing the singer’s unexpected NFL promo from last week. This time, however, Grande’s Dion belted out lyrics about the brutal, bone-crushing world of UFC fighting, parodying “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now.”
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