Billie Eilish performed an emotional Barbie moment as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live. This was her third appearance on the show as a pop star. She performed 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 performance, Eilish was introduced by Gerwig and the host Kate McKinnon, who also co-starred in Barbie alongside Eilish. She was accompanied by her brother and collaborator Finneas on piano for the heartfelt ballad.
The performance also featured a touching backdrop paying tribute to Barbie‘s powerful and montage scene, including 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 and is up for five awards at the 2024 Grammys. In a recent interview with Jimmy Fallon, Eilish mentioned how the song “ really want Barbie’s heart song” and how it “ brought women together in this way.”
For her second SNL performance, Eilish sang “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” with Finneas on piano and Grammy-winning jazz bassist Christian McBride. She is currently working on her third album, the follow-up to the successful 2021 album Happier Than Ever.