Maya Rudolph channels a ‘Cowboy Carter’-inspired Beyoncé on ‘SNL’ in ‘Hot Ones’ sketch

Maya Rudolph is back as Beyoncé on “Saturday Night Live” for another “Hot Ones” sketch.

Rudolph returned to Studio 8H on May 11 to host “SNL” for the third time since leaving the show in 2007.

The “Bridesmaids” star reprised her Beyoncé character for the show, including a second part to the popular “Hot Ones” sketch from the last time she hosted in March 2021.

In “Hot Ones with Beyoncé 2,” Rudolph donned a “Cowboy Carter” inspired ensemble to embody the singer while cast member Mikey Day took on the role of host Sean Evans.

Referencing her first attempt at tackling “the Hot Ones gauntlet” in 2021 — which didn’t go so smoothly after Rudolph became over heated and needed ice cubes applied to her scalp — Day asked her why she decided to return the show.

“Well, this was the only thing that I have attempted that I did not slay, and that bothered both me and my husband,” she explained.

The first wing didn’t affect Rudolph at all, with the actor declaring to Day, “Oh, that’s a tasty wing, but it’s not that spicy. I’m from Texas baby, your girl likes it caliente.”

Day upped the ante with the second wing that measured over 500,000 on the Scoville scale, which is used to measure the heat of chili peppers. Though Rudolph initially said the wing “looked good,” she was almost immediately proved wrong.

When Day tried to ask Rudolph about the song “Ya Ya” from “Cowboy Carter,” she couldn’t respond. Instead, she stared crossed eyed ahead with sweat starting to form on her face.

Though she assured Day she was okay, she struggled to answer his question about her lyrics, adding, “Um, I forget, because this wing is stomping my a--. Damn, my bones are hot.”

Rudolph also had to take a moment to “start speaking in tongues” before calling out her assistant Derafael, portrayed by Kenan Thompson, so he could look up if it was “possible to take someone’s bones out of their body” in order to “replace them with bones that aren’t on fire.”

She was no match for the final sauce, which jumped one million on the Scoville scale. Rudolph said the sauce made her “do something very human” and requested that her face be blurred so she could burp. Rudolph also took Day’s milk, though instead of drinking it, she threw the entire contents of the glass onto his face.

When her attempt to cool down her mouth by eating lotion was unsuccessful, Rudolph became frustrated again.

“Why can’t I slay this?” she exclaimed. “Why is this janky hot wings show the one thing Beyoncé cannot do?”

Rudolph has also parodied “Hot Ones” in a promo video for her Apple TV+ show “Loot.” The video featured Sean Evans as himself, while Rudolph portrayed her character Molly Novak, who was not handling the wings very well.

The “Texas Hold 'Em” singer has been a recurring character for Rudolph during her tenure on “SNL,” as well as her hosting gigs since departing the show.

Here’s a recap of some of Rudolph's best moments portraying Beyoncé on “SNL.”

December 2004: 'Prince Christmas Special'

When Robert De Niro hosted the show in December 2004, Rudolph portrayed Beyoncé alongside Fred Armisen as Prince for a “Prince Christmas Special.” She served as his sidekick on the show while De Niro played himself as a guest.

May 2005: 'Prince Show: Nick and Jessica'

Rudolph portrayed Beyoncé again in another “Prince Show” sketch in May 2005 when Lindsay Lohan hosted. In addition to providing vocals and dance moves as Armisen’s sidekick, she would also ask the guests questions that he was too shy to ask himself.

April 2007: 'Prince Show with Shia LaBeouf'

In April 2007, Rudolph appeared as Beyoncé once more in a “Prince Show” sketch, with host Shia LaBeouf portraying Tobey Maguire.

February 2012: 'Celebrities Visit Jay-Z and Beyoncé to See Their New Baby'

When Rudolph hosted “SNL” for the first time in February 2012, she played Beyoncé in a sketch after the singer gave birth to her daughter, Blue Ivy. Former cast member Jay Pharaoh portrayed Jay-Z as the couple were visited by other celebrities to meet their baby for the first time.

May 2014: 'Jay-Z and Solange Message Cold Open'

Rudolph made an appearance on the show in May 2014 during the cold open to portray Beyoncé after the elevator incident between Jay-Z and her sister, Solange Knowles.

February 2015: 'Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special'

Rudolph accompanied Martin Short as Beyoncé during the show's 40th anniversary special. In the segment, the duo looked back at all of the musical guests in the show's history.

March 2021: “Hot Ones with Beyoncé”

In her previous “SNL” hosting gig, Rudolph portrayed Beyoncé as she went through “the Hot Ones gauntlet.” In the sketch, Rudolph famously struggled through the tasting of each hot wing as Beyoncé, including hilarious reactions to the spicy appetizer.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com