Let’s be real for a second. When the Season 50 schedule for Saturday Night Live dropped, everyone basically lost their minds. Seeing Ariana Grande and Stevie Nicks on the same call sheet for October 12, 2024, felt like a glitch in the simulation. You’ve got the reigning queen of pop, fresh off her Wicked press tour prep, and a literal rock goddess who hadn't graced the Studio 8H stage in forty-one years.
Forty. One. Years.
The last time Stevie was the musical guest, it was 1983. To put that in perspective, Ariana wasn’t even born yet. Honestly, the vibe leading up to the night was electric, mostly because fans were dying to see if Ariana would do her famous Stevie Nicks impression right in front of the legend herself.
The Witchy Energy We All Needed
The promos alone were a whole mood. You had Bowen Yang standing between these two icons, calling them "witchy women." It makes sense—Ariana was literally about to play Glinda the Good Witch, and Stevie has been the high priestess of rock and roll since the 70s.
They did this bit where Ariana and Bowen tried to "trick" Stevie into singing "Landslide." They started quoting the lyrics like it was just casual conversation. Ariana mentions climbing a mountain and turning around, Bowen talks about snow-covered hills, and then Stevie—because she's a legend—just slides right in with the harmony. It was wholesome. It was perfect. It set the stage for an episode that actually lived up to the massive hype.
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Why Ariana Grande is the Best Musical Host
Look, some hosts are just "okay." They read the cue cards, they do the monologue, they go home. But Ariana is a theater kid at heart. She gets the timing. Throughout the night, she didn't just play characters; she disappeared into them.
The "Celine Dion for UFC" sketch? Pure gold. She nailed the Canadian-French accent and that specific Celine-esque dramatic flair. Then there was the "Castrati" sketch with Maya Rudolph and Andy Samberg. It was weird, it was edgy, and she sang in this hauntingly beautiful soprano that reminded everyone that, oh yeah, she’s one of the best vocalists on the planet.
What Happened with the Stevie Nicks Performances?
Stevie Nicks didn’t come to play it safe. At 76, she could have just coasted on nostalgia. Instead, she opened with "The Lighthouse." This isn't just a catchy tune; it’s a protest song. She wrote it after the overturning of Roe v. Wade, and you could feel the weight of it. She stood there in her classic black ensemble—the ribbons, the lace, the tambourine—and sang about not letting them take your power.
But then, the second song happened.
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When those first few notes of "Edge of Seventeen" hit, the room shifted. It was a time capsule. Sure, her voice has deepened over the decades—that's just biology—but the grit and the soul were still there. Watching her perform that while Ariana Grande watched from the wings? That’s a "once in a lifetime" kind of moment.
The Impression Question
Surprisingly, Ariana didn’t do a full Stevie Nicks parody during the live sketches. She’s done it before on The Tonight Show and in her previous SNL stint back in 2016, but this time around, she focused on new territory. We got her Jennifer Coolidge (legendary), her Celine Dion (iconic), and even a weirdly sinister suburban mom in a charades sketch.
Maybe she didn't want to step on Stevie's toes. Or maybe she just wanted to prove she’s more than just a "human jukebox." Either way, the restraint actually made the episode feel more professional and less like a greatest hits reel.
Breaking Down the Fan Reaction
People are still arguing about this episode on Reddit and Twitter. Most people loved it. They called it the strongest episode of Season 50. But, as with anything on the internet, there were some "hot takes."
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- The Sound Mix: Some fans complained that the SNL audio engineers did Stevie dirty. It’s a common complaint for the show—the live mix is notoriously difficult for vocalists.
- The Castrato Sketch: This one was polarizing. Some thought it was the funniest thing SNL has done in years; others found the premise of singing about historical castration a bit "too much."
- The Nostalgia Factor: Seeing Dana Carvey and Andy Samberg back in the mix alongside Ariana made it feel like a "best of" era crossover.
Actionable Insights for SNL Fans
If you're looking to revisit this episode or dive deeper into the Ariana/Stevie lore, here is how you should spend your time:
- Watch the "Maybelline" Sketch: It’s Ariana Grande and Chloe Fineman doing a "Coolidge-off." It’s five minutes of pure serotonin.
- Listen to "The Lighthouse" Studio Version: If the SNL audio felt a bit thin to you, go find the studio recording. The lyrics are some of Stevie’s most pointed work in years.
- Check out the "Cinema Classics" Cut Sketch: Sometimes the best stuff gets cut for time. There’s often gold buried in the "Cut for Time" section of the SNL YouTube channel.
- Follow the 50th Season Arc: This episode was a pivot point. It proved that SNL could still draw massive numbers—it was the largest audience in three years—when they pair a modern titan with a legacy legend.
The reality is that SNL thrives on these "lightning strikes twice" moments. You had a pop star who grew up idolizing the 70s rock scene and a rock star who still has something to say to the modern generation. It wasn't just a variety show; it was a passing of the torch that happened to be really, really funny.
Next Steps to Explore More:
To see how this episode stacks up against the rest of the season, you can compare the viewership metrics of the Michael Keaton and John Mulaney episodes that followed. Also, keep an eye out for the Wicked press tour highlights, as Ariana’s performance on SNL was widely seen as the unofficial kickoff for her film promotion.