Halsey Returned to “Saturday Night Live” With Performances From “Manic”
On January 25, Saturday Night Live returned for its first show of the decade, and they tapped Halsey and three-time host Adam Driver for the occasion.
Live from New York, Halsey took the SNL stage to perform two tracks off her brand-new album, Manic. Days prior to her performances, Halsey had shared her excitement on Twitter writing, “These SNL performances are my favorite things that have ever happened,” and she did not disappoint.
For her first performance of the night, Halsey opened with “You Should Be Sad” and her entrance was grandiose, to say the least. The silhouette of the singer, donning a cowboy hat and riding a mechanical bull, appeared on-screen against a golden background as the first chords from the songs started playing.
Wearing a Cabaret-meets-cowboy black bodice outfit — complete with long gloves, fishnet tights, and rhinestone-covered holsters — Halsey carried the Americana visuals she put into the star-studded music video straight into the live performance. Apart from displaying her live vocals, she also burst out some line dance moves with the help of her backup dancers.
For her second song, Halsey kept things acoustic. To perform her live rendition of “Finally // Beautiful Stranger,” which SNL shortened to simply “Beautiful Stranger,” the singer appeared onstage against some blue smoke. She rocked a white ruffled blouse, black vest, and black bootcut jeans with rhinestone embellishments. The Prince-worthy outfit was perfectly rounded off by her trusty acoustic guitar.
With only her voice and guitar, Halsey took the ballad on her own, managing to completely fill the stage. Before the second verse, a small band joined in to complete the slow-burn anthem.
These performances marked Halsey’s third time as SNL's musical guest. She previously appeared on the show in 2018 and 2019. That last time, much like Harry Styles this past November, she took on double duty as the show’s host as well. This time around, in addition to her music performances, Halsey also showed off her comedic chops (not to mention her cheerleading moves).
SNL and Halsey seem to be a great combo. Anytime the Manic singer appears on the show, she pulls out all the stops on all fronts — and we can’t wait to see her return to Studio 8H soon!
Let us slide into your DMs. Sign up for the Teen Vogue daily email.
Want more from Teen Vogue? Check this out:
Halsey Used This Drugstore Product to Achieve Her Manic Makeup
Halsey Was "Blown Away" by BTS Member Suga's Agust D Lyrics, and Same
Originally Appeared on Teen Vogue
