SNL Season 50 Wraps Up with Surprising Musical Moments and Jokes About Cast Changes

For a show that loves to celebrate itself, Saturday Night Live really leaned into its 50th season. But as always, the results were a mixed bag. This was especially true for the musical guests. The season featured a wild mix of big names like Bad Bunny, Morgan Wallen, and Lady Gaga. We also saw rising stars like Chappell Roan, Benson Boone, and Shaboozey. Then there were acts from the past, like Arcade Fire and Coldplay, and truly legendary performers such as Stevie Nicks. And of course, we cannot forget Timothée Chalamet, who was working hard for an Oscar that never came.

The Snl stage can be a gamble. Some acts are better at making a simple space exciting. The show's sound quality is also often shaky. This makes ranking each season's musical guests quite an adventure. But since I have been doing these rankings for years, it is my job to do it again. I have put together a list of the great, the okay, and the truly bad performances from this SNL season.

The show's musical bookers usually do a good job mixing chart-toppers, country and hip-hop stars, hall-of-famers, and artists who seem like they might be the next big thing. It is a tough balance to strike with only twenty spots to fill each season. Yet they still insist on booking certain older acts every time they release a new album. Sometimes these choices make me scratch my head. This season was no different. We saw some truly memorable performances and some that were best forgotten.

Arcade Fire and Coldplay's Questionable Return to the Saturday Night Live Stage

Why Some Veteran Bands Just Do Not Seem To Bring Their Best To The Iconic Show

Arcade Fire has been on a downward slide for a long time. Their albums from the last ten years only had a few good songs. And that was before their singer Win Butler faced accusations of widespread sexual abuse. Yet SNL still booked them. They released a weak new album just a day before their performance in the season’s second-to-last episode. If you are looking for a reason why they were booked, their joyless, by-the-numbers performance of two songs from their new album will not give you any. Butler certainly gave it his all, with flashy costumes and a needlessly smashed guitar. But his wife and co-bandleader, Régine Chassagne, looked like she had just smelled something awful for most of their performance. It was a complete feast of bad vibes. Even the songs were not good enough to make it better.

Coldplay has played SNL eight times since 2001. Their performances have been a mix of good and bad. In 2019, their pleasant energy still worked well. Chris Martin even came back for a nice solo encore during that season. But their 2023 performance was cheesy and messy. It would have made a good SNL parody if the band had been in on the joke. Unfortunately, this latest appearance was another dull one. If you watched "All My Love" live and stayed awake for "We Pray" you should tell long-haul truckers your secrets. That song is a serious sleeping pill. Martin also sounded off-key. "We Pray" was more lively because Martin was joined by two guest singers, Elyanna and Tini. They tried their best to make another depressing and generic song interesting. It just did not work.

Morgan Wallen's Lack of Effort and Other Lukewarm Musical Appearances on SNL

When Big Names Do Not Bring The Energy Expected For A Major TV Show Performance

A big part of my ranking for SNL music acts is how much effort they put in. Given a huge chance to reach millions of people an artist should try to do something amazing, eye-opening, and exciting. This puts country star Morgan Wallen at a disadvantage. He clearly does not want to be there. He gave a dull and uninterested performance in 2020. When he came back he did not even stay for the closing credits. He walked off stage suddenly and posted "Get me to God’s country" on Instagram. This instantly became a popular saying.

The whole thing just felt so grudging. Why even bother showing up? SNL only booked him because he is country’s biggest star. Wallen only showed up because he has an album and many songs to promote. But the performances were just the bare minimum again. In both "I’m the Problem" and "Just in Case" his singing was better than his 2020 performance. He is a good singer. "Just in Case" is one of the better songs on his new album. But next time SNL calls, we would all be better off if Wallen stayed in God’s country.

Elton John and Brandi Carlile also appeared together. Elton John’s long victory lap has been going on for years. It recently included a loving movie about his life. That movie led to his Oscar-nominated song "Never Too Late" with Brandi Carlile. Now they have a full album together. As much as these two have earned goodwill in their long and often brilliant careers, their album is not nearly as good as their best work. Their joint SNL appearance was similar. "Little Richard’s Bible" was a messy noise. The album’s title track was a sickly sweet, boring slow song that relied on feelings. John and Carlile have the right to rely on their charm and past achievements but neither song did them justice.

Charli XCX appeared without much stage flair. She performed "360" and "Sympathy Is a Knife" in front of simple backgrounds with only a backing track. Her own vocals were fine. She moved with a lot of energy. But the production felt like an afterthought. Even the backdrops had visible seams. Given that Charli was also hosting, it made sense not to ask too much of her. But she put in plenty of effort! It seemed like the production team took the night off. Shaboozey's debut was also somewhat lacking. His hit "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" has been popular for over a year. He tried to introduce a new song called "Good News" but it did not do well. "Good News" is not very exciting. The SNL treatment did not help either song. "Good News" was too slow and plain. "A Bar Song" felt like an afterthought. Shaboozey himself has a calm charm but both performances needed more spark.

Jelly Roll, a rapper turned country star, had a solid but not amazing performance. He sang two songs from his album "Beautifully Broken." He had his full band and a choir in the small Studio 8H. The sound mix was bad. The stage looked dull. But his huge enthusiasm especially in "Liar" made it better. Hozier also had a simple performance of his hit "Too Sweet." His cover of The Pogues’ "Fairytale of New York" was much better. It showed a darker side of him and let his Irish accent shine. Tate McRae focused on her dancing during "Sports Car." Her vocals were not strong and she relied on a backing track. Her second song "Dear God" was boring and still. The chairs hovered pointlessly in the background. Timothée Chalamet’s Bob Dylan covers were wonderfully strange and brave. He was trying to win an Oscar. He picked less-known Dylan songs. He was backed by James Blake. It was an ambitious attempt. But it was just a famous actor singing covers. It was not very deep. Gracie Abrams was fine. She sounded like Taylor Swift and played it safe. She did not stand out from her biggest influence. She is like the vice president of pop.

Lady Gaga and Chappell Roan Steal the Show with Unforgettable Performances

The Artists Who Truly Delivered Memorable Moments On The SNL Stage This Season

It is almost a shame to rank Lady Gaga’s performance at number two. Think of it as number one A. She completely rocked her return to the SNL stage after a long break. After spending time acting and singing jazz, Gaga gave people what they wanted. She brought wild dance moves, intense eye contact, strange art, and a willingness to play with the spaces she was given. That last part made these performances truly special. In "Abracadabra" she and her dancers were in a brightly lit box. They made the small space feel huge. Then, in "Killah" Gaga led a weird march through SNL’s plain hallways. She ended up on stage, on her back, completely exhausted. She did all this while hosting too. It was a huge amount of effort to create bold art.

For her SNL debut Chappell Roan checked almost every box. Her singing was strong and in control. She had the right mix of slyness and power. Her costumes were perfect. They had nods to drag and country music. Her band was excellent and dressed up. The stage production was amazing and surprising with clear details and a lot of movement. It had everything. Roan could have easily pulled back after hitting "Pink Pony Club" out of the park. But her second appearance made news. It was the world premiere of her first new song since "Good Luck, Babe!" "The Giver" is a fun queer-country song. It got a grand introduction. It had glorious outfits, exciting choruses, and even a wonderfully strange animated backdrop. As if she needed more points, Roan spent some of the closing credits affectionately holding hands with Bowen Yang. He had made fun of her in a Weekend Update segment a month earlier. This debut will be hard to beat. But it will be thrilling to watch her try.

Other strong performances came from Billie Eilish and Benson Boone. Billie Eilish has only been famous since 2019 but she has been an SNL musical guest four times. This shows how popular she is and how willing she is to use late-night stages in fun ways. She never topped her wild illusion from her 2019 debut. But she came close during "Birds of a Feather." It was filmed from under a glass cube. Her brother Finneas played guitar nearby. Eilish looked confident against images of a bright blue sky. This was a perfect visual for her airy hit song. "Wildflower" was less exciting. She sang a slow song in front of a darker backdrop. But she never puts in minimal effort. She was not about to start here. Benson Boone is like a throwback to the early days of American Idol. He has an expressive voice and is energetic on stage. He even auditioned for American Idol in 2021 but left early to focus on his own music. He would have won American Idol if he had stayed. His SNL debut was well after his hit "Beautiful Things" came out. So he did not have to sing it. Instead he showed two songs from his new album. "Sorry I’m Here for Someone Else" was charismatic and intense. It included a backflip and a funny interaction with host Quinta Brunson. "Mystical Magical" was not as successful. It was more about the silly lyrics than the production. Overall Boone did what he always does. He brought a lot of energy to his theatrical pop songs. This is a welcome change on an SNL stage that can make performers look dull. GloRilla was also a strong performer. She delivered a lively set with a lot of movement and smoke. It was powerful and visually interesting especially in "Yeah Glo!" More live musicians would have helped. But GloRilla and her dancers made up for their absence. Bad Bunny’s past SNL appearances were average. This time his vocals were sharp and on point. He used a backing track instead of a band. The visuals were carefully planned. For "NUEVAYoL" Bad Bunny and dancers recreated a classic photo on a steel beam. This was a clever way to show New York City and add movement. In "PERFuMITO NUEVO" Bad Bunny and RaiNao moved in an interesting way through a set like a public bathroom. Both songs made the Studio 8H stage feel bigger. They used Bad Bunny’s strong presence well.

What We Know About SNL Cast Changes And Future Plans After Season 50

No Official Goodbyes But Hints About Who Might Be Leaving And Staying On The Show

The Saturday Night Live season 50 finale had jokes about cast member Sarah Sherman leaving. It also had jokes about Weekend Update’s Colin Jost replacing SNL boss Lorne Michaels. There were long hugs during the curtain call. But there were no clear signs of cast changes during the final episode. Changes are probably coming. There are seventeen cast members. Six of them have been on the show for seven or more seasons. These include Jost Michael Che Mikey Day Heidi Gardner Ego Nwodim and Kenan Thompson. Thompson is the longest-serving SNL cast member ever with twenty-two years on the show.

Saturday Night Live stopped giving long-time cast members big goodbyes in the season finale. Kristen Wiig got a star-filled farewell in May 2012 after seven years on the show. During this finale, there were flowers during the curtain call but they were from Jost to his wife and host Scarlett Johansson. (On NBC the goodbye cut off abruptly during Johansson’s speech. This made some fans wonder if they missed cast members saying goodbye.) Of the current long-time cast members only Michael Che has said publicly that he would leave after this season. But he said that during a stand-up performance. He has also said that in the past. He did not give any hints of leaving in this finale. Several other experienced cast members have suggested in interviews and social media posts that they might leave. But there were no signs of that in the finale either. Kate McKinnon got emotional in her last episode. This time it was business as usual.

Surprisingly, Scarlett Johansson called out Sarah Sherman in her opening monologue. Sherman is one of the busiest new cast members. Johansson sang "It’s been a great season and Sarah is leaving we’re all gonna miss you next year." A shocked Sherman replied "Wait what? Did you guys hear something? What do you mean leaving?" It was a joke. Sherman was probably picked because she is not expected to leave. During the curtain call at the end of the episode Bowen Yang gave long hugs to Sherman and Ego Nwodim. Yang has been an SNL cast member for six seasons. He started as a writer seven years ago. His movie career has grown a lot. This has opened new chances for one of SNL’s best performers.

The finale also talked about the widespread talk that Colin Jost is a top choice to take over from Lorne Michaels when he retires. Michaels had said he would leave after the show’s 50th anniversary. But he later changed his mind saying there was "no immediate plan" for him to step down. In the latest Weekend Update Joke Swap between Che and Jost the latter had to open with a line written for him "It’s SNL’s 50th season so I want to take a moment to say something to our boss Lorne Michaels. Lorne, retire btch! Let me run the show." Jost had to revisit the topic at the end of the segment. He had to put on red lipstick before saying another line written by Che "Lorne I’ll do anything to run this show." Later during the curtain call Jost’s wife Johansson gave Michaels a shoutout. She congratulated him on SNL’s 50-year run. She said "You are a singular man we love you and thank you." It is not clear when we will hear about cast members leaving SNL. Usually, veteran cast members who leave make the announcement in the weeks after the season finale. After some time off Michaels gets back to work by July. Decisions about who will not be asked back are usually made in August or early September.