Saturday Night Live welcomed Niall Horan to the stage, and fans had lots to say. The singer graced the stage of the NBC variety sketch series for the first time, with singles off his upcoming second studio album. Horan joined host Scarlett Johansson as the musical guest for the Dec. 14 episode.
Fans of the singer (and One Direction) flooded Twitter with praise for his voice and act.
Videos by PopCulture.com
“NIALL IS WEARING A PINK SUIT!!!! i need a niall/harry photoshoot right now,” one user commented, referring to his former bandmate, Harry Styles.
Another fan praised: “wow i’m so proud of niall!!!!!!”
Another fan gushed: “We love an Irish prince in a pink suit.”
Other Saturday Night Live viewers were not impressed with the Horan’s voice, and let their feelings be known with less than favorable comments on Twitter.
Sadly, Nial Horan is no #HarryStyles #SNL
— Miam (@makeitamystery) December 15, 2019
“Never heard of this dude. Did he win on the Voice or American Idol or some show like that,” one user commented.
Another user wrote: “Is another dude from one direction the musical guest next week? Is this what they do now?”
Horan made a splash as a solo act in 2017 with the release of his first single, “This Town,” which was an instant hit. He also released his first solo album, Flicker, in October of that year. He has not revealed a release date for his second studio album but announced he would embark in the Nice to Meet Ya Tour in 2020.
Ahead of the performance, Horan made headlines with an appearance to The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon when he shared a hilarious story of the first time he met Lizzo.
The “Good As Hell” singer — who will take the stage as musical guest Dec. 21 on SNL — reportedly had a cheeky pickup line for Horan when they first met in London.
“I was in London doing a radio performance in the studio,” he recalled while talking with Jimmy Fallon. “She was coming in to do an interview in the studio as well and someone said, ‘Oh, Lizzo’s here! She’d love to meet you.’”
“We’re passing in the corridor, I was like, ‘Ah! Lovely to meet you!’ Gave her a big hug. ‘Your voice is incredible. Your songs are amazing. You’re absolutely smashing it,’” he continued. “And literally, without missing a beat, she just went, ‘You can smash this!’”
Horan recalled loving Lizzo’s bold comment, and even blushing while they were talking.
“And I was just like, ‘Fair play,’” he added. “I actually started blushing myself!”
Saturday Night Live airs weekly at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC. Next week’s winter finale will feature host Eddie Murphy and musical guest Lizzo.
