Jay-Z Will Perform on the Season 43 Premiere of ‘Saturday Night Live’
Saturday Night Live will return for its 43rd season on Sept. 30, and when it does, JAY-Z will be the first artist to take the stage. The show's official Twitter account revealed the news on Thursday night (Aug. 24).
Also appearing on the SNL season 43 premiere will be Ryan Gosling, who starred in last year's critically acclaimed musical, La La Land. That's where things could get very interesting. You see, La La Land was mistakenly announced as the winner of Best Picture at the 2017 Academy Awards. The actual winner was Moonlight, and the folks behind the similarly acclaimed film got their trophies a few moments later.
That infamous mixup is the basis for JAY-Z's critically acclaimed 4:44 track, "Moonlight." Hov spoke on the track and its reference to both Moonlight and La La Land in the special footnotes for the song's inventive music video a while back.
“The hook is, ‘We stuck in La La Land; even if we win we gon’ lose, and obviously, it’s like a subtle nod to La La Land winning the Oscar then having to give it to Moonlight,” Hov explained. “And it’s really a commentary on the culture and where we’re going. You know? This is a theme with [4:44]. Like, we winning big, it looks like we’re winning, but we’re not really winning. Even when we win we gon’ lose.”
So is Gosling's showing up on SNL the same day as Hov a coincidence? Perhaps, but perhaps not. Maybe Gosling will play a role in Hov's performance, which could see a live rendition of "Moonlight." Maybe Hov will pop up in a skit.
Fans can find what will go down on Sat., Sept. 30 at 11:30 p.m. EST. Check out the tweet announcing Hov's appearance below.
See Photos of JAY-Z's Different Looks Over the Years