Billie Eilish performs during “Saturday Night Live” on December 16, 2023 in New York City Will Heath/NBC
Billie Eilish recreated an emotional Barbie moment while appearing as musical guest on Saturday Night Live.
The 21-year-old pop star returned to the iconic sketch comedy show for the third time on Dec. 16 to deliver the television debut of “What Was I Made For?,” which was featured in the Greta Gerwig-directed blockbuster from earlier this summer.
Prior to the emotional performance, Eilish received a surprise introduction from Gerwig and the evening’s host Kate McKinnon, who also co-starred in Barbie.
Eilish was joined by her brother and collaborator Finneas on piano as she sang the heartfelt ballad. The subtle performance also featured a touching backdrop paying tribute to Barbie‘s powerful and montage scene, this time featuring childhood movie clips from past and present SNL cast members, including McKinnon, Maya Rudolph and Kristen Wiig.
“What Was I Made For?” peaked at No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart earlier this year. The song is also up for five awards at the 2024 Grammys, including record and song of the year.
“[Gerwig] was like, ‘I really want Barbie’s heart song,’” Eilish recently recalled to Jimmy Fallon of making the ballad with Finneas. “And that, like, stuck with us. That stayed with us.”
“I feel like [the song] brought women together in this way that I feel like I haven’t felt part of like that,” she continued. “It made me feel really good.”
For her second SNL performance, Eilish brought some holiday cheer with a heartfelt rendition of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” She was joined once again by Finneas on piano, as well as Grammy-winning jazz bassist Christian McBride.
Eilish is currently putting the finishing touches on her third album, the follow-up to 2021’s Happier Than Ever, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart.
Watch Eilish’s SNL performances below. For those without cable, the broadcast streams on Peacock, which you can sign up for at the link here. Having a Peacock account also gives fans access to previous SNL episodes.
