10 Celebs Who’ve Pulled Double Duty As SNL Hosts & Musical Guests

Double duty appearances: May 13, 2000 and Feb. 2, 2002

Imagine gracing the SNL stage as both host and musical guest at just 18 years old. Well, Britney Spears sure can. The singer flexed her double duty skills in May 2000, and later reprised those same titles in February 2002.

Specifically, Spears’ second appearance at SNL was to promote the release of Crossroads, a cult classic rom-com she starred in. As the musical guest, she performed the lead ballad from the movie, “I’m Not A Girl, Not Yet A Woman.” She also sang “Boys” from her iconic self-titled album. Honestly, both those performances has me daydreaming about another album from her.

Double duty appearance: November 7, 2009

Before there was “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version),” the world had “The Monologue Song.” During Season 35 of SNL, Taylor Swift stunned the crowd as both host and musical performer. She began her dual duties with a monologue tune addressing jokes about how she writes songs about her exes. Oh, and that infamous VMAs moment with Kanye West.

However, that night wasn’t all about Swift’s fizzled romances and eye for sparkling dresses. The pop singer showed off her acting chops in several sketches, like her impressive impersonation of Kate Gosselin. She then later performed her hits, “You Belong With Me” and “Untouchable.”

Double duty appearance: November 16, 2013

Lady Gaga knows how to put on a show and her double duty moment on SNL is a reflection of that. In November 2013, the Chromatica singer reminded the world that when she’s performing live, the mic is always on. She sang “Gypsy” from her Artpop album, which drew criticism from some fans for the offensive connotations associated with the term. She then performed “Do What U Want” with R. Kelly; however, she apologized for working with him nearly six years later.

Double duty appearances: Jan. 18, 2014 and May 14, 2016

Besides being a a full-time rapper that sometimes acts, Drake has always been something of a comedian. I mean, have you seen all his cheeky alter egos in his “Way 2 Sexy” music video? Or his playfully serious tear-jerking moments on “Laugh Now, Cry Later”? Those scenarios are pure gold.

For both of Drake’s hosting and musical duties on SNL in 2014 and 2016, the rapper seemed to not take himself too seriously while still being a powerhouse. In his 2014 gig, Drake cosplayed as Lil Wayne playing Steve Urkel, and it was funnier than it should’ve been. Meanwhile, in his 2016 appearance, he poked fun at his then feud with Meek Mill through a sketch titled, “Drake’s Beef.” I mean, at least fans got some satire and a seething diss track from that beef.

Double duty appearance: March 12, 2016

Let’s be real, SNL’s Studio 8H set and Ariana Grande were meant to be. Grande practically aced her double duty appearance on SNL in March 2016; however, it’s not that surprising given she was a theater kid growing up. Seriously, give the Positions singer a microphone and stage, and you’ll suddenly become immersed in a world of awe.

Grande is the queen of musical impressions, and she let her talent shine in her “Celebrity Family Feud” sketch. There, she boasted spot-on impersonations of Celine Dion, Britney Spears, Shakira, and Jennifer Lawrence all in one game. Later in the episode, she performed “Dangerous Woman” and “Be Alright,” further cementing her Dangerous Woman era as her most iconic.

Double duty appearance: May 5, 2018

Whether Donald Glover is playing under his real name or stage moniker, Childish Gambino, one thing’s for certain: the rapper’s going to give you a thrilling show. In SNL’s 43rd season, he armed both characters for his “Friendos” and “80’s Music Video” sketches, which found him paying homage to the Migos and R&B singer Oran “Juice” Jones respectively. As the musical guest, he performed “This Is America” and his Guava Island hit, “Saturday.”

Double duty appearance: Feb. 9, 2019

Halsey’s double duty moment on SNL is a prime example of how much can happen in a year. IYDK, the pop singer made her debut on the show in January 2018 as a musical guest. Then, a year later in February 2019, she’s owned the SNL stage as both a sketch and music performer. Honestly, the title upgrade was well-deserved, because Halsey did what needed to be done.

The most notable moment of the episode came during her performance of “Without Me,” where she seemingly blasted her then-ex, G-Eazy, for being unfaithful to her. Her paint-splattered mural concept was heartbreaking, and added more layers to an already raw track.

Double duty appearance: Nov. 16, 2019

Harry Styles officially joined SNL’s double duty club in November 2019. Though this was his debut gig, Styles moved like an au natural throughout the episode. For the musical portion, Styles performed “Lights Up” and his now insanely popular hit, “Watermelon Sugar.”

Double duty appearance: Dec. 11, 2021

Billie Eilish’s SNL appearance in December 2021 was a hilarious and historic one. As of now, she’s the second-youngest celebrity to both host and perform the show, with Britney Spears snagging that number one slot. The singer seemed happier than ever to be on the show, especially during her sweet opening monologue.

Most notably, Billie heavily leaned on her singing and comedic skills for her “Santa Song” sketch. ICYMI, the singer played as an Old Hollywood performer named Leslie D. Alongside her girl group (comprised of comedians Kate McKinnon and Ego Nwodim), the trio sang about Leslie’s D, well, interesting encounter with Santa Claus. With the holidays around the corner, I wouldn’t mind Billie releasing an official jazzy Christmas record, because “Santa Song” was a bop.

OK, someone needs to create a petition to bring Lizzo back as SNL’s host and musical guest, because her presence on the show was everything. In April 2022, the singer appeared on the comedy series and pulled all the Lizzo-esque stops: vibrant fits, badass flute-playing, and bold humor.

She truly glimmered during her opening monologue, where she joked about her flirtationship with Chris Evans, and how her infamous DNA test results from “Truth Hurts” was slightly inaccurate. “Well, to be completely honest, I'm really like 50 percent that b*tch, 10 percent boss b*tch, and 40 percent flute-playing, band-nerd b*tch,” she said. Either way, the notion still stands: Lizzo’s just that girl.