saturday night live

Charli XCX Finally Made It to the SNL Stage, Baby

On the long, long list of things COVID-19 has taken from us? Charli XCX’s December 2021 Saturday Night Live appearance. Slated to feature guest stars Christine and the Queens and Caroline Polachek joining for “New Shapes,” it was canceled for a lack of crew amid the Omicron surge in New York City. Charli finally got her pop-star moment on the SNL stage over the weekend, performing two new songs, “Beg for You” and “Baby,” off her upcoming album Crash — and she made it worth our wait. (Yes, she previously performed way back in 2014; yes, she did “Boom Clap.”) Charli held her own, sans duet partner Rina Sawayama, for “Beg for You,” performing in an extremely billowing white outfit complete with extra-long nails. But Charli’s newest (and hottest) track, “Baby,” was the real attraction, as she turned out cool, complicated choreography alongside two dancers. Oh, and she got to appear in a bizarre sketch as a meatball attached to Sarah Sherman’s body, too! Charli really told SNL, “Imma f-ck you up, baby.”

Charli XCX Finally Made It to the SNL Stage, Baby