Billie Eilish pulled double duty in the Dec. 12 episode of Saturday Night Live, serving as both the host and musical guest. While Eilish held her own in the comedic moments, the Grammy winner shone when she took the stage to sing.
For Eilish’s first performance, the singer sang her mega-hit “Happier Than Ever.” The performance began in a stripped-down, understated manner, before taking things up a notch as the song crescendoed. The 19-year-old made the audience sit up and pay attention with her spot-on vocals and proved once again why she is one of the biggest stars in pop.
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Fans on Twitter were loving Eilish’s turn on SNL, praising her singing and getting out of her comfort zone as an actress as well. “Billie Eilish has turned in 2 all time [SNL] musical performances through her first 3 songs she’s done,” tweeted one fan. “Amazing production design blended with her vocal on tonight’s and Bad Guy a few years ago!”
“She really has the crowd and me laughing. This s— is gonna be so fun she looks so happy and excited im so proud of her,” tweeted another Eilish fan.
Eilish has had a massive year in 2021, releasing her second album this summer. Titled Happier Than Ever, the young musician seemed to transform herself, revealing blonde hair and dropping her baggy clothes for a string of high-profile interviews and appearances. She also starred in a musical film on Disney+ around the same time, giving this SNL appearance a lot of weight.
Eilish was also one of four individuals chosen to be co-chairs of the Met Gala alongside Timothee Chalamet, Amanda Gorman, and Naomi Osaka. Eilish is the youngest Met Gala co-chair in the event’s history. Back in May, when it was originally reported that Eilish was chosen to be a co-chair, Vogue issued a statement. The publication shared that they chose the singer due to her “willingness to embrace an aesthetic as innovative as her music has pushed emerging brands into the limelight and challenged old rules about how a pop star should dress.”