Harry Styles appeared on Saturday Night Live for the third time on November 16. This time was different, however, because he was not joined by his formed One Direction bandmates, or just the musical guest. Styles pulled double duty as the host and musical guest, joining a club that consists of other artists such as Chance the Rapper, Ariana Grande, and Paul Simon.
Styles performed two songs: the first being “Lights Up,” the first single released from his upcoming sophomore album, Fine Line. He slowed down the song and wore a sparkly all black ensemble that had him shining on stage, much to the relevancy of the song’s lyrics: “Shine / Step into the light.”
The second song was the premiere of his most recent release, “Watermelon Sugar”. Accompanied by trumpet and trombones, the new song was an upbeat contrast to “Lights Up”. Appropriately dressed in a red suit and black tie, Styles gave a lively performance complete with his signature dance moves.
Through the skits, Styles showed a side of himself that has been otherwise unseen, unless you have been lucky enough to attend one of his concerts. Gone was the boyband persona that was tame enough for younger fans to enjoy. Enter Harry Styles, member of a “man band,” as he said in his monologue. He let loose a raunchier, more explicit side of himself that has never quite reached the levels it did until SNL.
Styles proved that he is fit for comedy, and willing to do anything. His performance garnered much praise from the SNL cast members. In an Instagram post from Cecily Strong, she wrote, “Harry Styles is from another planet where the most beautiful and talented beings exist. He is magical and I think it’s safe to say we were all enchanted and delighted and he should host so much more because he’s very good at this!” Another cast member, Heidi Gardner, thanked Styles for being “so immediately down and hilarious” for the skit she had written for the show – one in which the pair are a Norwegian couple in a pregnancy class who don’t exactly get along with the other class members. She went on to write, “[Styles] killed it last night and brought a lot of light to SNL.”
Styles showed love for his bandmates in his monologue, but spent the night proving that he has grown since his days in One Direction. If you need any more proof of the artist he is, plan to see him here in Sacramento on August 27!
