Speaking of “Abracadabra,” Lady Gaga may have pulled off the ultimate “Saturday Night Live” magic trick during her two musical numbers in this week’s episode: dancing furiously and singing live.
That combination is not for every “SNL” musical guest, let alone one who is also expending energy as a host who’s appearing in nearly every sketch in the show. But Gaga pulled it off with “Killah” aplomb (if that’s not a phrase that would offend the catchy-superlative-averse characters in the closing skit).
Gaga appeared in every segment of the 90-minute show but two, the only exceptions being the Trump-themed cold open and Weekend Update. But whatever effort she’d put into practicing lines for the sketches clearly hadn’t taken any time away from whatever hours were spent rehearsing the choreography for two musical numbers that made “hyperkinetic” feel like a woeful understatement.
Her first number, “Abracadabra,” reached out and grabbed ya by riffing on the costuming and design of the crimson-themed music video for that single, with Gaga and dancers doing herky-jerky lockstep moves on a mirrored set designed to make the cramped space of Studio 8H just a little more stadium-like.
Her second number was the live premiere of a track that only had been unveiled to the public about 48 hours before, when her new “Mayhem” album came out. In that short time, “Killah” has already become a fan favorite, with its retro-funk stylings, so many of her devotees at home were undoubtedly greeting this album cut at least as enthusiastically as if she’d brought out a greatest hit.
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Gaga traded red for purple in this second showcase — perhaps as a nod to the apparent Prince inspiration that nearly every early album review has cited in describing “Killah.” Going even more intensely wild-eyed for this appearance, she turned a significant part of the backstage at 8H into her playground, traversing the hallways with background dancers — including a laying-down, kicks-in-the-air moment caught by an overhead camera — before emerging into the mirrored set in front of the studio audience again. This return to that set found her rocking out with a full band, as opposed to the electro-pop of the opening number.
An exhausting purple reign? It would seem so, but the conclusion of her second number didn’t mean she was done singing for the night, as she reappeared in regular-person drag minutes later for a final sketch that found her singing comedic material.
And that wasn’t even her first singing appearance in one of the night’s sketches — earlier, she’d sung an irreverent parody version of “Wonderful Tonight” in a restaurant-set duet with Bowen Yang.
Gaga’s other “SNL” highlights for the night included taking the piss out of herself with an opening monologue in which she gamely allowed the writers to pen gags about her “Joker” film and about having had R. Kelly as a musical accompanist the last time she hosted the show.
