Megan Thee Stallion Gets Emotional, Holds Back Tears During Powerful ‘SNL’ Performance

Megan Thee Stallion got emotional during her first musical performance on Saturday Night Live this weekend. The 27-year-old rapper had the rare distinction of being both the host and musical guest, and she put her all into both. That may have been clearest when she was holding back tears while singing her song “Anxiety.”

Megan Thee Stallion utilized a back-up recording to follow along with for her own dense lyrics during this performance. For the most part she matched its tone and inflection, but right at the beginning of the second verse it became clear that her voice was close to cracking. The camera zoomed in close to show her fighting back her emotions as she delivered a few lines about her mental health, her grief for her mother and her religion.

“If I could write a letter to heaven / I would tell my mama that I shoulda been listening / and I would tell her sorry that I really been wilding / and ask her to forgive me ’cause I’ve really been trying… It’s crazy how I say the same prayers to the Lord / and always get surprised about who he take,” she sang. Her distress never truly interrupted her and it smoothed out by the end of the verse, but it was enough for fans to take notice.

“I cried like a baby. She handled it SO well. The camera crew did an amazing job as well giving her some time. Very graceful,” one fan commented on Twitter. Another added: “Songs/verses about the dead always hit me in the heart. The pain of loss man, it just never really goes away.”

Megan Thee Stallion rose to prominence around 2018, but her excitement was tempered by her mother passing away in March of 2019. She has been open about those confused emotions and difficult times before, including in an interview with Essence. She explained that her mother was also a rapper, and inspired her to pursue a career in music from a very early age. Megan’s mother reportedly died of brain cancer.

This was just one aspect of Megan’s generally well-received debut on SNL. The rapper was regarded by many as a saving grace for the variety show, which has gotten mixed reviews in its first two episodes of the season. SNL will be back in two weeks with a new episode featuring rapper Jack Harlow as both host and musical guest.