‘SNL’: Justin Bieber Brought out Surprise Guest Chance the Rapper During ‘Holy’ Performance

Justin Bieber served as the musical guest on the most recent episode of Saturday Night Live. This episode wasn’t the first time that the singer has headlined the SNL stage, as he served as a musical guest in 2010 and performed double-duty by hosting and performing in 2013. (He was the youngest person ever to be the host and musical guest.) Bieber’s latest turn on SNL not only featured a more mature side to the famous singer, but it also had a surprise appearance from none other than Chance the Rapper.

Bieber performed his single “Holy” in front of a minimalist set on SNL that featured a glowing cross in what appeared to be a barn set-up. It wasn’t before long that the singer got a little bit of help from Chance, who appeared to accompany Bieber on the song, which heavily relies on religious imagery. It wasn’t entirely surprising that Chance made an appearance on the SNL stage recently. Not only has the rapper frequently appeared on the sketch comedy series in recent years, but he is also featured on “Holy.” So, it was only appropriate to have Chance and Bieber take to the stage together.

Bieber and Chance released “Holy” on Sept. 18. The duo also released a music video to go along with the track, which featured appearances by actors Wilmer Valderrama and Ryan Destiny. Bieber has noted that the release of “Holy” marks a “new era” for him ahead of his hotly-anticipated new album. During his appearance on SNL, the singer also performed his song, “Lonely.” A day before his time on the NBC series, he released the music video for the track, which stars Jacob Tremblay. The video has already amassed more than 13 million views and counting as of Sunday.

After he released the emotional track, Bieber spoke out on how difficult it was for him to make “Lonely.” He also highlighted just how important the song’s message is for him. “To be honest the song is hard for me to listen to considering how tough it was to get through some of these chapters,” Bieber wrote soon after the song’s release. “I believe it is powerful to express vulnerability and that’s why I believe this song is so powerful.”