‘SNL’: Lizzo Had a Very Special Guest Introduce Her Second Musical Performance

Lizzo was both the host and the musical guest of Saturday Night Live this weekend, so she had to get creative with her introductions. Typically the SNL host introduces the musical guest before their two performances, but Lizzo put a spin on that process. The singer introduced herself for one song, and then had her mother introduce her the second time.

For her first song of the night, Lizzo simply stood near the edge of the stage and introduced herself with the confidence fans have come to love her for. She said: “Ladies and gentlemen… Me!” then walked up to the microphone and sang her new song “About Damn Time.” The second time around, Lizzo’s mother Shari Johnson-Jefferson introduced her, saying: “Once again, my daughter, Lizzo!” Lizzo then debuted a brand new single called “Special.”

Lizzo’s mother also appeared in her SNL monologue where she celebrated her success while honoring her journey to get there. She pointed out her mother in a balcony seat, apologizing to her for “cussing” in front of an audience. She joked: “The first time my mom came to see me perform, I had to warn her. ‘Mom, when I’m on stage, I’m gonna say some bad words.’ At the time, she didn’t like that. But now I’m rich, so she’s like ‘b-, cuss me out!’”

In the past when a host is also the musical guest, they are typically introduced by an SNL cast member. In a tweet on Saturday night, Lizzo claimed that she was the first performer to simply introduce herself and walk up on stage, though some fans pointed out that that’s not entirely true. One clip that became the top response to Lizzo’s tweet showed a clip from an episode where Justin Timberlake pulled double duty as host and musical guest. Still, Timberlake did not generate the raw confidence that Lizzo did by literally introducing herself. Instead, he said: “Ladies and gentlemen, make some noise! Let’s go!” as he walked over to the microphone. Many fans felt that Lizzo should still get the distinction on a technicality.

However you slice, it, Saturday was a big night for Lizzo and for SNL. The multi-talented singer managed to show off all her skills including singing, rapping, dancing, playing the flute and acting. She also showed her range in comedy, and many fans are hoping they’ll see more of her in this capacity soon. The full episode is streaming now on Peacock and Hulu, and the clips are available on YouTube, Instagram and Twitter.