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Every Musical Guest for Saturday Night Live Season 49
From Ice Spice to boygenius and beyond, SNL's 49th season welcomed a musically-diverse, ultra talented batch of Musical Guests.
Saturday Night Live has welcomed a genre-diverse and extremely talented group of musical guests since the show's debut in 1975, and Season 49 certainly continued that tradition. From pop megastar Bad Bunny in his double-duty episode to six-time Grammy nominees boygenius, SNL's musical guests in 2023 and 2024 have delivered strong performances that just might've introduced a viewer or two to their new favorite artist.
SNL's musical performances have also historically included highly memorable introductions: Who can forget March 7, 2020 Host Daniel Craig's instantly viral "Ladies and gentleman, The Weeknd," or the time Christopher Walken mispronounced Foo Fighters' name because they fully told him to? In Season 49, surprise moments included Taylor Swift showing up to intro her "Karma" remix collaborator Ice Spice, and Lady Gaga stunning the audience by presenting Bad Bunny.
RELATED: Every SNL Host for 2023-2024
The first SNL of 2024 brought another surprise guest, with Rachel McAdams introducing Reneé Rapp's "Not My Fault" featuring rapper—and October 2022 SNL Host—Megan Thee Stallion. McAdams famously portrayed Regina George in the original 2004 Mean Girls movie, while Rapp plays the queen bee in the 2024 musical version.
Below, a roundup of every single Musical Guest from SNL Season 49.
Every SNL Musical Guest for 2023-2024
October 14: Ice Spice
Ice Spice was the musical guest in Season 49's premiere episode hosted by Pete Davidson, performing "Pretty Girl" and "In Ha Mood." In 2023, the Bronx native also collaborated with three-time SNL musical guest Nicki Minaj on the Barbie movie soundtrack hit "Barbie Girl," and featured on Taylor Swift's "Karma" remix.
October 21: Bad Bunny
Bad Bunny didn't just host the October 21 episode — he also performed two songs from his latest album, Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana. First he performed the reggaeton bop "UN PREVIEW," and switched things up with a grandiose set piece to deliver the rap track "MONACO."
It was Bad Bunny's second time as musical guest, following his debut on the February 20, 2021 episode in which he also popped up as a singing plant in Ego Nwodim and Pete Davidson's "Loco" pretaped sketch.
RELATED: Everyone Who's Been SNL Host and Musical Guest in the Same Episode
These certainly weren't Bad Bunny's only wonderful performances on NBC; in 2019, Bad Bunny, Jimmy Fallon, Questlove, and Black Thought led a parade through the streets of Old San Juan to sing "MIA" on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
Watch "Loco" and "MIA" below.
"Loco"
Bad Bunny and Jimmy Fallon perform "MIA" on The Tonight Show
October 28: Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters were Musical Guest for their ninth time on Nate Bargatze's episode; it was the Dave Grohl-fronted band's first SNL appearance since the death of longtime drummer Taylor Hawkins.
Grohl also popped up in two of the night's sketches: he was a classic angry uncle in the music video "Lake Beach," and a weird plane passenger in another.
"Lake Beach"
"Airplane"
November 11: boygenius
Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus, and Julien Baker are solo singer-songwriters who formed the group boygenius in 2018 to perform songs they wrote together. The Timothée Chalamet-hosted episode marked Bridgers' second time as musical guest, and the other members' first.
The trio performed two songs from their 2020 full-length, the record, "Not Strong Enough" and "Satanist." They also put on wigs to appear in a sketch as three sleep demons taking the form of Australian singer and actor Troye Sivan.
Troy Sivan Sleep Demon
November 18: Tate McRae
Canadian singer and songwriter Tate McRae was the Musical Guest for Jason Momoa's November 18 episode of SNL.
McRae released her latest single, "Greedy," in September 2023, following up her debut studio album, I Used to Think I Could Fly. Her sophomore album, Think Later, was released on December 8.
December 2: Noah Kahan
Kahan's third studio album, Stick Season (We'll All Be Here Forever), an expanded version of 2022's Stick Season, was released on June 9, 2023.
He performed "Dial Drunk" and "Stick Season" on the show.
December 9: Olivia Rodrigo
Rodrigo first gained recognition on the Disney show High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. Her solo music career reached the stratosphere in 2021 thanks to the song "Drivers License," which earned her a Grammy Award for Best Pop Solo Performance.
Her second album, GUTS, was released in September 2023.
"Tiny Ass Bag" featuring Olivia Rodrigo
December 16: Billie Eilish
Eilish's 2019 album, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, containing the hit single "Bad Guy," cemented her status as a pop icon. She swept the 2020 Grammys, winning Best Pop Vocal Album and Album of the Year for When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, and Record of the Year and Song of the Year for "Bad Guy."
Eilish's return to SNL featured a sultry cover of Christmas classic "I'll Be Home for Christmas," accompanied by her brother and collaborator, Finneas.
Her first performance, "What Was I Made For" from Barbie: The Album, was introduced by Barbie director Greta Gerwig and December 16 Host Kate McKinnon, who played Weird Barbie in the film. Fun fact: Gerwig and McKinnon were college suitemates.
The performance was emotional for more reasons than the power of Eilish's acclaimed song: Video footage of the women of SNL back when they were young girls flashed in a montage on the screen behind Eilish.
RELATED: Every Surprise Celebrity Cameo from SNL Season 49
Eilish also joined Kate McKinnon in a new "Whiskers R We" sketch, in which Eilish played the long-lost daughter to Kate McKinnon's cat-loving character. Hats off to both Eilish and McKinnon for their master cat-handling (and guinea-pig handling) skills in this one.
January 20: Reneé Rapp
If you aren't familiar with Reneé Rapp's 2023 Snow Angel album, or her songs "Tummy Hurts," "Too Well," and "In the Kitchen," you may recognize her from the TV series The Sex Lives of College Girls. Rapp was a regular on the show for its first two seasons, playing wealthy student Leighton.
In January 2024, Rapp flexed both her singing and acting skills as teen queen Regina George in Mean Girls, a remake of the 2004 film that's adapted from the hit Broadway musical (Tina Fey, who revives her role as Ms. Norbury in the movie, wrote the screenplay for this one too). Rapp also took on the role in the stage musical in 2019.
Rapp was Musical Guest in the first episode of 2024 on January 20, with Host Jacob Elordi.
Watch Reneé Rapp and Megan Thee Stallion perform "Not My Fault" on SNL
Rapp also appeared in a standout sketch from January 20, "Entertainment Tonight Lip-Readers." When the titular "experts" played by Jacob Elordi and Bowen Yang hit a snag, they bring in their "little lesbian intern Reneé" to help.
"Your intern is Reneé Rapp?" the E.T. anchors ask.
"I've been going absolutely off in every single interview lately, so now I have to do 40 hours media training," Rapp explains.
Watch Entertainment Tonight Lip-Readers featuring Reneé Rapp
January 27: Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake is a member of the Five Timers Club—a fact he joked about when he appeared during Host Dakota Johnson's monologue (as did his pal Jimmy Fallon, who later introduced Timberlake's "Selfish" performance).
RELATED: Justin Timberlake and Jimmy Fallon's New Collab Is Amazing
Singing songs from his upcoming album, Everything I Thought It Was, one might've expected Timberlake to perform his "Selfish" single first on January 27. But he unexpectedly led with an electric performance of another new song, "Sanctified," aided by rapper, singer, and actor Tobe Nwigwe and dancers in colorful green garb.
February 3: Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez's first time as an SNL musical guest was nearly 24 years ago to the day, on February 5, 2000. In total, Lopez has been a musical guest twice, a Host once in 2019, and Host and musical guest in 2001 and 2010.
On the February 3 show hosted by Ayo Edebiri, Lopez performed "Can't Get Enough" with rapper Latto—and in a surprise cameo, Redman.
For her second song, J.Lo wore a dramatic pink rose-covered dress that revealed her leg to perform "This is Me...Now," the title track to her upcoming album.
February 24: 21 Savage
21 Savage made his SNL debut on Shane Gillis's February 24 episode, bringing guest singers Brent Faiyaz and Summer Walker.
The Grammy-winning rapper performed three songs from his 2024 album american dream, "redrum" and "should've wore a bonnet/prove it."
March 2: Kacey Musgraves
Kacey Musgraves was the musical guest on Sydney Sweeney's March 2 SNL episode, her third time following performances in 2018 and 2021.
Musgraves performed two songs from her Deeper Well album, the title track and the dreamy-new-love ballad "Too Good to Be True." In keeping with the back-to-basics theme of the record, the seven-time Grammy winner sang "Deeper Well" barefoot and swathed in a cozy yet chic quilted denim jacket.
RELATED: Watch Sydney Sweeney's SNL Sketches from March 2
March 9: Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande was the Musical Guest for Josh Brolin's March 9 SNL episode, fresh off the release of her seventh studio album, eternal sunshine (inspired by one of her favorite movies, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind).
It was Grande's second time as Musical Guest, after making her debut in 2014. Grande also pulled SNL double duty as Host and Musical Guest on March 12, 2016, dazzling with her excellent impressions.
In addition to performing album cuts "we can't be friends (wait for your love)" and "perfect for you," Grande joined Brolin and her Wicked co-star Bowen Yang for two sketches, including a song-packed "Moulin Rouge" performance.
RELATED: Ariana Grande Does a Britney Spears Impression That'll Shock You
March 30: Travis Scott
Rapper Travis Scott performed during Host Ramy Youssef's March 30 episode, delivering two songs from his album Utopia, "My Eyes" and "Fe!n" with guest Playboi Carti. It was Scott's second time as Musical Guest.
Scott also joined Please Don't Destroy and Youssef for the short "We Got Too High," in which the rapper maintained his status as a cool guy while everyone else involved hilariously...did not.
Please Don't Destroy - We Got Too High (ft. Travis Scott)
April 6: Raye
Raye was the musical guest on April 6, when Kristen Wiig became a member of SNL's Five Timers Club.
The British singer-songwriter's debut album, My 21st Century Blues, in debuted in February 2023. In 2024, Raye took home six BRIT Awards, breaking the record for the most-awarded to an artist in any one year.
Raye's dazzling SNL debut introduced the stateside audience to the British star. Backed by a sprawling band complete with horn section, and a small army of backup singers, Raye sang her album single "Escapism," flitting between jazz-style scatting and rapid-fire hip hop-inflected vocals.
Her second performance of the night was "Worth It.," another track from My 21st Century Blues, with the singer and her band transitioning into a new, as-yet-unreleased track.
April 13: Chris Stapleton
Chris Stapleton was the Musical Guest during Ryan Gosling's April 13 episode. It was Stapleton's third time performing on Saturday Night Live, having previously performed on January 16, 2016, and January 27, 2018.
Stapleton also joined Host Gosling, Chloe Troast, and more cast members in a hilarious country music video parody.
"Get That Boy Back" ft. Chris Stapleton
May 4: Dua Lipa
Dua Lipa was Host and Musical Guest on SNL's May 4 episode. The Grammy-winning pop star released her latest album, Radical Optimism, on May 3.
Related: Watch Dua Lipa's Saturday Night Live Sketches from May 4
It was Lipa's debut as Host and her third time as Musical Guest following turns in 2018 and 2021. She performed "Illusion," introduced by singer Troye Sivan, and "Happy for You," which was introduced by "Weekend Update" cameo Jerry Seinfeld.
Watch Dua Lipa perform "Illusion" live on SNL
Dua Lipa sings "Happy For You" live on SNL
May 11: Vampire Weekend
Vampire Weekend, consisting of members Ezra Koenig, Chris Baio, and Chris Tomson, were Musical Guest for Host Maya Rudolph's May 11 episode.
The two-time Grammy winners released their fifth full-length studio album, Only God Was Above Us, on April 5, 2024. They've been SNL Musical Guests three times prior, in 2008, 2010, and 2013. Their 2013 appearance was during an episode hosted by another beloved former cast member, Kristen Wiig.
Watch Vampire Weekend perform "Gen-X Cops" live on SNL
Watch Vampire Weekend play "Capricorn" on Saturday Night Live
May 18: Sabrina Carpenter
Singer and actress Sabrina Carpenter was Musical Guest for Saturday Night Live's Season 49 finale, with Jake Gyllenhaal returning for his third time to host.
RELATED: Watch Jake Gyllenhaal's SNL Monologue and Sketches
Carpenter released emails i can't send fwd:, an extended reissue of her 2022 album, on March 23, 2023. Following the success of her songs "Feather" and "Nonsense," Carpenter's hit "Espresso" has peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100.
As an actress, Carpenter co-starred in Disney's Girl Meets World and films including The Hate U Give and The Tall Girl. She busted out those acting skills playing Daphne in a pretaped "Scooby-Doo" parody alongside Gyllenhaal.
Watch Sabrina Carpenter perform "Espresso" live on SNL
Sabrina Carpenter sings "Feather/Nonsense" on Saturday Night Live
Originally published Nov 16, 2023.
