SNL Season Finale: Solange/Jay Z Cold Open, EDM & Pharrell Digital Shorts, St. Vincent Confounds Twitter
Tonight’s SNL season 39 finale addressed the week’s big viral video (Solange attacking Jay Z in an elevator, in case you forgot) right in the cold open. It was pretty good! Jay (Jay Pharoah) and Solange (Sasheer Zamata) let us know everything’s cool between them, and actually if you watch the video with audio it tells a different story: Solange was hitting and kicking a spider off her brother-in-law at his request, because he has arachnophobia. Then Beyoncé (Maya Rudolph) shows up.
Recent Golden Globe winner (and newlywed to Joanna Newsom) Andy Samberg was the host, so a new Lonely Island pre-taped sketch was a pretty sure bet. And there were two. The first was an EDM-themed digital short called “When Will The Bass Drop?” starring Samberg as DJ DAVVINCI and featuring Lil Jon in a cameo.
Then Annie Clark performed “Digital Witness” and Twitter was confused.
Who is this Beetlejuice looking chick on #SNL ?
— Vernie Mack (@VernieMack) May 18, 2014
#SNL wth?!?!?!?!? U call this music???????
— ADay (@fatgrlcronicles) May 18, 2014
the musical guest on #SNL tonight is terrible and so bizarre
— ?n? (@wyboa) May 18, 2014
this chick on snl needs to be put in a mental institution
— ? (@violangdon) May 18, 2014
Can someone please shoot the SNL band booker into the sun?
— laxdude (@laxdude) May 18, 2014
What in hell is this music on SNL? I'm pretty sure it's a comedy skit. #SNL
— BabsPSU (@brianbabyak) May 18, 2014
The musical guest on SNL right now is a crime
— Lexi (@lexicochran) May 18, 2014
Wtf is #SNL subjecting me to? If less than 45 people commit suicide watching this shit I’ll be shocked. #TerribleEffingMusic
— Bill Roehm (@GreenGoober) May 18, 2014
This SNL musical guest is honestly the worst thing I have ever seen or heard in all my years…
— Nick Paull (@Pick_Naull) May 18, 2014
OMG this music performance on #snl is positively painful but I can't turn it off bc something this bad only occurs once per decade sooo
— RandiBop (@RandiBop) May 18, 2014
I thought St. Vincent was the name of a hospital. Not this train wreck. #snl
— Renee J. Larson (@whoaitsreesy) May 18, 2014
The second digital short, “Hugs,” featured Pharrell Williams and Tatiana Maslany.
A wedding-themed Waking Up With Kimye included Taran Killam as Bruce Jenner/Linda.
Sandberg reprised his Blizzard Man in a sketch with 2 Chainz.
St. Vincent’s second song was “Birth In Reverse.”
Love from @jtimberlake. #SNL #AndysBack pic.twitter.com/ePY2UWb31T
— Saturday Night Live (@nbcsnl) May 18, 2014
Surprise guests in addition to the aforementioned Maya Rudolph, 2 Chainz, Lil Jon, Pharrell Williams, and Tatiana Maslany included Martin Short, Kristen Wiig, Fred Armisen, Paul Rudd, Bill Hader, Seth Meyers, and Jorma Taccone.