Saturday Night Live is winding down its 47th season, but it has one more treat in store before closing this chapter of the sketch comedy. After Selena Gomez takes the stage for the first time on May 14, Natasha Lyonne will take the reins for the finale on May 21 alongside musical guests and rising pop stars Japanese Breakfast. For both, this will mark their debut on the sketch comedy.
Lyonne comes to the SNL stage fresh off of Season 2 of her hit show Russian Doll. As both co-creator and star of the drama, she’s blown audiences away with a more layered, complex, and rich story than the already brilliant first season, earning an A- from Collider in our review of the series. Her relationship with Netflix has been very fruitful in recent years, also making waves as Nicky Nichols in their massive drama Orange is the New Black and lending her voice to their animation giant Big Mouth. In a couple of months, she’s also set to join DC’s League of Super Pets as Wally West’s pet turtle Merton.
For Japanese Breakfast, this is a pretty major moment for them as an indie pop group. It wasn’t until last year that they started getting more attention after their album Jubilee, which was released by Dead Oceans on June 4, 2021, garnered major attention at the Grammys. The group was nominated for both Best New Artist and Best Alternative Album, though they failed to take home either due to the immense competition for both. The band is headed by Michelle Zauner and dabbles in experimental pop, all while taking the stage with a unique style and flair. They’re sure to be one of the more unique performances of the year for SNL.
Before Lyonne and Japanese Breakfast can make their debut, Gomez will come in with fellow first-timer Post Malone in tow. Gomez comes in ahead of the release of the massively anticipated second season of her comedy with Steve Martin and Martin Short, Only Murders in the Building, on June 28, while Malone will be just weeks from dropping Twelve Carat Toothache, his next album. The two pop stars (and actor in Gomez’s case) got a chance to pal around in a new promo in which Malone may have teamed up with the SNL cast to put literal ants in Gomez’s pants. Does she actually have ants in her pants though? Guess we’ll just have to watch this weekend to find out.
Fans can watch Gomez take the reins this weekend on May 14, at 11:30 ET/8:30 PT on NBC. Following her debut, look forward to May 21 when Lyonne and Japanese Breakfast take the stage for the first time to close out Season 47.
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