Chappell Roan debuted a new country song during her musical guest debut on Saturday Night Live.
The 26-year-old pop star launched the musical portion of the John Mulaney-hosted episode on Nov. 2 with a vibrant and elaborate performance of her popular song “Pink Pony Club,” from her 2023 debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess. The Studio 8H stage was decorated with a throne-like chair and a backdrop of digital galloping ponies, while the singer dazzled in a striking red wig with white streaks, heavy makeup, and a glittery white gown.
In her second dramatic performance, Roan premiered a country-infused song titled “The Giver,” where she confidently asserts her ability to “get the job done” and satisfy a female partner better than any man. During a spoken word segment of the fiddle-driven track, she remarked, “All you country boys think you know how to treat a woman right. Well, only a woman knows how to treat a woman right. She gets the job done.”
Later in the song, Roan sings, “You ain’t gotta tell me/ It’s just in my nature/ So take it like a taker/ ’cause baby I’m a giver.”
Saturday’s show marked Roan’s SNL debut. In late October, the singer appeared to tease her next music era in an Instagram post in which she shared some selfies and hinted at the follow-up to her debut breakthrough LP.
“Album kinda popped off imo but it is time to welcome a hot new bombshell into the villa,” she captioned the pics, in a reference to the Love Island catchphrase welcoming new contestants that led fans to speculate that she’s working on her sophomore project.
A potential album will follow the release of Roan’s debut, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess. After a series of headline-making performances — including at Coachella and Gov Ball 2024 — the 14-track project earned a peak of No. 2 on the Billboard 200.
Watch Roan’s SNL performance of “Pink Pony Club” below (“The Giver” was not available at press time). 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.
