Who Are May’s SNL Hosts?
8,121 total views, 1 views today
TV comedy institution Saturday Night Live is going strong in its 46th season, which will conclude on May 22. Earlier this month, the show announced its final lineup of hosts and musical guests for the season. Below, get a rundown of this month’s hosts and musical guests.
May 8, 2021
Host: Elon Musk
Musical guest: Miley Cyrus
Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, hosted SNL on May 8, and his hosting role sparked some controversy. Although some people liked his performance, many believed it was lackluster, as Musk is a businessman and not an actor or comedian.
Musk’s sketches addressed topics such as his cryptocurrency Dogechain, and in one sketch, he also played a character complaining about someone talking about their vaccination. Given Musk’s history of downplaying the COVID-19 pandemic, his jokes on SNL weren’t taken well, and in general, his performance received mixed reviews.
In the same episode, Miley Cyrus performed on SNL for her seventh time and sang two hits from her seventh album Plastic Hearts. Additionally, she performed a cover of Dolly Parton’s song “Light of a Clear Blue Morning” as a Mother’s Day tribute to Parton, who is her godmother.
May 15, 2021
Host: Keegan-Michael Key
Musical guest: Olivia Rodrigo
Keegan-Michael Key hosted SNL for the first time on May 15. His hosting debut came after his starring roles in the movie musicals The Prom and Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey. Key is also starring in the upcoming Apple TV+ musical comedy series “Schmigadoon,” which is set to debut in July.
Notably, Key’s former show, the beloved sketch program Key & Peele, was an old Emmy rival of SNL in the Best Variety Sketch Series category. Key & Peele won the Emmy for its final season, beating SNL in 2016.
In the same episode, Fast-rising pop artist and Disney star Olivia Rodrigo made her SNL musical performance debut, and her fans loved it. Rodrigo is known for her role on the Disney+ High School Musical series and has rapidly broken out into music. Last Saturday, she performed her singles “driver’s license” and “good 4 u.” A February SNL episode included a sketch devoted to the former song. Rodrigo will release her debut album, SOUR, this Friday, May 21.
May 22, 2021
Host: Anya Taylor-Joy
Musical guest: Lil Nas X
This Saturday, Anya Taylor-Joy will make her SNL hosting debut as the last host of SNL’s 46th season. Taylor-Joy is well known for her roles in The Queen’s Gambit, The Witch, and Emma. She also has multiple upcoming projects: She will be starring in the psychological horror film Last Night in Soho, the historical thriller The Northman, and the period drama Canterbury Glass.
That night, rapper, songwriter, country singer, and all-around sensation Lil Nas X will perform on SNL for the first time. Lil Nas X, real name Montero Lamar Hill, recently released his single “Montero (Call Me By Your Name),” which rapidly topped the Billboard Hot 100. The song is especially known for its controversial music video, and Hill has promised to release another song and video before his SNL appearance. Both songs follow his Grammy-winning smash “Old Town Road.” which topped Billboard’s Hot 100 for a record-breaking 19 weeks in 2019.
Which SNL episode did you like the most this month? Are you excited about the season finale? Sound off in the comments!