Country music fans and Saturday Night Live watchers get ready! Morgan Wallen is officially heading back to Studio 8H. Yep you heard that right after getting uninvited back in 2020 he is making his return to SNL as a musical guest. Talk about a comeback story!
From SNL Disinvite to Center Stage: Morgan Wallen's Road to Redemption on Saturday Night Live
Let's rewind a bit shall we? Back in 2020 Morgan Wallen was all set to make his SNL debut as a musical guest. Excitement was building then bam! Photos surfaced of Wallen partying maskless and kissing folks right before his scheduled appearance. Uh oh.
SNL takes COVID-19 protocols seriously and well they had to pull the plug. Wallen was disinvited. It was a major blow for the rising country star. He owned up to it though posting a video saying his actions were "short-sighted" and he "let SNL down". He even said he needed to "take a step back from the spotlight" and "work on himself." Pretty mature response right?
Fast forward to December 2020 and guess who showed up on SNL anyway? Morgan Wallen! Lorne Michaels and the SNL crew gave him a second chance just a couple of months later. And they did it in a pretty hilarious way. Wallen appeared in a sketch with host Jason Bateman where they made fun of the whole disinvitation drama. Bateman played "future Morgan Wallen" coming back to stop "past Morgan Wallen" from partying and messing up his SNL gig. It was self-deprecating funny and showed Wallen had a good sense of humor about the whole thing.
Second Chance Sounds Sweet: Morgan Wallen Returns as Musical Guest on March 29th Episode
Now full circle moment: Morgan Wallen is officially booked as the musical guest for the March 29th episode of SNL. He is joining host Mikey Madison fresh off her Oscar win for "Anora." It is his second time on the show but this time it seems to be without any pre-show drama just pure musical performance.
This SNL appearance is also timed perfectly with Wallen's career. He is about to drop a new album called "I'm The Problem" and is heading out on tour. SNL is a massive platform to promote new music so it is a big opportunity for him. Will he address the past controversy again? Will he stick to just performing? We will have to tune in to find out.
SNL Host Lineup is Fire: Mikey Madison Jack Black and Jon Hamm to Take the Stage
Morgan Wallen is not the only exciting name coming to SNL in the next few weeks. The show announced a seriously star-studded lineup of hosts. Get ready for:
- March 29: Mikey Madison Fresh off her Oscar win for "Anora" Mikey Madison is making her SNL hosting debut. This is a big moment for the rising star and it will be fun to see what she brings to the SNL stage. And of course Morgan Wallen is the musical guest.
- April 5: Jack Black Comedy legend Jack Black is returning to host SNL for his fourth time. Jack Black hosting SNL? You know that is going to be pure comedic gold. Plus get ready for a double dose of musical awesome because Elton John and Brandi Carlile are performing together as musical guests. They are releasing a duets album "Who Believes in Angels?" right around that time.
- April 12: Jon Hamm Another SNL favorite Jon Hamm is also hosting for his fourth time. Jon Hamm is always hilarious on SNL especially when he plays those suave and slightly clueless characters. And for music we have Lizzo making her fourth SNL appearance as well. Lizzo always brings the energy and the party so that episode is going to be a blast.
That is a seriously impressive lineup of hosts and musical guests for SNL. It looks like they are pulling out all the stops for the spring.
Lizzo Returns to SNL After Hiatus and Elton John & Brandi Carlile Team Up
Let's talk a bit more about those other musical guests. Lizzo's return to SNL is notable because it is her first big appearance after taking a break from music. She faced some serious allegations from former dancers last year and has been somewhat out of the spotlight. Her SNL performance could be seen as a kind of comeback moment. She recently released a new single "Still Bad" and is teasing a new album "Love in Real Life."
And then there is Elton John and Brandi Carlile. These two musical powerhouses teaming up for SNL is major. They are releasing a duets album together and their joint performance is going to be something special. Elton John is an absolute legend and Brandi Carlile is a force of nature. Having them both on the same SNL stage is a must-see moment.
SNL's Spring Lineup: Something for Everyone?
From Morgan Wallen's redemption story to Lizzo's return and Jack Black and Jon Hamm's comedic genius SNL's spring lineup is looking pretty diverse. They have got country pop rock comedy and drama covered. Whether you are a long-time SNL fan or just looking for some good entertainment it seems like there will be something for everyone in these upcoming episodes. Mark your calendars and get ready for some Saturday night laughs and musical performances!