Lady Gaga returned to Saturday Night Live (SNL) as both the host and musical guest, where she playfully addressed the box office failure of Joker: Folie à Deux and her controversial 2013 performance with disgraced singer R. Kelly.
The Grammy-winning artist, who recently released her seventh studio album Mayhem, kicked off the episode with a lighthearted monologue.
While wearing a shimmering silver dress and feathery shawl, she received a warm welcome from the live audience.
In regards to this, she said, “I’m so happy to be back at SNL. The last time I hosted was in 2013. And every aspect of my performance aged amazingly… because there’s no need to Google SNL 2013 featuring R. Kelly.”
According to Daily Mail, R. Kelly, who collaborated with Gaga on Do What U Want, is currently serving a 30-year prison sentence for sex trafficking and racketeering.
Moreover, Gaga continued her monologue by addressing the reception of her latest film, Joker: Folie à Deux, which was met with criticism and won two Razzie Awards, including Worst Screen Duo for her and co-star Joaquin Phoenix.
She joked by saying, “Apparently, people thought it was awesome. Joaquin and I even got nominated for a Razzie. And we won. But joke’s on them—I love winning things.”
Additionally, she also quipped about her career trajectory, by stating, “My Razzie brings me one step closer to an EGORT. It’s like an EGOT [Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony] but… hurtful.”
During her monologue, Gaga briefly mentioned her engagement to businessman Michael Polansky, revealing that her mother played matchmaker, as per the outlet’s claims.
Later in the show, Gaga addressed SNL cast member Bowen Yang’s fandom, humorously acknowledging his nervous energy around her before he accidentally introduced her musical performance too early.
Ending her monologue on a high note, she referenced Joker 2 once more, assuring the audience, “Tonight, I promise to act, to sing… and to not do Joker 3.”
Fans quickly took to social media, praising her comedic timing and self-awareness as one user wrote, “Lady Gaga killed her SNL monologue,” while another called her a “comedic, self-aware icon,” as per the publication.
