The show may have been “live from New York,” but the sounds were very much Memphis as Bluff City rap star GloRilla made her debut on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live.”
GloRilla was the musical guest for the Jan. 18 mid-season premiere of SNL hosted by comedian Dave Chappelle, who appeared to forget to mention GloRilla’s appearance after his monologue.
Regardless, about 45 minutes into the program GloRilla kicked off her first performance on the show with a version of her signature hit, “Yeah Glo!” Dressed in an orange and green outfit, she took the stage amid a backdrop of what appeared to be her childhood home in Memphis, as photos of a young GloRilla — born Gloria Hallelujah Woods — flashed behind her.
Backed by a troupe of dancers, she worked the stage and the audience: “Let me hear y’all make some noise, SNL!” she urged the crowd, leading them in a call-and-response on the song’s chorus.
GloRilla used her second performance to double up, playing a medley of “Whatchu Kno About Me” and “Let Her Cook.” Though the lyrics to both tracks were heavily sanitized to meet network TV standards, GloRilla still managed to leave an indelible impression, sauntering the stage in a pink bikini-style ensemble, as she and her dancers worked through an animated routine (reportedly choreographed by Sean Bankhead, who also helped put together her VMAs routine). “Thank you SNL!” offered an excited GloRilla as her farewell.
But there was more as GloRilla made a guest appearance in the show’s final filmed sketch in which Dave Chappelle revived his “Chappelle’s Show” “Playa Haters” characters, alongside comedian Donnell Rawlings, in a spoof of the YouTube dating program “Pop the Balloon Or Find Love.” GloRilla appeared as one of the contestants who gave Chappelle some serious flak, as he labelled her a “sassy mouth.” GloRilla was also front and center alongside Chappelle for the cast goodnights, bringing her SNL debut to a close.
Earlier in the week GloRilla appeared in a series of promo spots teasing the episode with Chappelle and cast member Marcello Hernández. She showed off her comic timing, bantering with Hernandez and even cracking Chappelle up.
The Frayser native has joined the ranks of Memphis artists who have performed on “Saturday Night Live,” including Al Green and Justin Timberlake.
The SNL spot is yet another milestone in the 25-year-old’s fast-rising career. In October, GloRilla released her debut album, “Glorious,” which hit No. 5 on the Billboard album charts and made it to No. 2 on the R&B/Hip-Hop charts.
In 2024, GloRilla saw a total of five songs chart on the Billboard Hot 100 — including “Wanna Be” with Megan Thee Stallion at No. 11, “Whatchu Kno About Me” with Sexyy Red at No. 17, “TGIF” at No. 22, “Yeah Glo!” at No. 28, and “Hollon” at No. 48.
GloRilla is also nominated for two Grammy Awards at the upcoming 67th annual ceremony. Her nominations include Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance for her song “Yeah Glo!” which is certified two-time platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.
Last year, GloRilla made her late-night television debut in November performing on NBC’s “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.” Last fall she also wowed TV audiences with a standout segment as part of MTV’s annual Video Music Awards ceremony.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: GloRilla makes Saturday Night Live debut: Here’s what she performed
