Harry Styles is back at Saturday Night Live!
The “Watermelon Sugar” singer discussed his break from music in his monologue as host, which sparked after he wrapped his Love On Tour in 2023. Styles explained that said time off gave him a chance to reflect on his life.
“I finished my last tour in 2023, and after that I took a bunch of time off. I realized I’d spent half my life in music, touring, creating albums and making songs about fruit that people think are about sex,” he said. “I just really like fruit, guys. I like sex too.”
Styles continued, “So, when you’re on holiday, it’s like five in the afternoon, you’re all covered in sand, you and your partner are all sweaty and hot, and you stumble back to the room and you just wanna… papaya.”
The three-time Grammy Award winner then addressed past claims that he was queerbaiting due to his fashion choices. He started, “Back then, people seemed to pay a lot of attention to the clothes I was wearing, and some people accused me of something called queerbaiting.”
“But did it ever occur to you that maybe you don’t know everything about me, dad?” Styles added.
The singer noted that his new record’s name is Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally, which came about when “I did a prompt on ChatGPT that said, ‘Give me the most Italian phrase to ever exist,’ and it came back with Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally.” Styles went on about how “sometimes kissing can be great, you know, if you’re really good at it, and you’re a good person, or if you have a tight little bum.”
That led Ben Marshall to appear on stage, and the two shared a kiss. “Now that’s queerbaiting,” Styles concluded.
In the cold open, James Austin Johnson’s President Donald Trump took a jab at Timothée Chalamet’s recent comments about ballet and opera. But before that, he took a swipe at guest Styles. The bit began with a family of four at a gas station who were talking about high gas prices — cut to Trump.
“You might remember me from such campaign promises as lower gas prices and no more wars. We’ll have to make promises because a promise is just a lie that hasn’t happened yet,” he said. “But now, gas costs like a million billion dollars a gallon and it’s for the stock market. Let me put it in a way that the Harry Styles fans in the crowd tonight can understand: The stock market is going in One Direction.”
Johnson’s Trump continued by addressing the gas prices: “Oh yes, gas prices, which are very high because of war with Iran, which is where they make gas. I wish someone had told me that. We will win this war, because Iran is old and nobody likes them. Iran is like ballet and opera, and we’re Timothée Chalamet.”
“Wow, kicking them while they’re down, Timmy,” he added. “Which is, frankly, the best time to kick.”
During Styles’ night at SNL, the cast performed a spoof of the Emmy Award-winning series The Pitt, where the singer himself stepped into an alternate version of Noah Wyle’s role of Dr. Robby. The bit itself was described as “for people who love The Pitt… but can’t stand it’s phony liberal science.” The faux show was also produced by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the team who want to Make America Healthy Again, entitling the bit “MAHAspital.”
On last week’s SNL episode, where Ryan Gosling served as host, the Grammy winner made a surprise appearance during the Project Hail Mary actor’s monologue. Upon noting that it was his fourth time leading the sketch comedy series, Gosling looked in the crowd and said, “Is that Harry Styles?”
It was, indeed, Styles, leading the crowd to erupt in applause. Gosling asked, “What are you doing here, man?” Styles responded, “Well, I’m hosting next week and it’s been a while, so I just wanted to watch, get a feel for it.”
Gosling returned the favor during the March 14 episode, making a brief cameo to introduce Styles before he hit the stage for his first musical performance of the night.
The “As It Was” singer dropped his fourth studio album Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally on March 6, marking his first release in four years. Saturday night was also the first time Styles has appeared on SNL since Nov. 16, 2019, where he pulled double duty as host and musical guest for the first time.
However, he’s certainly no stranger to the show. He previously performed as musical guest with One Direction three separate times (in 2012, 2013 and 2014), and was the solo musical talent for the April 15, 2017, episode with Jimmy Fallon.
Elsewhere, Bad Bunny, Amy Poehler, Sabrina Carpenter, Miles Teller, Nikki Glaser, Glen Powell, Melissa McCarthy, Josh O’Connor, Ariana Grande, Finn Wolfhard, Teyana Taylor, Alexander Skarsgard and Connor Storrie have already hosted season 51 of SNL.
Jack Black will host on April 4, with Jack White as musical guest.
