We’re less than a week away from the much-anticipated release of Wicked. Despite some initial backlash, fans are stoked to see leads Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo do their thing, but that doesn’t mean it’s not fun to imagine a world in which producers of the musical adaptation walked down a different Yellow Brick Road. At least that’s the premise behind an SNL sketch this week which wound the clock back to the auditions and showed us numerous celebrities busting out their best inner-witches.

From Al Pacino to Sydney Sweeney to JoJo Siwa, the Saturday Night Live sketch casts a really wide net covering all sorts of ages, performance styles and levels of celebrity. The only thing they have in common is they all want to be in Wicked. Well, all of them except Janet Jackson, who isn’t looking to get cast, despite showing up for the auditions. You can watch the fun below…

If you’ve watched enough Saturday Night Live before, you no doubt recognize the basic structure of this sketch. It’s something the cast members and writers talk about now and again, as well. It’s a loose audition or highlight premise that allows everyone to get their more obscure or in-progress impressions on the air. Here's one for Jurassic Park.

Some of these celebs featured in the Wicked one like Sydney Sweeney, Al Pacino and Adele have enough star power that we could see them make appearances in a more traditional sketch in the future, but others are a little less likely, which is why I love to think about someone like Chloe Fineman arguing to get her take on Leslie Mann on the air. It probably feels like now or never.

Sometimes the key to a good impression is knowing when to get in and when to get out. Some of SNL’s more famous impressions appeared on the show dozens of times. Alec Baldwin’s Donald Trump is probably the most famous recent example, as it was featured prominently on an almost weekly basis for years. That works when there’s a lot to say or analyze, but for many others, the knee-jerk appeal is more in the surprise of the particular celebrity randomly showing up, in seeing who is playing them and in getting a few lines of dialogue to see how accurate the voice is. In those cases, sketches like this are perfect because they give fans a bunch in random succession.

This sketch is also a good little reminder of how many cast members are contributing on a regular basis to the show right now. The current Season 50 cast might be a little short on household names, at least apart from Kenan Thompson and kinda sorta Bowen Yang, but there is so much depth and talent, all of whom are fighting for and earning airtime. Sometimes that’s ultimately better because it really allows the show to feature a wide blend of styles and senses of humor.

You can catch the next new episode of Saturday Night Live on December 7th with host Paul Mescal and musical guest Shaboozey. It’ll air on NBC and stream on Peacock.

Musical Guests have been a part of Saturday Night Live since the very beginning and there have been many memorable music moments on the show. Some are infamous, some are funny, and some are just amazing performances by legendary artists. Here is our list of 32 of the most memorable, from the great to the not-so-great. 

Sinead O'Connor (1992)

Probably the most infamous moment in SNL music history is Sinead O’Connor’s appearance in 1992. For the Irish rabble-rouser's second song, she performed an acapella version of Bob Marley’s “War” and at the end, pulled out a photo of Pope John Paul II and tore it to shreds while saying, “Fight the real enemy.” To say the moment was explosive doesn’t even begin to explain the reaction. The audience sat in stunned silence as the show rushed to commercial break. The media firestorm that followed lasted for weeks and completely curtailed O’Connor’s career, though it would recover somewhat. O’Connor’s goal was to expose abuses by the Catholic Church and in many ways, her protest was redeemed years later when more and more abuses came to light. 

Taylor Swift (2021)

In a surprise move, when Taylor Swift performed on SNL in 2021, she chose to do the full ten-minute rendition of “All Too Well” from Red (Taylor’s Version). It’s not at all what you would expect from a TV appearance by a pop star, but Swift (a member of the musical guest five-timers club)  is a master at doing the unpredictable. It’s an incredible performance that has Swift holding millions of the TV audience in her hand for the whole 10 minutes. 

Elvis Costello (1977)

Another of the most infamous moments came when Elvis Costello and the Attractions played SNL in 1977. Ever the iconoclast, Costello was pressured by his record company to play his latest single “Less Than Zero” but famous just seconds into the performance, he stopped the band and they started up his song “Radio, Radio.” It was a move that got him banned from the show but he turned up 14 years later with the Beastie Boys and mocked the original appearance. 

Kanye West (2013)

2013 found Kanye West perhaps at his creative peak and that is on full display in his intense, incredible performance of “Black Skinhead” on SNL. It’s as powerful a performance as any artist has ever done in the show's long history. 

Simon and Garfunkel (1975)

Paul Simon has been a stalwart on SNL since the show’s first season. He’s hosted numerous times and has been the musical guest more times than anyone else, 15 at last count. His performance in 1975 was notable because, for the first time since their breakup in 1970, Simon played live with Art Garfunkel. 

The Replacements (1986)

Minneapolis post-punk legends The Replacements were notorious for their rowdy behavior on and off stage and their appearance on SNL was no exception. After spending most of the show drinking backing stage, they came out for their last number and almost got into a fistfight with each other. That kind of thing happened at their shows a lot, but when it’s on national television, it takes it to a new level. 

Neil Young (1989)

Sometimes people forget that the 1980s was a lean decade for rock legend Neil Young. He didn’t have many hits and felt disillusioned with the whole industry, as he made clear in some of his songs from the era. In 1989, however, Young was reborn and recaptured what had made him great with a sizzling performance of “Rockin’ In The Free World” on Saturday Night Live. It’s a performance that would reignite his whole career. 

Miley Cyrus (2020)

During the Covid lockdown, SNL struggled to adjust and produced a number of “at home” shows with mixed success. One of the true highlights of those shows was Miley Cyrus performing an incredible version of Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here.” It was a sentiment everyone felt at the time as millions of people felt the isolation of the lockdown and Cyrus’ passionate performance was one that will not soon be forgotten. 

Funky 4 + 1 (1981)

In 1981 hip-hop was still years away from making the global impact it would eventually usher in. Rap, even in New York City where it was born, was still far from mainstream. Blondie singer Debbie Harry was an early acolyte of the music and when she hosted the show in 1981, she insisted that an early rap crew, Funky 4 + 1, play the show. It was quite literally the first time many in America first heard the genre.

Fear (1981)

By far the most chaotic musical guest in the show’s history was when the DC Punk band Fear played on Halloween night, 1981. John Belushi was an early fan of the band and got them the gig and he also made sure some of their fans from Washington DC came up for the show. Absolute punk madness occurred when the band took the stage with fans moshing and straight-up fighting with local NYC punks and a few minutes into the performance the show cut and went to commercial. 

Prince (1981)

By the time Prince first played SNL in 1981, he was already on his way to superstardom. It was his performance of “Partyup” on the show, however, when most of America experienced his jaw-dropping live show for the first time. It’s a scintillating performance, as only Prince could do. 

The Rolling Stones (1978)

The Rolling Stones were having a huge career revival in 1978 as they promoted their seminal Some Girls album. That included taking over Saturday Night Live for three songs in October. They played “Beast Of Burden,” “Respectable,” and “Shattered” on the show and the most infamous moment came during “Respectable” when Mick Jagger leaned over to Ron Wood and licked his face. The look on Wood’s face when he realizes what is happening is absolutely priceless. 

Rage Against The Machine (1996)

Political protests are rare, though not unheard of, on SNL. In 1996, when the show booked Rage Against The Machine on the show with host Steve Forbes, they should’ve expected something. Just before the band hit the stage for “Bulls on Parade” a crew member noticed an American flag hung upside down on the band’s amps. He took the flag down before the band went live, but it was still enough to reportedly get them banned from the show and they did play their planned second song of the night. 

Paul McCartney With Nirvana  (2012)

If there is anyone who could get the members of Nirvana to reunite, it’s rock and roll royalty, Paul McCartney. The former Beatle convinced Dave Groehl, Krist Novoselic, and Pat Smear to write and record the song “Cut Me Some Slack,” their first together since the death of Kurt Cobain. They performed it on SNL in 2012. 

Radiohead (2000)

Radiohead was on top of the world in 2000 and when they performed “The National Anthem” from their album Kid A on the show, it completely brought the house down. Joined by a horn section, Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, and the rest of the band completely owned the moment and it will forever be one of the best performances in the show’s history. 

Billy Preston (1975)

The late Billy Preston has two tidbits of music history that only he will ever be associated with. First, he’s the only guest musician to play on both a Rolling Stones album and a Beatles album. Second, he was the first musical guest to ever play on SNL, performing “Nothing from Nothing” on the show's debut episode in 1975. 

Mariah Carey (1990)

The first time America was exposed to Mariah Carey was in the summer of 1990 when she performed “America The Beautiful” at the NBA Finals. The first time we all saw her perform one of her own songs was on SNL later that fall. The rest, as they say, is history. 

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (1994)

Tom Petty played Saturday Night Live a lot, but his most memorable appearance came in 1994 when he was joined by Dave Grohl on drums. It was the first time Grohl played publicly after the death of Kurt Cobain and the first time Petty had played without Stan Lynch, his longtime drummer whom he’d just fired. 

Lizzo (2019)

This one isn’t one here for anything groundbreaking and certainly not for any notorious reasons, it’s just an all-time banger of a performance by Lizzo in the show in 2019. Lizzo was in the process of achieving superstar status on the strength of her third album, Cuz I Love You, and this appearance cemented it. 

Nirvana (1992)

In the fall of 1991 Nirvana literally broke music. The grunge sound they pioneered with other bands from the Northwest changed everything about rock music and in January of 1992 the band appeared on SNL and played raucous versions of their hit “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and a deep cut from Nevermind, “Territorial Pissings” which ended with the band destroying their instruments on stage. 

Frank Zappa (1976)

In 1978 Frank Zappa, who famously later showed up on Miami Vice also on NBC, hosted SNL in a disastrous appearance that got him banned from the show. Two years earlier, however, he and his band had a triumphant appearance on the show, playing their song “I Am The Slime” with the show’s announcer Don Pardo doing an amazing voice-over during the scorching performance. 

Joe Cocker (1976)

The early days of SNL were great partly because they were so unpredictable. Take, for example, Joe Cocker’s appearance in 1976 when he was joined on stage by SNL cast member John Belushi doing a spot-on and hilarious impression of the quirky singer. It’s the kind of stuff that made the show so legendary in the early days. 

Ashlee Simpson (2004)

Certainly one of the most notorious musical moments on the show came when Ashlee Simpson was caught lip-syncing during her first (and only) appearance as a guest. The singer lost her voice the morning of the show and the band had done even a rehearsal with a backing track, Still, her label convinced her to do the show with the backing track, and predictably things went sideways, It took years for the singer to overcome the debacle, and that really wasn’t fair. Plenty of singers lip-sync and have for years.  

Sun Ra (1978)

Free jazz musician Sun Ra and his Arkestra are absolute legends among many jazz musicians. They are not, however, easy to digest, and watching them play some of the freakiest music ever played on American television is really something else. It’s bizarre and wonderful and wild. 

Paul Simon (1976)

Back in the early days, there were no rules for the show, and in 1976, during his monologue, Paul Simon legendarily performed his song “Still Crazy After All These Years” in a turkey suit. Though it’s not technically a performance by a music guest (Simon was the host), there’s no way to leave it off this list.  

Patti Smith (1975) 

Quite possibly the first time America was exposed to what was happening in the East Village of New York came with Patti Smith’s performance in 1975, playing her song “Gloria.” It’s a jaw-dropping performance by the first lady of punk rock who brought the underground CBGB’s sound to the rest of the country. 

Devo (1978)

No one had ever seen anything like Devo in 1978. The art rockers were busy playing small clubs and theaters when they were booked to play SNL and their performance of The Stones’ “Satisfaction” completely changed the trajectory of their career. Mark Mothersbaugh has become one of the most interesting film composers of the 21st Century and his theatrical nature was on full display almost five decades ago. 

David Bowie (1979)

Rock god David Bowie first played SNL in 1979 and proved why he was the reigning king of glam rock with his performances of “The Man Who Sold The World” and “Boys Keep Swinging.” It’s everything anyone could ever want from Bowie. 

Adele (2008) snl

Here’s a good trivia question, how is former Vice Presidental candidate Sarah Palin partly responsible for Adele’s biggest break in America? Well, Palin was announced as a special guest on SNL in October of 2008 ahead of the election that year and viewers turned out in droves to see it. Adele, who was somewhat unknown in the U.S. at that point just happened to be the musical guest. Of course, she absolutely killed it in her appearance and the exposure helped launch her career to the next level.

Pearl Jam (1992)

Since their very beginning, Pearl Jam has been known for their powerhouse live shows. The first time most of America got to see that was when they appeared on SNL in early 1992 just as “Jeremy” was breaking as the Seattle band’s first major hit. It’s raw and commanding, and simply put, incredible. 

David Byrne (2020)

David Byrne has been known for his theatrical performances all the way back to his early years in Talking Heads and his 2000 performance on SNL could be his peak. It features the musicians that would make his Broadway show, American Utopia, a hit and it’s an amazing performance.  

Paul Simon And George Harrison (1976)

If you ever needed proof that Saturday Night Live was the coolest thing to hit TV, maybe ever, in those early days, just look at how they could book a Beatle and Paul Simon to perform “Here Comes The Sun” and “Homeward Bound” together. That is no other show in TV history that could have pulled that off, much like many of the unforgettable performances on this list. 

Every once in a while, the folks at Studio 8H book an SNL host who's note an actor and ends up nailing it and many of these examples include people who make music for a living. On other occasions, the artist serving as that night’s musical guest may make an appearance in a sketch or two to show the world that they can be funny, too. The following are some of our favorite examples of famous musicians we usually love to sing along to, but had as laughing along with them in a great SNL bit.

Single Ladies Video Shoot (Beyoncé)

In this fictionalized behind-the-scenes look at the legendary “Single Ladies” video, Beyoncé is shocked and annoyed by the director (host Paul Rudd) and his decision to make her back-up dancers three grown men who turn out to be his stepsons. This Season 34 favorite is actually a twofer that ended up happening because, as MTV News recalls, the former N*SYNCer convinced Queen B to participate in the sketch by showing up at her Studio 8H dressing room in the very leotard he wears alongside Andy Samberg and Bobby Moynihan.

SNL Digital Short: Jack Sparrow (Michael Bolton)

The music video for the fourth track off The Lonely Island’s sophomore album, Turtleneck & Chain, starts off as an unusually earnest effort for the trio. That is until their guest singer, Grammy-winner Michael Bolton, starts throwing in references to the Pirates of the Caribbean movies and later, other cinematic favorites like Forrest Gump and Scarface. For its masterful handling of a truly random idea and irresistibly catchy hook, “Jack Sparrow” is easily one of The Lonely Island’s best music videos and perhaps, some of Bolton’s all-time best work.

Africa Tourism (Adele)

For reasons that are never quite clear — perhaps Kate McKinnon’s accent or the sensuous ways she says “tribesman” — host Adele could not stop laughing while performing in a fake ad for African tourism. Nonetheless, the Oscar-winning,  impeccable James Bond theme song (“Skyfall”) singer’s gigglish reaction — complete with a priceless cross-eyed gaze — is just what makes this Season 46 sketch so memorable.

The Old West (Elton John)

When Elton John hosted SNL during Season 36, he appeared as himself for most of the night, except for in one sketch that proved he can be as much a maestro with comedy as he can be with the keys. The Grammy-winner pokes fun at himself, too, by playing a flamboyantly dressed cowboy, who rides into a small western saloon on a unicorn.

Please Don't Destroy: Three Sad Virgins (Taylor Swift)

In one of Please Don’t Destroy’s most popular SNL bits, the guys are, at first, excited to collaborate with Pete Davidson until their music video becomes a roast at the trio’s expense. “Three Sad Virgins” only gets more “humiliating” when they reach the slowed-down bridge, courtesy of Taylor Swift, whom PDD never imagined would agree to star in the video in the first place.

Mick is Pointing, Pointing, Pointing at Himself (Mick Jagger)

In the early 2000s, when The Rolling Stones returned as musical guest, lead singer Mick Jagger starred in a sketch as himself opposite Jimmy Fallon as the artist’s reflection. The future Tonight Show host’s impersonation of the legendary rock star sitting across from him is so hilariously convincing that even Jagger can’t help but crack a smile.

Pippa Visits the Queen (Katy Perry)

It's surprising that Katy Perry hasn't hosted SNL more often — let alone acted in more things outside the Smurfs movies — given how well she demonstrated her comedic skills on the show in 2011. The grandest highlight is when she dons a Cockney accent to play Pippa Middleton in a sketch poking fun at the Royal Family.

Pandora Radio (Bruno Mars)

Admittedly, the concept of this sketch — in which a Pandora radio employee (played by host Bruno Mars) must sing like artists such as Justin Bieber and Michael Jackson when the website crashes — doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. But who cares? Watching the Grammy-winning hitmaker kill it with his spot-on musical impersonations is stunning.

Hotel Ad (Billie Eilish)

Both Billie Eilish — someone we’d love to see return to SNL as both host and musical guest — and her brother and bandmate, Finneas, star in this funny fake ad for a hotel that is a little too open about the alarming activity that takes place there. The Grammy and Oscar winner is very funny in the sketch but cannot stifle her laughter, which is understandable when Kate McKinnon is your scene partner.

The Barry Gibb Talk Show (Justin Timberlake)

We could not have picked a sketch featuring pop sensation-turned-master thespian Justin Timberlake — already one of the all-time greatest SNL hosts — without making sure Jimmy Fallon was also involved with it. Thus, it was easy to pick “The Barry Gibb Talk Show,” in which Fallon, as The Bee Gees’ lead vocalist, hosts a political discussion program featuring his most silent brother, Robin (Timberlake). 

Stevie Wonder Impersonator (Stevie Wonder)

After demonstrating his own wonderful impersonation of Stevie Wonder, Eddie Murphy shared the stage with the musical genius himself in a classic sketch from 1983. The future Academy Award-nominated SNL star plays an expert in impersonations, who is asked to help improve the Stevie Wonder impression of a man played by Wonder himself.

Judge Barry (Chance The Rapper)

Having only appeared on SNL four times — twice as a host and twice as a musical guest, each for different episodes — Chance the Rapper has already proven himself to be worthy of the hosting hall of fame, especially with this courtroom sketch. Before Jason Momoa rips open his shirt and steals the show, the hip-hop artist is fantastic as a judge who bases his rulings only on first impressions.

Parole Board (Blake Shelton)

When appearing as host and musical guest during SNL’s 40th season, country music superstar Blake Shelton demonstrated surprisingly impressive acting chops. He was in a sketch that initially seems to recreate a classic scene from the great Stephen King movie The Shawshank Redemption. However, a parole board member played by the former Voice coach bluntly reveals that Kenan Thompson’s prisoner has committed an unforgivable offense that leaves him with very little chance of freedom.

Blizzard Man (Ludacris)

To give his new album an extra boost, Ludacris (as himself) brings in a fabled hip-hop artist known as the Blizzard Man (Andy Samberg), who, as it turns out, cannot rap and does not even bother to rhyme his aggressively lame lyrics. The veteran of the Fast and Furious movies later appears alongside T-Pain in another edition of this sketch that is only made funnier by the fact that Samberg is totally capable of dropping some sick rhymes.

Parents Call (Halsey)

In host and musical guest Halsey’s monologue for her Season 44 episode, she described herself as an SNL fanatic, and her performance throughout the show really proves it. The Sing 2 cast member’s admiration for the show is especially evident when she dons a comically exaggerated New Jersey accent as a woman having an awkward, revealing phone call with her son (played by Mikey Day) in this sketch.

SNL Digital Short: Shy Ronnie (Rihanna)

In SNL’s 35th season, musical guest Rihanna teamed up with The Lonely Island for the first time on a Digital Short starring Andy Samberg as the title character. The comic plays a man who is too nervous to rap… as long as the “Umbrella” singer is in the room. It garnered a sequel called, “Shy Ronnie 2: Ronnie & Clyde,” featuring Rihanna and Samberg dressed as Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway’s titular roles from 1967’s Bonne and Clyde.

Bond Casino Showdown (Tim McGraw)

We knew Tim McGraw could act from his roles in movies like The Blind Side and Country Strong, but never realized just how funny he could be when he hosted in Season 34. The hilarious peak of the 1883 cast member’s episode is a James Bond movies parody in which a vacationing redneck (McGraw) participates in a poker tournament with 007 (Bill Hader) and Le Chiffre (Fred Armisen).

SNL Digital Short: I'm On A Boat (T-Pain)

When Andy Samberg finds a winning ticket a boat ride for three in his cereal box, he invites fellow Lonely Islander Akiva Shaffer but skips over Jorma Taccone to select T-Pain. The rapper, famous for his use of auto-tune, is key to making the other ridiculous “I’m on a Boat” video a celebrated anthem for taking it easy while cruising through water.

The Train Poet (Johnny Cash)

One of the first musical artists to try their hand at acting as an SNL host was Johnny Cash, who actually only starred in three sketches from his Season 7 episode (two of which he never speaks in). Yet when the legendary “Man in Black” stars as a train passenger expressing his fond memories of his commute in a rhyming monologue, he really gives it all.

Rap Roundtable (Questlove) 

In one of Questlove’s most notable cameos, The Roots drummer participates in a panel of hip-hop artists also including Queen Latifah (Pinkie Johnson) and two up-and-comers (Pete Davidson and Timothée Chalamet), who clearly don’t know anything about the genre. What really helps ease this almost terrible SNL sketch to something amazing is when the Academy Award-winning director of Summer of Soul puts an end to the young “rapper’s” mindless ramblings by striking them with his hair pick.

Wayne's World: Aerosmith (Aerosmith)

Many would agree that Wayne Campbell from “Wayne’s World” — which inspired one of the funniest SNL movies — is still one of Mike Myers’ best characters. But deciding on the recurring sketch’s peak moment is a bit trickier. Ultimately, we have to go with the time Aerosmith — with help from their roadie and Garth’s (Dana Carvey) cousin, Barry (one of Tom Hanks’ best SNL characters) — appeared on the no-budget cable access program and performed their own rendition of the theme song.

Punk Band Reunion At The Wedding (Dave Grohl)

Dave Grohl appears in a sketch or two nearly every time he and the Foo Fighters perform, but, arguably, his best SNL bit comes from when he played with Them Crooked Vultures — a supergroup he formed with Josh Homme and John Paul Jones. The former Nirvana drummer became a part of another band that night consisting of Fred Armisen, Bill Hader and host Ashton Kutcher in a sketch that sees aging punk rockers bring the house down at a wedding reception.

Spider-Man Kiss (Chris Martin) 

In one of the most popular sketches on SNL’s YouTube Channel, a dramatized inside-look at the making of 2014’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2 reveals that then-real-life-couple Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone (both playing themselves) had some trouble shooting their climactic kissing scene. The solution: bringing in Chris Martin — frontman of the night’s musical guest, Coldplay — to don a blonde wig and take Stone’s place.

Hamm & Bublé (Michael Bublé)

This SNL sketch prominently featuring the A-list host, Jon Hamm, is framed as an ad for a new eatery co-owned by the Mad Men cast member and musical guest, Michael Bublé, called Hamm and Bublé (pronounced “bubbly” by Hamm). However, as the Canadian crooner reveals in song, he thinks the restaurant’s concept — serving ham with champagne — is ridiculous and is being forced into the business against his will.

SNL Digital Short: Boombox (Julian Casablancas)

One of The Lonely Island’s most unique collaborations saw Julian Casablancas — lead singer of Manhattan-based rock band The Strokes — provide vocals for the hip-hop trio’s 2010 song, “Boombox.” The video, which premiered on SNL in Season 35, sees Andy Samberg and Casablancas attempting to rescue strangers from mundane scenarios with the power of music, only for us to discover by the ending that is was a “cautionary tale” all along.

Spelling Bee (Tenacious D)

In a sketch that was partially mprovised and conceived by SNL star Will Forte, a young spelling bee contestant’s attempt to spell the word “business” results in an astonishing failure — consisting of an innumerable amount of random letters spouted for more than a minute. Suddenly, host Jack Black appears with his Tenacious D bandmate, Kyle Gass, to perform a song revealing that the bit was inspired by an embarrassing moment from the School of Rock star’s childhood (which is not true, by the way).

Little Drummer Boy (Whitney Houston)

In one of Molly Shannon’s most iconic appearances as Mary Katherine Gallagher, the overly ambitious Catholic school student struggles to out-sing her rival choir member, who happens to be played by the night’s uber-talented musical guest, Whitney Houston. Shannon recalled to Howard Stern (via YouTube) how she was actually able to convince the initially reluctant Houston to appear in the bit by telling her she just had to act “snotty.”

Garth Brooks Backstage With Tracy (Garth Brooks)

The second time Garth Brooks hosted SNL, the musical guest was his own rock star alter ego, Chris Gaines — a bizarre concept that earned mixed reactions in the late ‘90s. The country singer showed he had sense of humor about it all by participating in a sketch taking place backstage with Tracy Morgan, who criticizes Gaines in front of Brooks, unaware that they are the same person.

Waking Up With Kimye: Apple Genius (Lady Gaga)

When Kim Kardashian and Kanye West were still married, SNL had a recurring sketch that starred Jay Pharaoh and Nasim Pedrad as the celebrity couple hosting their own morning talk show. One edition featured host Lady Gaga as an Apple Store employee who makes a cleverly self-effacing comment about the true intentions of people who “try too hard with their outfits.”

Wayne's World (Madonna)

In one of many of Wayne Campbell’s (Mike Myers) iconic interactions with famous musicians, the cable access program host recalls the time he shared a romantic encounter with none other than Madonna. Garth (Dana Carvey) gets to experience the memory first-hand in the pre-taped bit, which also features a random cameo by the late Prince.

Orchestra (Lizzo)

Lizzo is famous for three unique talents: playing the flute, twerking, and performing both acts at the same time. That simultaneous mastery is demonstrated beautifully in a sketch from her Season 47 episode in which she plays an orchestra hopeful who is unable to play the flout without twerking.

Gangnam Style (Psy)

In SNL’s Season 38 premiere, host Seth MacFarlane starred in a sketch as a Lids clerk who tries to cheer up his co-worker (played by Kenan Thompson) by summoning Psy to perform “Gangnam Style” at the push of a button. Bobby Moynihan plays the viral K-pop sensation for most of the segment until the man himself appears in a surprise cameo at the very end.

A great way for musicians to show that their talents stray behind song and dance is by acting on SNL, as seen in these sketches.

Friends fans everywhere are reeling after hearing the shocking news that Matthew Perry died in an apparent drowning at age 54. The actor was found October 28 in a hot tub at his home in Los Angeles, where a medical team responded to call of a possible cardiac arrest. Perry’s cohorts in Hollywood are also in shock over the loss, and celebrities including Friends guest stars Selma Blair and Paget Brewster took to social media to pay tribute. Saturday Night Live even addressed it on its broadcast, just hours after his passing was reported.

Matthew Perry — who was best known for portraying Chandler Bing on Friends — was open about his struggles with addiction over the years, even writing about near-death experiences in his memoir Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing that was released in 2022. It was reported that first responders found no drugs at the scene, and no foul play was suspected. Selma Blair, who guest starred in a Season 9 episode of Friends, said she was “broken” over the news, as she posted a sweet photo of the two of them together:  

As news of Matthew Perry’s passing spread Saturday night, SNL also memorialized the actor. Perry served as guest host on NBC’s live sketch show one time, on October 4, 1997, and a tribute card was shown toward the end of the October 28 episode: 

Yvette Nicole Brown noted the loss of her former co-star, as the two appeared together on the reboot of The Odd Couple, which aired on CBS from 2015 to 2017. Alongside a photo of the cast, she wrote: 

Calling the Friends star “one of the funniest people I knew,” actor Chad Lowe also expressed how difficult it was to see Matthew Perry struggle with addiction. He commended him for how he aimed to help people by speaking out about it in what would be the last year of his life. Lowe posted on X: 

Legendary TV director James Burrows — who famously took the Friends cast to Las Vegas before their popularity skyrocketed — posted a throwback photo of him and Matthew Perry with a short caption to memorialize the comedic actor: 

Paget Brewster, whose character Kathy briefly dated Chandler (and Joey) on Season 4 of Friends, implored people to read Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing to honor Matthew Perry’s legacy and allow him to continue helping those in need. She wrote: 

Adele was also a longtime fan of his, as she paused the Saturday night show of her Las Vegas residency to address Matthew Perry’s death. Per the L.A. Times, she called Perry “incredibly, incredibly brave” for being open about his struggles with sobriety and spoke about having a friend when they were 12 years old who would do “the best” Chandler Bing impression. As she introduced her song “When We Were Young,” Adele told her Vegas audience: 

I’m sure there are many people who agree with that assessment. Our thoughts go out to everyone affected by the loss of the actor. For those who want to pay tribute to Matthew Perry by watching his career-defining role, all 10 seasons of Friends can be streamed with a Max subscription. 

Some of the greatest moments in the nearly 50-year history of Saturday Night Live involve cast members struggling (and ultimately failing) to contain their laughter, and they are not the only ones. Some of the greatest SNL hosts the show has ever had are not impervious to breaking character either. As you can see from the list below, infectious examples of major celebrities who caught a case of the giggles while on the air at Studio 8H are not in short supply.  

Adele (Africa Tourism)

Adele was a great SNL host despite a lack of acting experience, but even her famously strong lungs couldn’t hold back laughter in her Season 46 episode. It’s hard to decipher if it's Kate McKinnon’s accent or just the way she says “tribesman” that causes the singer to break in the faux African tourist ad, but once she does, never quite stops.

Ben Affleck (Iranian Film)

Out of many examples of Ben Affleck breaking on SNL, we chose the Season 38 sketch framed as an HBO First Look at an Iranian-produced dramatization of the making of his Best Picture Oscar winner, Argo, called Bengo F*ck Yourself. He first snickers about two minutes in at Fred Armisen as Mahmoud Ahmadinejad portraying Affleck and a moment later when explaining he took the part of a sound man “to be in a movie worse than Gigli.”

Christina Applegate (Matt Foley: Van Down By The River)

Everyone in the ‘90s-era SNL classic — the first appearance of the late Chris Farley as motivational speaker Matt Foley — could barely keep their composure, especially after the late comedy icon accidentally destroys a coffee table. Even before then, you can see Christina Applegate struggling to hide her laughter behind her hair.

Drew Barrymore (The Love-ahs With Barbara And Dave)

The laughter was as contagious as the unbridled passion of Will Ferrell and Rachel Dratch’s recurring characters in this Season 27 edition of “The Love-ahs” set in a hot tub after notorious breaker Jimmy Fallon caused a chain reaction. Nearly three minutes in, host Drew Barrymore (as The Love-ahs’ friend, Barbara) begins her struggle to keep from giggling that lasts the rest of the sketch.

Candice Bergen (Extremely Stupid)

In SNL’s second season, Candice Bergen accidentally called Gilda Radner’s dim-witted character, Lisa, by her own character’s name, Fern, during a faux PSA sketch. All the future Five-Timer’s Club member could do is laugh as Radner then turned her planned speech about stupid people’s rights into a brilliant roast of her co-star.

Emily Blunt (Escorts)

In this 2017 bit, first-time host Emily Blunt stars alongside Leslie Jones as a pair of sex workers explaining their quirky guidelines to their clients, which involves roleplaying as a clumsy maid character she created. Twice, the British A Quiet Place star cracks up when she dons a more cartoonish British accent to say her character’s catchphrase, “Oopsy-doopsy, I muffed it up again!”

Dave Chappelle (Uncle Ben)

It’s no secret Dave Chappelle likes to shake things up when he hosts SNL, like in this sketch commenting on the recent discontinuation of food brands Uncle Ben’s and Aunt Jemima in 2020. The comedian first cracks up when debuting his deep Dennis Haysbert impersonation and again when he breaks the fourth wall with a clearly unscripted comment that makes Pete Davidson spit out his Count Chocula fangs.

Daniel Craig (Deep Quote Game Night)

It must be hard not to break when the typically well-composed Kate McKinnon gets the giggles, which seems to be what happened to Daniel Craig about 90 seconds into the Season 45 sketch "Deep Quote Game Night." Honestly, we can’t imagine this bit about a movie quote guessing game that turns awkward would have been as memorable had the former James Bond actor kept a straight face.

Larry David (New Wife)

Larry David looks so unrecognizable in this Season 43 sketch as a boisterous business man talking up his new spouse (Cecily Strong) to his coworkers, it is amazing the SNL players involved held it together so well. The Seinfeld co-creator and Curb Your Enthusiasm star causes himself to lose it completely, however, about three and half minutes into the "New Wife" sketch by the way he tells Beck Bennett’s character to “GET OUT!”

Billie Eilish (Hotel Ad)

The faux ad for a shockingly shady hotel is just one reason we’d love to see Billie Eilish return to SNL as both host and musical guest again. What makes this Season 47 bit so memorable (save a cameo from her brother and bandmate, Finneas) is the Oscar-winning singer’s frequent bouts of the giggles throughout.

Will Ferrell (Cast List)

Even a seasoned SNL veteran like Will Ferrell had to cover his mouth to hide his laughter in this sketch that was cut for time when he returned as host in Season 45. Of course, no one can contain themselves after he, as an over-serious high school theatre instructor, gets a little too close to Aidy Bryant when forcing the students to back away. 

Jamie Foxx (Maine Justice With Jamie Foxx)

Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx handles himself quite well as the bailiff in the Season 38 edition of “Maine Justice,” until it has a minute to go. All it takes is Jason Sudeikis’ uproarious judge saying the phrase “ass fire” to force the Django Unchained star to turn his head to hide his laughter, but Sudeikis kicks it up a notch by spontaneously kissing the actor’s arm.

Ryan Gosling (Close Encounter)

One of the most famous SNL breaks as of late is also our pick for Kate McKinnon’s best sketch ever: Season 41’s original version of “Close Encounter.” She has her future fellow Barbie cast member, Ryan Gosling, helplessly in stitches — just one of the host’s many breaks that night, actually — by the hilariously dry description of her otherwise horrifying alien abduction experience.

Tiffany Haddish (Whiskers R We With Tiffany Haddish)

You know comedy gold is afoot when Studio 8H brings in live animals, like in this edition of “Whiskers R We” from Season 43 that sees host Tiffany Haddish — who once auditioned for SNL — break Kate McKinnon and herself just seconds in with an unscripted, NSFW line prompted by a cat’s escape attempt. They both break again later on when a hairless feline tries to leap from McKinnon’s arms, visibly startling the future Haunted Mansion cast member.

David Harbour (Sauce) 

This Season 45 sketch starring Kate McKinnon as a frisky, elderly Italian immigrant and host David Harbour as his wife is far less messy than other sketches involving food have been. However, the Stranger Things cast member can’t help but smirk when McKinnon brings a finger dripping in sauce to his lips and inserts it right in his mouth. His laughter continues as they being to make out.

Sean Hayes (Jeffrey’s With Sean Hayes)

Many SNL hosts have fallen prey to the infectious shared laughter of notorious breakers, Jimmy Fallon and Horatio Sanz, such as Sean Hayes in this early 2000s favorite set at elitist clothing store, Jeffrey’s. Seeing Will Ferrell ride in on a scooter about four minutes in and use an impossibly tiny cell phone really sends the Will & Grace cast member over the edge.

Kevin Hart (Barnes And Noble Firing)

It’s no wonder Tim Robinson got his own Netflix sketch series, I Think You Should Leave, with how effortlessly he cracks up Kevin Hart at the end of the Barnes and Noble-set sketch from Season 38. Robinson’s performance as the “old, useless” Carl makes it impossible for the comedian to get through his lines.

Jonah Hill (Benihana) 

The most recent time Jonah Hill played his own recurring SNL character, precocious six-year-old Adam Grossman, in Season 44 might be the best because it saw him break the most. Neither the Academy Award nominee nor Leslie Jones as his nanny can keep it together every time he taunts her by singing reggae hits. 

Janet Jackson (Corksoakers)

Jimmy Fallon and Horatio Sanz are surprisingly stone-cold for most of the 2004 sketch as Italian winery owners explaining to tourists how they “soak corks.” However, host and musical guest Janet Jackson cracks up multiple times when she accidentally begins to say the actual suggestive phrase that “cork soaking” alludes to.

Keegan-Michael Key (The Muppet Show)

For anyone who ever got sick of Statler and Waldorf’s heckling, the Season 46 favorite starring Kenan Thompson and host Keegan-Michael Key as The Muppet Show venue security is for you. What makes it a classic is when the Key & Peele star beginning to chuckle after his aggressive assault on Statler causes record-breaking SNL veteran Thompson to break.

Adam Levine (Catfish)

This parody of Catfish likes to poke fun at how often Nev Shulman (host Adam Levine) mentions his name on the MTV reality series. About half-way through the sketch, the Maroon 5 frontman and former The Voice coach appears to break at his most animated utterance of the name, but bounces back pretty quickly by making it feel like a character trait.

Lindsay Lohan (Debbie Downer: Disney World) 

When people think of Rachel Dratch as Debbie Downer, they tend to think of this 2004 favorite set at a Disney World pancake restaurant that no one could keep a straight face during the sketch. First-time host Lindsay Lohan later revealed to Vogue that she was so overwhelmed by laughter, she decided to just walk off set as soon as she got the chance.

Julianna Margulies (Family Dinner)

This revolting 2000 sketch stars host Julianna Margulies as woman learning her boyfriend’s (Chris Parnell) dysfunctional salivary glands and weak teeth force his parents to feed him like a baby bird. By the end, the former ER cast member does the deed herself for the younger son (Chris Kattan) and can’t help but laugh the unspeakable act she just committed.

James McAvoy (New Orleans Vacation)

When James McAvoy hosted in Season 44, he experimented with almost as many voices as he used to play a man with DID in Split and Glass, but the one he used in this sketch was too much for him to handle. He can’t help but crack up nearly every time he puts on a thick, inauthentic Cajun accent to talk about he and his girlfriend’s recent trip to “N’awlins.”

Jason Momoa (Judge Barry)

When Jason Momoa makes a surprise cameo in a Season 45 sketch starring host Chance the Rapper as a courtroom judge of first impressions, he surprises himself with a hilarious flub. Both the Aquaman actor and the host can’t help but laugh when he calls himself a “paraplegic,” meaning to say “paralegal.”

Brittany Murphy (The Leather Man)

Season 28’s “The Leather Man” — which eventually goes off the rails courtesy of Jimmy Fallon and Horatio Sanz — might actually be a prime example of the late Brittany Murphy’s exceptional talent. You can barely even tell when she breaks with the way she convincingly disguises her laughter as a quirk that fits perfectly in line with her character.

Pedro Pascal (Lisa From Temecula)

Just when you thought the internet could not love Pedro Pascal more, he earns its respect even more just by innocently succumbing to his own laughter during his Season 48 SNL episode. The most memorable instance came in this segment in when Ego Nwodim’s Lisa shakes the table with her aggressive steak cutting, giving the star of The Mandalorian and The Last of Us a case of the giggles that proves contagious.

Chris Pine (Star Trek Lost Episode)

Initially, it seems that the most memorable highlight of this Star Trek parody will be Chris Pine’s spot-on William Shatner impression, until he snickers at the awkward line delivery of the guy playing Sulu. Fun fact, according to the SNL wiki, that gentleman is production designer Akira Yoshimura, who has played Sulu in many other sketches poking fun at the sci-fi phenomenon.

Margot Robbie (Actress Round Table) 

It is no wonder why Margot Robbie would go on to star in two movies with Kate McKinnon from how the SNL star brings the laughter out of the Australian actor in the sketch from 2016. Robbie almost loses focus of her otherwise consistent Keira Knightley impression by how fictional Hollywood veteran Debette Goldry’s (McKinnon) shocking memories get the best of her.

Adam Sandler (Sandler Family Reunion) 

In a sketch where Adam Sandler is surrounded by people imitating characters from his best movies, it was Jimmy Fallon as his grandfather who finally caused the fellow SNL retiree to laugh. Apparently, as Fallon later recalled on The Tonight Show, his overlong bout of gibberish was a happy accident caused by misreading the cue cards.   

Seann William Scott (Short Shorts For The USA)

One of Will Ferrell’s all-time best sketches on SNL first aired in 2001 and sees him wear a half-shirt and a thong to work in the name of patriotism. Host Seann William Scott holds back the urge to laugh at the ridiculous and revealing ensemble from beginning to end.

Justin Timberlake (Celebrity Family Feud)

For his second time hosting, Jimmy Fallon impersonated Jim Parsons in a “Celebrity Family Feud” alongside musical guest Justin Timberlake as… Jimmy Fallon, with an incredibly enthusiastic imitation that the pop star can’t help but crack up at himself.  There is no clip of the Season 39 sketch on YouTube currently, but we recommend using a Peacock subscription to check out the whole episode.

There is sure to be more where these came from when SNL comes back for its 49th season on NBC.

When one thinks of Adele, naturally the first thing that comes to mind is her impressive singing career. However, maybe after reading this article, you’ll also occasionally remember the fact that she’s a huge Rocky fan. This piece of trivia comes to us from Sylvester Stallone’s wife, Jennifer Flavin, who shared that the Skyfall theme singer kept the Rocky statue at the house she purchased from her and her husband.

Flavin revealed this while chatting with ET at the Toronto International Film Festival, which screened Sly, the documentary about Sylvester Stallone, who first brought Rocky Balboa to life in 1976. When Adele purchased Stallone and Flavin’s home in Los Angeles, she was insistent the statute of the popular cinematic character stayed in place rather than be moved elsewhere. As Flavin recalled:

As Jennifer Flavin mentioned in this interview, there are only two original Rocky statues out in the world: the one in what’s now Adele’s backyard, and the other residing in Philadelphia, both Sylvester Stallone and Rocky Balboa’s old stomping grounds. These statutes were created by different artists, but Flavin made it clear that the one on the private residence is “quite great as well.” More importantly, while arrangements surely could have been made for the Rocky statue to either be moved to the Stallone family’s new home or a different location, Adele preferred to keep it in that backyard so she can gaze at it to her heart’s content.

The Grammy, Academy Award, Golden Globe and Emmy-winning reportedly purchased the Beverly Hills home for $58 million last year, but when the deal was being made, neither Stallone nor Flavin had any idea Adele was such a big Rocky fan. In the latter’s words:

Now I’m curious about which of the Rocky movies is Adele’s favorites, as well as what she thinks about the Michael B. Jordan-led Creed spinoffs. More importantly though, I wonder if her Rocky fandom might be enough to warrant her appearing on The Family Stallone, which is available to Paramount+ subscribers. The reality TV show has been renewed for a second season, so why not arrange a visit to the Stallone family’s former home so that viewers can see the statue for themselves and watch Sylvester Stallone, Jennifer Flavin and their daughters interact with Adele for a bit?

If that’s not in the cards, then at least Netflix subscribers can take comfort knowing they’ll be able to watch Sly starting November 3. Stallone’s Paramount+ show Tulsa King has also been renewed for a second season, but if you’re now in a Rocky mood, the first two movies can be streamed with an Amazon Prime Video subscription.

April 27 marked James Corden’s final appearance on The Late Late Show, but before he bid farewell in his post-midnight timeslot, the talk show treated primetime viewers to one last hurrah with two of the show’s dearest friends, Tom Cruise and Adele. The Last Last Late Late Night Show with James Corden Carpool Karaoke Special (gasps for breath) featured one final stunt for the Top Gun star — on Corden’s turf this time — before the “Easy on Me” crooner drove the host to work in a tearful last edition of “Carpool Karaoke.” What a way to close the chapter on eight years! Let’s take a look: 

James Corden And Tom Cruise Appear In The Lion King 

Tom Cruise has made James Corden his wingman, literally, in some wild stunts previously on The Late Late Show. The two have jumped out of a plane together, and Corden was absolutely terrified by the Top Gun-inspired dips and turns he experienced courtesy of Cruise piloting a fighter jet. There may have been a little payback involved, as the late-night host summoned the Jerry Maguire star for one final stunt before he bid the late night space adieu. 

When James Corden informed his friend they’d be performing live on stage in The Lion King, Tom Cruise flat out rejected the idea. A bunch of silliness ensued, as Corden put Cruise through some theater exercises, but then the curtain rose, and the extended version on YouTube shows that they appeared in the opening number as the front and back of a rhinoceros, before adorning their costumes as Timon and Pumbaa: 

What a sight that is to see Tom Cruise as the jovial warthog! Maybe it’s James Corden’s animated nature, or his regretful role in the disaster that was Cats, but I totally buy him as Timon. The Mission: Impossible star, however, belting out “Hakuna Matata” was quite unexpected. Check out the full segment below: 

Adele Reveals Her Song ‘I Drink Wine’ Is About James Corden In Tearful Carpool Karaoke 

James Corden has made some amazing memories with the celebrities in the passenger’s seat during his “Carpool Karaoke” segments over the years, including texting Leonardo DiCaprio from JLo’s phone, picking up George Clooney and Julia Roberts in order to use the HOV lane, and taking a trip down memory lane with Paul McCartney. But perhaps the most emotional moment of Corden’s “Carpool Karaoke” career came after Adele surprised the late-night host to drive him to work on his final week. 

After a couple of tunes, including “Rolling in the Deep,” things got a little teary, when James Corden saw “I Drink Wine” on the list. Adele mentioned how Corden and his family had always been there for her, and she, in turn, had seen him go through some tough times. After an hourslong conversation about his struggles, Adele said she wrote the song, and Corden recalled being in awe of the way she captured his emotions. He said:

The two went on to sing “I Drink Wine,” with James Corden having to stop for a minute when he seemingly became overwhelmed with emotion. You can see the final “Carpool Karaoke” in its entirety below: 

James Corden has a deeply personal reason for why it’s time to say goodbye to The Late Late Show. He said previously that he wants his kids to grow up in London and have a close relationship with their grandparents there. It’s about time they can’t get back, and no amount of money can buy that. Corden is reportedly leaving $50 million on the table in choosing not to return. As we wait to see who might replace Corden on The Late Late Show, check out our 2023 TV schedule to see what premieres are coming soon. 

Adele is once again keeping it real, and saying what I’m assuming quite a few people are thinking, which at this moment is: we’re just going to watch the Super Bowl for Rihanna. As the biggest football game of the year approaches, the Grammy-winner brought it up Rihanna's halftime show during a show in Las Vegas, and made it clear, through the best reaction, that she’d only be going for the halftime show. 

At her Las Vegas residency, Adele was caught on video chatting with a fan about the Super Bowl and if they were attending. She admitted, in the most Adele way, that she’d only be going for her fellow pop star, saying: 

A fan caught the interaction on video, and posted it to Twitter, check it out for yourself:  

Rihanna has admitted she’s feeling a bit nervous about performing, which makes sense considering she hadn’t released music in years until her song in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever dropped. However, I’m positive she’s going to kill it, and I have the same attitude as her pal Adele when it comes to how excited I am to see what she does next. 

It makes sense that the “Rumor Has It” singer is so stoked for Rihanna, as they’ve been friends for some time, and she even penned the “Umbrella” singer’s Time 100 essay. Adele wrote that she and the halftime headliner are one year apart in age, and she feels like Rihanna has been around forever, and she really looks up to her. The singer wrote:

Adele continued to gush about her fellow popstar, writing about her astonishing career as both a musician and entrepreneur. She explained that since 2005 when “Pon de Replay” came out, and then following the release of “Umbrella” she realized Rihanna was an unstoppable force. The “Someone Like You” singer closed out the essay by saying: 

This glowing essay about Rihanna clearly shows how much Adele admires and looks up to her. So, when you mix that with her signature sense of humor, her A+ reaction to the Super Bowl makes complete sense. 

Looking back at some of Rihanna’s most iconic performances, it’s clear to me, and I’d assume Adele, that she’s going to completely crush it. Not only will the pop star bring a fire set list, but I’m sure she’ll also be dressed to the nines considering she runs Savage X Fenty, and has had some of the most iconic Met Gala looks ever, in my opinion. 

While Adele said she’s only going for Rihanna, she, and we, will get to witness some other great performers at the Super Bowl along with the football game and commercials. Although the big star of the show, according to the “Easy On Me” singer and many other people, is Rihanna. 

Make sure you get up to date on the 2023 TV schedule and how to watch the Super Bowl ASAP so you don’t miss a second of the football game, and the reason Adele's going: Rihanna’s performance. 

Jennifer Lawrence co-starred with Chris Pratt in the 2016 movie Passengers about two people headed to a new planet who have accidentally awakened from induced hibernation and make the best of luck stuck on their spaceship. Unfortunately, Passengers experienced bad reviews with criticism of the plot and characters. The 32-year-old actress weighs in on some A+ advice that Adele gave her about signing onto Passengers that she promptly ignored.

We all know that Jennifer Lawrence is a fantastic actress. I mean, she won the Oscar for Best Actress at 22! But, that doesn’t mean every movie of hers has been well-received. The Hunger Games actress spoke to the NY Times about which one of her movies she thought wasn’t good and the advice she ignored from Grammy-winning singer Adele before taking on the project.

I don’t know if I would say all space movies are a failed genre. After all, the year before Passengers came out, Ridley Scott’s The Martian was considered one of the best films of 2015. A couple of years earlier than that, Gravity earned ten Oscar nominations. But, then we had a few duds like when Jupiter Ascending premiered with not-so-great reception and Fantastic Four had a slow box office with overwhelmingly negative reviews. So, I personally consider it a mixed bag. 

Passengers had the potential to be one of the best movies until over halfway through, it got stuck in the story direction. In a huge part of the beginning, we see Chris Pratt’s Jim wake up from induced hibernation suffering a year of solitude on the ship until he wakes up Jennifer Lawrence’s Aurora. Obviously, Aurora finds out her waking up wasn’t an accident and absolutely loathes Jim. Then they’re forced to work together when the ship malfunctions and live happily ever after. So, Aurora chooses to miss out on her original mission of going to the new planet to write her book about living there for a year all for a man she has known for about a year. I guess having true love triumph would definitely be a Hollywood ending.

The film’s director Morten Tyldum said the movie had to end the way it did where Aurora chooses to spend the rest of her life with Jim on the ship instead of the chance to go back into hibernation to arrive at the new planet. That after everything this couple went through together, it wouldn’t make sense for her to have him leave her. Maybe a more satisfying ending would have been if the movie centered on Aurora waking up to avoid making Jim redeemable. The Oscar winner responded to the backlash of this sci-fi film by saying she wished she looked into the script more deeply before jumping in. Maybe Adele should have been telling JLaw she should have been “rolling in the deep” of the script, maybe?

While Jennifer Lawrence may have ignored Adele’s advice about skipping out on Passengers, it seems that this talented actress followed her instinct well with her next movie Causeway. This Apple TV+ movie is sure to be a quiet film with big performances that you can see for yourself on November 4th.

When you think of some of the greatest Saturday Night Live hosts, actors like Steve Martin, or Emma Stone, or Justin Timberlake immediately flood your mind. However, I am personally more fascinated and, sometimes, even more excited when I hear that Studio 8H’s master of ceremonies will be someone with little-to-no acting experience at all.

Admittedly, hiring a non-actor to host SNL does not always generate the best results, but we are not going to talk about those instances today. Instead, we want to put the spotlight on the musical artists, athletes, and public figures would end up putting out winning performances and earning laughs on the sketch comedy series, starting with one of the more recent examples.

Kim Kardashian (Season 47)

There was a great rotation of Saturday Night Live hosts for Season 47, including Kim Kardashian, who — along with her family — has been the butt of much merciless teasing on the show. However, the media mogul had the last laugh by mercilessly teasing herself and her family in her fantastic monologue, followed by fun sketches like an Aladdin parody starring her future boyfriend, Pete Davidson, and a Freaky Friday-style sketch with Aidy Bryant.

Billie Eilish (Season 47)

Another first-time host for SNL Season 47 was Billie Eilish, who did an inspired job juggling musical guest duties with hosting duties on December 11, 2021. While a few sketches did require her singing talent (such as one featuring a song about awkward attempts to hit on Santa Claus), her performances in non-musical bits (like a pre-taped short in which she comes to regret inviting an elderly Kate McKinnon to her house for the holidays) suggests more acting could be in her future.

Adele (Season 46)

A season earlier saw another Oscar-winning James Bond theme song singer, Adele, headline for a night while H.E.R. served as musical guest, although the crowd was treated with a few of the artist’s greatest hits. She proved to have good comedic timing and a natural presence onstage, as well as concealing her North London accent quite convincingly in a faux jeans ad also starring Maya Rudolph.

Johnny Cash (Season 7)

One of the earliest examples of a musical artist hosting SNL was when Johnny Cash took the stage in 1982 and, admittedly, only starred in three sketches (two of which featured him playing himself and, among those two, one did not require him to say a word). However, the passion that the “Man in Black” exudes as a train passenger with a poetic way of speaking turns the otherwise absurd bit into something unforgettable and quite beautiful.

Elton John (Season 36)

Serving as musical guest the night Johnny Cash hosted SNL was Elton John, who would return 28 years later as both musical guest and host for an episode that also saw him playing himself most of the time and doing a consistently hilarious job at it. Yet, he would disappear into the character of a flamboyant cowboy who drifts into a small Wild West town on a unicorn.

Wayne Gretzky (Season 14)

Also playing himself for much of his time headlining an SNL episode in the late 1980s was National Hockey League superstar Wayne Gretzky, who even sings a Hawaiian ballad in one memorable sketch. The athlete’s lack of acting experience actually helps his charmingly deadpan delivery in some other bits, such as when he appears on a call-in talk show and is forced to answer questions that have nothing to do with hockey.

Derek Jeter (Season 27)

An athlete who was also surprisingly good at finding his comedic schtick on SNL was former New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter, who hosted SNL in 2001. Highlights include when he dressed in drag to poke fun at himself in a sketch about Yankee players’ wives and when he and Red Sox fan Seth Meyers debated whether or not the MLB champion sucks or not on Weekend Update.

Mick Jagger (Season 37)

Another memorable “Point/Counterpoint” participant (who impersonated Keith Richards while Mike Myers impersonated him) is Mick Jagger, who actually did have some acting experience (debuting in a 1970 Ned Kelly biopic) before he and the rest of The Rolling Stones hosted and served as musical guests in 1978. The legendary frontman returned for both responsibilities on his own (with some help from Foo Fighters and Arcade Fire) for the Season 37 finale, which boasted a hilarious career retrospective in his monologue and a wonderfully meta sketch in which he plays a karaoke bar patron who “can’t get no satisfaction.”

Bruno Mars (Season 38)

A hitmaker who admitted to having no prior acting experience in his monologue while pulling double duty on SNL is Bruno Mars. This was surprising to hear considering how remarkably well he performed in sketches, like one in which he plays a Pandora radio employee who must use his talent for impersonation after the website crashes. The Grammy-winner also gives a tender dramatic performance in a pre-taped bit about a lonely Times Square street performer.

Taylor Swift (Season 35)

A musician who made her acting debut playing Broadway’s Annie in an SNL sketch just months before stepping up as host and musical guest in 2009 is Taylor Swift, who went on to star in the following year’s Valentine’s Day, 2019’s Cats, and David O. Russell’s upcoming period piece, Amsterdam, to name a few. As one would hope, Swift was a good sport about poking fun at herself in her “Monologue Song (La La La)” and proved to be, like Bruno Mars, a great vocal impressionist — such as when she sang like Shakira with nearly uncanny precision.

Chance The Rapper (Seasons 43 And 45)

One musician who has actually hosted SNL twice and served as musical guest twice, but each at different times, is Chance the Rapper, whom, I believe, is already in the running to have his own Best-Of special. The game-changing musician holds his own perfectly and hilariously alongside the other cast members and he has already debuted a few characters worth returning — such as a court judge who makes his decisions based on first impressions alone in a sketch that Jason Momoa cameoed in. 

Garth Brooks (Seasons 23 And 25)

One musician who can technically say his hosting duties were exclusive from his musical guest duties the second time he emceed on SNL in 1999 is Garth Brooks, because he performed music as his alter ego, Chris Gaines. He had no trouble making light of the mixed reactions he had received for this bizarre other persona in a sketch opposite Tracy Morgan, who does not realize Brooks and Gaines are one and the same.

Stevie Wonder (Season 8)

Audiences also, kind of, saw double during Stevie Wonder’s sole appearance on SNL as host and musical guest in 1983. The most, arguably, iconic moment from the episode sees the legendary artist play an aspiring Stevie Wonder impersonator seeking much-needed consultation from an expert in impersonations played by Eddie Murphy, who had previously portrayed the singer/songwriter to wonderful acclaim.

Charles Barkley (Seasons 19, 35, 37, And 43)

Another example of some hilariously meta impersonations on SNL is when Kenan Thompson played Charles Barkley seated next to Shaquille O’Neal, as played by Barkley, during the third time he hosted. The former NBA champion has actually hosted more times than any other athlete, with a total of four gigs so far (first in 1993 and most recently in 2018) and, most likely, because he is just that funny.

Michael Jordan (Season 17)

Another NBA champion I am surprised has only hosted SNL once is Charles Barkley’s Space Jam co-star, Michael Jordan, whom David Spade recalled being “super likable” on set. The former Chicago Bulls shooting guard would poke fun at his many corporate sponsorship deals in his monologue, that featured clips of fake ads for feminine products and pornography.

Peyton Manning (Season 32)

An athlete I would really love to see come back to SNL as host again is Peyton Manning, who was incredible in a faux United Way ad that paints him as the worst role model that a child could ever ask for. For now, I suppose we will have to settle for his funny Season 47 cameo in which he gives an impassioned review of Season 2 for Netflix’s Emily in Paris.

Jeff Gordon (Season 28)

Another competitive sports star who poked fun at his own career in a memorable way on SNL is Jeff Gordon, who encountered a par of overenthusiastic NASCAR fans (or so they initially seemed) in his monologue. The legendary stock car racer (who also cameoed in Pixar’s Cars) really gave it his all in the subsequent sketches, like when he plays an Air Force pilot whom Seth Meyers’ carpet salesman must contend with at a school Career Day.  

Brian Williams (Season 33)

Gung-ho to make a fool out of himself throughout his SNL episode (which also boasted a famous cameo from future president Barack Obama) was former NBC news anchor Brian Willams. The father of Girls and Get Out star Alison Williams had a funny monologue about mistaking SNL’s impersonations of his TV news heroes as the real people, and starred in a digital short about what he does daily (which also boasted a funny cameo by Bono).

Blake Shelton (Season 40)

Another NBC personality who hosted SNL at the peak of his TV stardom is The Voice coach Blake Shelton, who also performed a few of his biggest country music hits that night. After paying tribute to a different sketch show he grew up with called Hee Haw in his monologue, the singer proved himself to be a real natural as a healthy variety of characters and rarely as a fictionalized version of himself.

Katy Perry (Season 37)

When she hosted SNL in 2011, Katy Perry did play herself a couple times (such as on a faux Finnish talk show with a frighteningly resourceful research team). However, her more memorable sketches saw her portray other celebrities like Florence Welch, Christina Aguilera, and Pippa Middleton with a Cockney accent.

Halsey (Season 44)

Another musician who did a phenomenal job in the acting category for her first (and hopefully not last) time hosting is Halsey, who described herself in her monologue as an SNL fanatic who admired the show for featuring female performers whose central goal was to be funny. It appears that was also her goal for the night because she was a riot from beginning to end, like when she put on a New Jersey accent for a sketch about an architect’s very awkward phone call to his parents.

I am looking forward to seeing what public figures SNL has in the hosting line-up for Season 48, and I would not mind seeing a few people who are not quite known for the performing arts.

Pop superstar Adele’s television special Adele One Night Only was as much about spotting celebrities as it was about the music. Viewers were singling out every Hollywood A-lister they could find from Drake and Selena Gomez to Melissa McCarthy to Donald Glover. The special was just a who’s who of Hollywood. But one celebrity cameo that stuck out was An American Pickle’s Seth Rogen. It appeared being prominently featured in Adele’s comeback special shocked him as well. After gaining some attention for participating in the televised concert, Rogen gave a hilarious take on what it was like sitting in the front row.

The subject of Rogen’s front row seat came up while the comedian was visiting The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon, and he shared his one-of-a-kind experience at the Adele concert:

Jimmy Fallon couldn’t help but press Seth Rogen about everything went down during the taping. The actor recalled receiving an invitation to a “small” Adele concert. Much to his surprise upon arriving at Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, he and his wife Lauren were seated in the front row. Rogen recalled feeling like other celebrities were eyeballing him.

As the interview continued, Jimmy Fallon wanted to know how he played it cool under all that pressure. Seth Rogen shared his approach, and it sounds like his years of acting paid off:

Fallon eventually asked the question everyone was thinking – how did Seth Rogen know Adele? He revealed he didn’t know the soul singer at all.  Rogen even questioned why she or the production staff put him and his wife in the front row.  But being in the front row wasn’t part of Seth Rogen’s plan at all. Since he and his wife were under the impression the concert would be an intimate affair, they “smoked a ton of weed” before going to the taping.

Unfortunately, a small, intimate concert wasn’t the situation for the Rogens. The couple noticed a production crew, camera cranes, flying drones and talk show icon Oprah Winfrey upon arrival. After originally planning to hide in the back, the Pineapple Express star spilled how he and his wife found out they would be front and center.

While he enjoyed watching Adele live, Rogen felt out of place and distracted by the circumstances. Besides feeling uncomfortable, Seth Rogen complained about having to stand up after every song being in the front row. But there was a positive for him as the Mario star claimed the televised concert was the most popular thing he’s done in years.

It should be mandatory to have Seth Rogen front and center at every televised concert or awards special, just for the recounts alone. Hopefully, his elevated humor will be present in his new show Santa Inc., which premieres on Dec. 13 on HBO Max.

Singing superstar Adele has, once again, taken the music world by storm. Her fourth album, 30, was just released a few days ago, and to help promote it, not only has the British songstress been doing a ton of interviews, but she’s also filmed a number of specials so fans who haven’t had a chance to see her live can get that experience from home. Unfortunately, one of her recent concert specials included an awkward sex joke from the Spice Girls’ Mel B that had to be axed before it aired.

While many people have already bought 30 (it became the top-selling album of 2021 after three days), and enjoyed Adele’s CBS / Paramount+ special, Adele One Night Only (which featured an interview with Oprah along with the concert), the singer also filmed a special earlier this month for British network ITV. That show, An Audience with Adele, featured a number of celebrity guests and saw the performer interact with them during her set. According to The Sun, Spice Girl and former America’s Got Talent judge Mel B made things quite awkward when it came time for her to ask Adele a question. An insider noted:

Well, I never! Melanie Brown, you should be...honestly, proud of yourself for taking the chance! You know, anyone who watched her judge on AGT realizes that Mel B can be rather unfiltered at times, and saucy pretty much always, so this kind of comment is the sort of thing you might get from her, TV cameras and an audience filled with other famous folk be damned.

I’m sure Mel B figured it wouldn’t really hurt to try and punch up her time in Adele’s special a bit. Let’s not forget that she’s also a consummate professional, and has been performing in front of live crowds herself for nearly 30 years. Adele’s ITV show was taped, so there’s no doubt in my mind that Mel knew if her joke didn’t work (or was deemed too spicy) they would just cut it out, and that’s what they did. 

Plus, let’s not forget that Adele has also been known to have a great sense of humor (remember that she was very game when hosting Saturday Night Live for the first time), so I’m sure her making a wisecrack and quickly moving on was just a sign that she realized Mel B’s gambit didn’t work, and not her being at all upset by the move.

All in all, it seems like this was a no harm, no foul situation for both Mel B and Adele, with the special going off without much more of a hitch. Though, I have to say, I wouldn’t mind hearing the two singers riff on sex toys one day. That would probably be a funny and truly unfiltered conversation. 

The Adele promotional machine has been in overdrive, on the heels of the singer releasing her fourth album, 30. As with any major release, the Grammy winner has been doing interviews and music specials left and right. In most cases, interviewers have been tailoring their questioning around the album’s content. But that wasn’t the case for an Australian morning show host. And after making a mistake that cost his network $1 million, the suspended TV personality is apologizing to the British soul singer.

Weekend Morning host Matt Doran seemed to offend Adele by not previewing her new album before his sit-down interview with her. Per The Daily Telegraph, he called the blinding mistake “an oversight” rather than a “deliberate snub.” In the formal statement, the host clarified what led to the unfortunate mishap, saying:

The grounds for the apology were initiated after the reporter actually admitted the mistake to the pop superstar. According to The Sun, after Doran reportedly offended the songwriter by not listening to her latest release, the British songstress allegedly walked out in the middle of the interview. Before the admission, the personality had apparently not asked any questions that actually related to the entertainer's most recent work. All in all, the songstress definitely seemed to be taken aback by the journalist.

Of course, Channel 7 would ultimately take further action when it came to Matt Doran's recent slip-up. The on-air package that was meant to feature the singer was deemed unairable due to the walk-out, and this is what ultimately cost the channel that aforementioned $1 million. Apparently, the network had flown the reporter from Australia to the U.K. to interview Adele. As a result of his blunder, the network suspended him from on-air activities for a total of two weeks. As of this writing, it's unclear as to whether he'll remain in his post once her returns from his suspension.

This costly mistake wasn’t a complete loss for the channel, as it had also acquired the rights to the Grammy winner's One Night Only special, which featured an interview with talk show icon Oprah Winfrey. Time will tell if this faux pas affects its relationship with the British singer in the future.

Along with One Night Only, the entertainer took part in another special, An Audience with Adele, for her home country the U.K. Following this situation, one would imagine that media companies will be sure that journalists are well-informed ahead of major interviews. And if you'd love to see more of the singer, you can watch the "Skyfall" songstress’s in-depth conversation with Oprah by streaming her special on Paramount+.

We’ve seen plenty of celebrities go through massive romantic ups and downs over the years, including a number of shocking, controversy-filled breakups and divorces. In mid-April of 2019, when music superstar Adele announced her divorce from husband Simon Konecki (whom she’d been with since 2011 and shared a young son, Angelo, with) many fans were surprised, and made their many feelings on the matter clear online. Now that Adele has some distance from both the divorce and the reactions, she’s dropped an F-bomb when getting candid about her feelings about the whole thing.

Obviously, few breakups are easy, and that’s especially true when you’ve been with someone for as long as Adele had been with her husband, and when you add a kid to that equation. This is not to mention that Adele had seen her rise to stardom while with Konecki, and announcing the divorce meant that millions of people had careless / not very nice things to say in response. While talking about that time in her life with Rolling Stone, Adele said of the breakup and public reaction to it:

Adele is known for her power ballads about love, loss, resilience, and heartbreak. So, while many of her fans simply took to social media to express their surprise over the end of what appeared to be an enduring relationship, there were a lot of others who openly opined about their hope that the divorce would mean that her next album would be filled with emotional, breakup bangers.

Those responses originally confused Adele, who began to wonder whether or not her supposed fans really did even like her. Even though she was soon able to see that they were simply hoping for new music that they’d love, the finality of her divorce being public did lead to some personal revelations: 

There’s nothing like combining the disappointment of divorce with a public fallout because of rumors over what might have led to it, and then having everyone wonder aloud about your assumed failings (not to mention that astrological Saturn return as she turned 30) to make an F-bomb (or, like, 60 F-bombs) fly from your mouth, possibly at some very unexpected times. 

Luckily, Adele got through the immediate aftermath by taking care of her son and her own mental and physical health, by doing things like hiking regularly, climbing a mountain with friends and giving up drinking for six months. The songstress began dating sports agent Rich Paul, and even hosted Saturday Night Live for the first time. 

And she did, of course, use the period to write and record a new album, 30, which will be released on November 19, so, Adele did manage to get through this tough time with all of the sass we love her for intact. 

It’s been a few years since Adele dropped her last project, 2015's 25. While the British songstress hasn’t been very active with new music, that doesn’t mean Adele has been resting on her laurels. Over the last year+, fans have been wowed by the Grammy winner's slimmed-down appearance, and her transformation left many astonished, considering the singer’s weight had been an issue since she released her debut album 19 in 2008. Many music lovers saw her as the antithesis of the traditional image of female pop stars, which inevitably led to some listeners pushing back against Adele’s physical transition. Now, with new music on the horizon, the pop-soul songstress has opened up about her weight loss and the hurtful comments she received after going public with it.

Adele’s physical journey was a years-long effort that started long before her shocking reemergence in 2020. Her weight loss was met with praise and admiration from the majority, but some fans and otherwise vocal critics felt betrayed by Adele's new look, as they believed she'd previously served as a positive representation of plus-sized women. Even before her recent transformation, which has been documented over the last year and included her Saturday Night Live hosting gig, the British singer couldn’t escape her weight and music being mentioned in tandem. The Oscar winner finally revealed her thoughts to Vogue on what the public and media had to say about her body.

Adele wanted to just reassure her fans that she’s still the same girl from her 19 days, presumably knowing that some of her female fans would still feel the singer had left them behind with all the weight she dropped. But while many women saw themselves in Adele, combating a sea of slender and fit female pop stars, it was the Grammy winner’s choice (and obviously her right) to make the life changes she felt were needed. She wanted to lose weight for herself, regardless of what others might feel she was supposed to look like. 

As Adele alluded to, some female fans weren’t so kind about her body transformation. The British singer revealed the commentary made by women online and in the media was like a dagger to her, offering the blunt response below:

Not being supporting by others during weight loss journey would disappoint anyone,  so Adele is no different from any other woman, even if she did still have million sof fans on her side. Outside of the naysayers, others have defended the singer for spilling the real reason behind her transformation. But the Grammy winner’s latest look hasn’t been all bad as she recently went public with her boyfriend Rich Paul. Thankfully, the pop singer will be able to channel all this discord into her upcoming album, which will be released at a currently undisclosed date in 2021.

Few people on earth have the ability to command our collective attention like Adele. And when she wants to, she knows exactly how to get people talking. Rumors have been swirling for a while now that the multi-platinum, multi-talented singer had a new significant other. Over the weekend, she seems to have confirmed those suspicions by making her relationship Instagram official and sharing some gorgeous photos of herself and her boyfriend with fans.

This weekend, the Grammy and Oscar-winning singer shared a series of three black and white images on Instagram. In all three photos, she looks stunning in a gown that, according to Harper’s Bazaar, was designed by Schiaparelli. But the last in the series is the one that really got people talking. Take a look at the beautiful pictures here:

The only caption she shared is a heart emoji, which seems to carry a dual meaning. First, it hints at the reason for the photos-- they were taken at NBA star Anthony Davis’ wedding. But by sharing these snaps, she’s chosen to confirm to the world that she and sports agent Rich Paul are consciously coupled. That probably won’t come as a surprise to many, as there had been rampant speculation for months now that the two have paired off.

Still, it’s exciting news for fans, who are always rooting for the superstar’s happiness. She’s certainly been through a lot of ups and downs over the years--from struggling with the stress of performing to dealing with commentary about her appearance and navigating the end of her marriage -- all the while raising a child.

It’s also refreshing to see Adele continuing to live her life on her own terms. She chose such a cool way to announce her new relationship -- dropping it on fans without any warning, or without any additional commentary, and showing that she still has control over the narrative about her life and career.

Speaking of her career, she’s holding the reins on that, too. Even though fans have been eagerly awaiting new music for more than five years, the singer has chosen to take her time with her art. That has sometimes meant she’s stepped away from the spotlight.

But she’s also explored her other talents and kept us all on our toes to the point where we can’t even begin to guess what she has planned next. Last year, she hosted an episode of Saturday Night Live, proving to the world that her comedic timing is just as impressive as her vocal range. Of course, we all know that whenever she decides to enter her next musical era, it will be nothing short of amazing. This is the woman, after all, who gave us what is arguably the best Bond theme of all time.

Superstar singer Adele made her Saturday Night Live hosting debut on October 24, but not all of her sketches won universal acclaim with viewers. In fact, one in particular has the show, Adele, and Kate McKinnon in hot water with a lot of viewers. The sketch in question is called "Africa Tourism," and some of those who have watched it are definitely not happy about it.

In "Africa Tourism," Adele and Kate McKinnon both play blonde divorcées named Joanne (later joined by Heidi Gardner, also playing a blonde divorcée named Joanne) who are touting Africa as a tourist destination. Their comments are thinly-veiled innuendos, offset by Black men carrying women in the background.

The audience laughs in the video are fewer and farther between than a lot of sketches that feature Kate McKinnon, with Adele breaking character getting more laughs than any of the actual jokes. So, it's not altogether surprising that Saturday Night Live viewers took to Twitter with some strong opinions about the sketch. Even one big Adele fan came out and admitted that it didn't work for her:

Adele may have been laughing through more of her lines than she delivered with a straight face, sharply contrasting Kate McKinnon, who rarely cracks up other than her big break during a Weekend Update earlier this season. That person on Twitter isn't the only one who thought that the sketch was "tone deaf." Another person posted:

"Africa Tourism" seemingly didn't account for current events in Africa, as the SNL sketch definitely didn't touch on any of the real-life issues. For another person on social media, the issues with the sketch extended into stereotype territory:

"Not funny" is a common theme among people on social media who shared their issues with the sketch. For at least one person on Twitter, the show itself hasn't been funny lately, and this sketch was just a worse example than most.

Longtime Saturday Night Live viewers (or at least viewers who check out SNL during election seasons) know that the show is no stranger to satire. In fact, Kate McKinnon herself has a talent for being able to impersonate just about anybody, ranging from her popular version of the late Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg to now Rudy Giuliani. The satire of "Africa Tourism" clearly isn't a universal hit, as one person on Twitter made clear in a thread:

For viewers who might not be aware of the situations that left so many people angry about "Africa Tourism," one teacher shared what he saw as so objectionable in a succinct post:

Other than the "Africa Tourism" sketch, Adele's stint as host was seemingly a hit with viewers. She had previously appeared on Saturday Night Live as musical guest, and actually did sing when she joined as host. While the reaction to the "Africa Tourism" sketch may not be enough to keep her from ever returning to the show, I'm guessing the three Joannes won't be back on SNL. In case you missed it, here's the sketch itself:

The next new episode of Saturday Night Live will be hosted by John Mulaney, with The Strokes as musical guests. The episode airs on October 31, just days ahead of the 2020 presidential election. The odds are very good that there will be more political sketches, and the time would be perfect for more David Pumpkins. Only time will tell if Tom Hanks can return to reprise the character.

See what else you can watch now and in the coming weeks with our fall 2020 TV premiere schedule, and don't forget to check out our 2020 Netflix premiere guide.

Adele is well-known for many things, and she's about to impress as this Saturday’s episode of Saturday Night Live. From her Grammy-award winning music to her live performance skills, Adele’s British accent is another huge facet of her identity. So what would it be like to hear Adele without it? That is the million-dollar question that Adele has answered with a stunning impression of an American accent for an SNL promo.

The results are more impressive than many of us may have anticipated. Adele was joined by this week’s Saturday Night Live musical guest, H.E.R., and SNL cast member Kate McKinnon for the promo. McKinnon stayed “in character” (or at least I think so). Adele’s American accent definitely got her attention, though, as you can see in the promo she nailed it with a pretty American-esque line:

Wow! I have watched Adele’s impression several times, and it never stops being impressive. The mask (while necessary) does sort of take away from the full effect of seeing Adele’s mouth move as she is doing her take on the American accent. But if you've watched Saturday Night Live recently, you know that the masks will come off during the actual episode.

So curious minds will soon get to see Adele’s lips move, as she hosts this week’s Saturday Night Live. Upon the initial confirmation, the signer shared an exciting post about getting to take on the duty. That Adele is so apt at doing an American accent makes me believe that she could have several characters at her disposal this week. From playing a Valley Girl to emodying a New Yorker, the sky might be the limit.

Like her predecessors this season, first-time host Adele will be performing in front of a live studio audience, as the sketch comedy found a creative way to get one, which actually included paying them. Despite this being, the singer's first time as a host, she has been a musical guest and the subject of a skit in which her music helped resolve familial tension.

No one was probably prepared for Adele to possibly have the trick of an American accent up her sleeve. Saturday Night Live will undoubtedly utilize her skills to their best ability when she guest hosts tonight. And whether or not Jim Carrey’s Jim Biden impression goes over better with viewers after this Saturday’s episode will be another discussion point.

Hopefully, Adele’s skills will be incorporated into the show, though I would be bet they will be. Tune in to find out how things play out when Adele guest hosts Saturday Night Live with H.E.R. as the musical guest. The episode airs tonight at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC. And for other new content outside of SNL’s new season, check out this fall’s schedule.

Adele’s weight loss journey in 2020 has been a stunning transformation for the “Rumour Has It” singer, but it’s not just been a physical transformation. Through, diet, exercise and cutting back on alcohol, those who have watched Adele as she’s made changes now say the journey hasn’t just been about getting skinny. It’s about Adele loving and making time for herself.

Why Adele Lost The Weight

Adele’s trainer and friends have said her journey was one of wellness and not of weight loss alone. Early reports after the singer unveiled her weight loss revealed she was carrying “stress” as a working performer and mom. Adele has a major career and she is raising her son Angelo James, born in 2012. Additionally, in 2019 she had filed for divorce and was dealing with that in her personal life. This was all coming after grueling road tours that frankly had left the singer openly exhausted and talking about possibly quitting touring completely. Something needed to change.

Her trainer Peter Geracimo, has said Adele was fully committed to getting healthy on Instagram, noting that she wasn't selling out by losing weight and that Adele had personally wanted to commit to a whole new lifestyle.

So, it was a personal decision to lose weight and the focus for Adele was on being healthier and happier. The end result has been stunning for the singer on multiple levels.

What Fans Should Focus On When It Comes To Adele's Journey

Not all fans have been super positive about Adele’s weight loss, even if those close to her say it has been coming from the right place. Recently, though, during an appearance on Lorraine, Adele’s pal Alan Carr said we should be focusing more on Adele’s voice than her looks these days, as it was her voice that has helped people through emotional times all over the world.

So, if you’ve been a hater about Adele’s weight loss in 2020, Alan Carr really thinks you should back off a little and appreciate the thing about Adele that made her famous in the first place.

How Adele Lost The Weight

Adele’s trainer also previously told People the “Hello” singer “quit smoking, reduced her drinking, got rid of sugar and stopped eating processed foods,” all as part of this new journey. It’s seemingly made her happier, fitter and more productive.

Her career/life balance seems to be coming together these days as well. The singer recently announced her excitement over landing a hosting gig on SNL. Hosting can actually be notably stressful, but now that Adele has found a balance in her life, I’m guessing she’ll do just fine.

Adele is not singing the blues this week. The Grammy-winning singer (and avid Beyonce fan) will be hosting an upcoming episode of Saturday Night Live, and she had the best reaction after landing her first-time hosting gig on the sketch comedy show. Suffice it to say that Adele was incredibly excited as she started shared her feelings about landing the fast-approaching gig.

A lot of viewers tuned in to watch Adele’s Grammy most recent performance back in 2015. Five years later, a similar number will undoubtedly watch her host Saturday Night Live for the first time. Regardless of who tunes in, Adele is still incredibly psyched to add hosting the sketch comedy to her SNL resume. She took to Instagram to celebrate the news with a fantastic post, saying:

Am I the only one who thought about “Rolling in the Deep” when Adele mentioned diving into “the deep end” for her Saturday Night Live hosting duties? Probably not. The good news is that Adele agreed to do the metaphorical diving, and she is pumped about H.E.R. being the musical guest. Having previously turned down the Super Bowl halftime show, Adele does not jump at every opportunity that comes her way, but this is one opportunity she was keen to take on.

Adele’s hosting duties come as fans are still waiting for new music from the singer. Her last album came out five years (half a decade) ago in 2015, which she was promoting for that year's performance. Despite a new record not materializing since that time, Adele has remained an integral part of pop culture. It will be the first time in a while that fans have seen Adele outside of her Instagram, where she has shared pictures of her new looks.

Does this hosting gig mean new music is not too far behind? Saturday Night Live tends to be a platform where artists promote new material. Could Adele be about to make a surprise album drop announcement? Earlier this year, Taylor Swift took fans by surprise with just such a release. If there is any surprise news, Saturday Night Live would be the perfect venue where it could be announced.

Otherwise, Adele could just want to have fun by hosting it, period. Either way, it is going to be an exciting Saturday night. As Adele mentioned, the U.S. is in the midst of presidential election season. Whether or not Adele gets to take part in a parody with Alec Baldwin’s Donald Trump or Jim Carrey’s controversial spin on Joe Biden remains to be seen, but I'm interested to check it out.

Check out the full Instagram post below!

Adele sounds positively amped to host, and who can blame her? It is an exciting time and, believe it or not, her first one ever after being a musical guest on more than one occasion. It should be a bit of a transition for Adele. She has acknowledged she is a “real homebody,” but she will not be spending her upcoming Saturday night at her house.

Adele will host this week’s episode of Saturday Night Live with H.E.R. as the musical guest. It airs this Saturday, October 24, at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC. In related good news, the sketch comedy is not the only series airing new episodes. For more new shows, check out this fall’s schedule.

One of scripted television's longest-running institutions, Saturday Night Live, is headed back into production and returning to the studio after its unexpected time airing with pre-taped skits from cast members' homes at the end of last season. While fans certainly admired the desire of the cast and crew to keep the good ship SNL afloat as much as possible under some trying circumstances, you can bet that viewers will be looking to see the legendary skitcom return to something much more like normal in Season 46. With new announcements on who will be hosting and performing as musical guests, it looks like all of our dreams will be coming true.

Every year brings an assorted number of wonders for those who love SNL. We tune in each week for the promise of laughs, fun surprises, wild satire, the occasional shocking (or shockingly funny) screw up and to see what kind of silliness the guest hosts (and possibly musical guests) will be roped into while trying to deliver the funniest possible show. This season will see Kenan Thompson head into his eighteenth season on the live show, further cementing his place as the longest-running cast member for SNL ever, but this promises to be a banner year for the series in other ways, as well.

This is, after all, an election year, and those behind Saturday Night Live are nothing if not truly gifted when it comes to both lampooning politicians and also casting said political figures for the show. We already know that (after sounding like he was totally done with putting in the effort) Alec Baldwin will return yet again to step into the presidential shoes of Donald Trump, a role that won him an Emmy in 2017, with former cast member Maya Rudolph reprising her Emmy-winning part as Kamala Harris.

Word also came down recently that they'll be joined by Jim Carrey, who will take over the part of Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden from another former cast member, Jason Sudeikis. Who knows, with the way these special guest appearances are going, we might be treated to Brad Pitt's Dr. Anthony Fauci again. By the way, Pitt's performance also got an Emmy nod this year, so if we see a lot more special guests coming in to play real life people, I wouldn't be surprised.

Meanwhile, we do have our first announcement of who will host and act as musical guest on the Season 46 premiere of SNL, and you really can't be mad at who was chosen. So, let's get to the list of who will be handling hosting and musical duties this year! Be sure to bookmark this list, because it'll be updated when new info becomes available!

May 22 - Anya Taylor-Joy With Musical Guest Lil Nas X

Saturday Night Live will wrap Season 46 with another pair of newbies hitting the 30 Rock stage. The Queen's Gambit star and recent Golden Globe winner Anya Taylor-Joy will host, while rapper Lil Nas X will perform.

Past Episodes

October 3 - Chris Rock With Musical Guest Megan Thee Stallion

Hot! Hot! Hot! Chris Rock, of course, is another former cast member, having hit the SNL stage weekly from 1990 to 1993. The actor / comedian / talk show host has been back to lead the festivities at his old stomping grounds twice before, and is funny to his bones, so you know he'll bring his best on opening night. Rapper Megan Thee Stallion is coming off of several hits, including this summer's naughty scorcher "WAP," with Cardi B, and this will be her first time on SNL.

October 10 - Bill Burr With Musical Guest Jack White

Comedian and actor Bill Burr will make his SNL debut on October 10. The Monday Morning Podcast host was most recently seen in The King of Staten Island with Pete Davidson, and The Mandalorian, and his animated family sitcom, F is for Family, will be back for a fifth and final season on Netflix. After a bit of a shakeup, Jack White will step in to act as musical guest on the episode, marking his fourth time rocking the halls of 30 Rock.

October 17 - Issa Rae With Musical Guest Justin Bieber

The star, executive producer, and creator of the HBO hit comedy Insecure, Issa Rae, will mark her SNL hosting debut on October 17. Joining Rae on the show will be Justin Bieber, who will appear as musical guest for the fourth time.

October 24 - Adele With Musical Guest H.E.R.

Music superstar Adele makes her hosting debut on Saturday Night Live with the October 24, episode, after previously acting as musical guest way back in October 2008, and again in November 2015. Ten-time Grammy Award nominee H.E.R. (who won two of the awards in 2019) will make her debut as musical guest on the same night.

October 31 - John Mulaney With Musical Guest The Strokes

Comedian and former SNL writer John Mulaney will hit the stage to host for the fourth time on October 31. Rockers The Strokes will also perform for the fourth time.

November 7 - Dave Chappelle With Musical Guest Foo Fighters

Dave Chappelle returns for his second hosting gig, having previously hit the stage right after the 2016 presidential election. The Foo Fighters will perform as musical guests, for what will be the band's eighth time appearing.

November 14 through 28 - No New SNL Episodes

December 5 - Jason Bateman With Musical Guest Morgan Wallen

Ozark and The Outsider star Jason Bateman will return to host when the show comes back from a three-week break on December 5. This will be Bateman's second time in the job; he last hosted in February 2005. Country music star Morgan Wallen is scheduled as musical guest, after being booted off of the second episode this season when producers found out he hadn't been following their new production guidelines.

December 12 - Timothée Chalamet With Musical Guest Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band

Dune's Timothée Chalamet is coming to host SNL for his first time on December 12, while Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will be along for their third performance.

December 19 - Kristen Wiig With Musical Guest Dua Lipa

Former cast member Kristen Wiig returns for her fourth hosting gig on December 19, with her starring role as Cheetah in Wonder Woman 1984 heading to HBO Max (and theaters) on Christmas Day. Meanwhile, pop superstar Dua Lipa will hit SNL for the second time.

January 30 - John Krasinski With Musical Guest Machine Gun Kelly

Everyone's favorite prankster from The Office (and star of Jack Ryan and A Quiet Place), John Krasinski, will host when the series returns for the first episode of the new year. Singer/rapper/actor Machine Gun Kelly will appear as musical guest for the first time.

February 6 - Dan Levy With Musical Guest Phoebe Bridgers

Schitt's Creek co-creator/actor Dan Levy will host SNL for the first time on February 6. Rock/indie folk singer Phoebe Bridgers appears as musical guest.

February 13 - Regina King With Musical Guest Nathaniel Rateliff

Oscar, Golden Globe, and four-time Emmy Award winner Regina King will step on the 30 Rock stage for the first time on February 13. Folk and R&B artist Nathaniel Rateliff will perform.

February 20 - Regé-Jean Page With Musical Guest Bad Bunny

Breakout Bridgerton star Regé-Jean Page hosts SNL for the first time, and will appear alongside musical guest, rapper, Bad Bunny.

February 27 - Nick Jonas With Musical Guest Nick Jonas

That's right, the actor/singer, known for films like Jumanji: The Next Level and Midway, hosts the last episode of February, and will also appear as musical guest.

March 27 - Maya Rudolph With Musical Guest Jack Harlow

Former SNL cast member Maya Rudolph returns to her old stomping grounds to host for the second time on March 27. Rapper Jack Harlow will hit the stage as musical guest.

April 3 - Daniel Kaluuya With Musical Guest St. Vincent

Two-time Oscar nominee (most recently for Judas and the Black Messiah) Daniel Kaluuya will host SNL for the first time on April 3. Rock/pop performer St. Vincent will act as musical guest.

April 10 - Carey Mulligan With Musical Guest Kid Cudi

Another two-time Oscar nominee (this time for Promising Young Woman), Carey Mulligan, will also step up to host for the first time in April. Rapper Kid Cudi will appear as musical guest.

May 8 - Elon Musk With Musical Guest Miley Cyrus

Tesla CEO Elon Musk will make his debut as SNL guest host for the first episode of May, as the series begins to wind down Season 46. Musk proved to be a rather controversial choice, so we'll see how his inaugural hosting gig goes. He'll be joined by musical guest Miley Cyrus, who's making her fifth appearance as either musical guest or host.

May 15 - Keegan-Michael Key With Musical Guest Olivia Rodrigo

Emmy winner and all around funny guy Keegan-Michael Key will mark his first time hosting SNL on May 15. Meanwhile, another newcomer, singer/actress Olivia Rodrigo will act as musical guest for the first time.

Again, be sure to bookmark this list so you can stay up to date on all of SNL's latest hosts and musical guests in Season 46!

It goes without saying that Beyoncé has given us some spectacular content before, but her latest endeavor, Disney+'s Black Is King, has already taken the world by storm. The visual album has received acclaim from critics and audiences are enamored with the ambitious production. Of course, in the midst of this, fellow artists are also singing Beyoncé’s praises, with Adele becoming one of the latest to do so. And the British singer paid homage to Beyoncé and her work in the best possible way.

This past weekend, Adele posted an image on Instagram in which she sported one of the various outfits Beyoncé wears in Black Is King. In her post, the singer also thanked Beyoncé for making her audiences “feel loved” through her work. You can check out the sweet post below:

Adele couldn’t have picked a better way to pay tribute to the Grammy-winning singer and songwriter. I think most would agree with me when I say it’s always nice to see artists supporting each other’s work.

Originally announced earlier this summer, Black Is King was produced to serve as a visual companion to The Lion King: The Gift, the soundtrack to Disney’s 2019 remake of the animated classic. Beyoncé curated that album and served as a writer, director and producer on Black Is King. In the film, Beyoncé employs extensive African imagery and other musical talents to tell the story of a young king who’s been cast out of his kingdom and goes on a life-changing journey to reclaim his throne.

Of course, in addition to handling the music on The Lion King, Beyoncé also served as the voice of Nala. While doing press for the film, he co-stars spoke on their experiences working with her. Donald Glover, who voiced Simba, admitted that he was intimidated while recording with Beyoncé. This nervous energy also extended to Keegan Michael-Key, who dreaded doing press due to the inevitable questions he would get about working with the starlet.

Thanks to the combined the efforts of Knowles-Carter, her co-stars and the film’s crew, The Lion King would prove to be a box office success, though it would open to mixed reviews. Now, Black Is King is proving to be a successful extension of that film, while skillfully blazing a trail of its own. Some social media users have even gone as far as to say that the visual album should have been the actual Lion King remake.

If you’ve seen Black Is King, it’s easy to understand why Adele and so many others can’t help but heap praise on it. Not only does it feature amazing music and visuals, but the project as a whole puts the spotlight on a rich culture that, in many cases, is overlooked by mainstream society. That in and of itself makes Beyoncé’s latest project a resounding success.

Black Is King is currently available to stream on Disney+.

Oscar-winning singer Adele sent the internet into a frenzy this week when she revealed her dramatic weight loss on Instagram. What began as an influx of love and support toward the pop icon later shifted into some uncomfortable revelations about how we talk about bodies and health. Now, Adele’s personal trainer has spoken up about the controversy and thrown his support behind her.

Adele uses her social media accounts pretty sparingly - so whenever she does post something, it tends to catch our attention. That was especially true on May 5, when she uploaded a photo of herself to Instagram as a way to thank fans for showing her love:

The image revealed that the singer has lost a considerable amount of weight since we last saw her. Her slimmed-down figure instantly caught fans’ attention, and she began to trend on Twitter almost immediately as users discussed the change in her appearance.

Here’s how the controversy arose: at first, people were quick to praise her new look. However, some speculated about why she’d lost the weight, and others noted that reducing her worth to her weight was problematic and spoke to widespread issues with fatphobia and the way we judge a person’s worth by their appearance.

Adele hasn’t responded to the fervor, but personal trainer Peter Geracimo, who worked with the Skyfall singer on her fitness journey, has addressed it. He uploaded a photo of himself working with Adele in a pool:

He expressed his dismay with the reaction on his Instagram account, writing:

Peter Geracimo went on to clarify why the singer began to lose weight in the first place:

He concluded his post by asking fans to be more mindful about how and why they talk about the personal aspects of her life:

Peter Geracimo makes a good point -- of course Adele’s weight loss is noticeable, but it’s also a personal matter. There are plenty of other huge accomplishments and career highlights we can praise her for without reducing her to her appearance. Until she speaks about it on her terms, it’s best if we follow her example and don’t say anything about it at all. Keep it here at CinemaBlend for more updates from the world of movies and TV.

Spoiler Warning: the following article contains spoilers and speculation for and about the Daniel Craig era of James Bond films. Proceed at your own risk!

The theme song in a James Bond movie is a crucial tool to set the mood for the film that it kicks off. Throughout the history of the Bond franchise, these songs have either been ominous tales of dangerous scenarios and vicious villains, or ballads full of gloom and doom. However, just as the Daniel Craig era of 007 adventures has introduced more consistent serialization to the character's story, it has also allowed for the theme songs to tell a narrative of their own.

In the course of five songs, including the recently released theme for the upcoming film No Time To Die, there’s a pathway that shows the development of James Bond’s arc. From the energetic Chris Cornell opener “You Know My Name,” to Billie Eilish’s recent haunting but beautiful hit, a picture is painted that shows us a man who starts with clear eyed intentions, but becomes a little more broken every step of the way. Let’s jump back to the beginning, and start to tell the tale of how James Bond eventually became the man we see before us today.

“You Know My Name” by Chris Cornell (Casino Royale, 2006)

Actually seeing Daniel Craig’s James Bond make the two kills that qualified him for 00 status in Casino Royale was just the glass of cold water that the series needed splashed on its face back in 2006. With a new reboot that showed us those momentous beginnings, a dynamic new theme song needed to be along for the ride.

Eschewing the standard tragic ballads and villain songs, “You Know My Name” is a hard-driving rock tune sung by the late Chris Cornell. Introducing the world to James Bond for the first time thanks to the film’s soft reboot status, this track represents Bond’s relative freshness and eager attitude to get the job done by any means necessary.

Perhaps the most telling section of Casino Royale’s big opening is the chorus:

At this point in his career, James Bond is aptly described by M (Judi Dench) as a “blunt instrument,” and he pretty much lives up to that label in every step of Casino Royale’s story. But even a blunt instrument can be chipped and broken, which is exactly what happens to Bond as he almost dies several times, and ultimately loses the woman he loves.

Throughout that film, and eventually through his future missions, he’ll be asked that all-consuming question: “Are you willing to die?” Bond may have survived to fight another day, and his capture of Mr. White is still pretty satisfying, but a lot of damage is hiding under the man’s calm and cool exterior.

“Another Way To Die” by Jack White and Alicia Keys (Quantum of Solace, 2008)

Picking right up where Casino Royale left off, Quantum of Solace jumps into the further pursuits of James Bond, as he starts to uncover the full extent of the criminal organization known as Quantum. A new, avant garde style Bond adventure was ready to unfold, with another experimental effort in the world of theme songs kicking things off: “Another Way To Die.”

This time out, we’re treated to a song that shows off a sort of confident paranoia that 007 has taken on. With the first act of the film showing Quantum to be the sort of organization that can penetrate any government and/or agency, a lot of different factors had Bond working on his own, without much backup to speak of.

James Bond being a sharper spy and a deadlier killer, the song has Jack White and Alicia Keys singing about his exploits highlighting the heightened attention that Bond has to pay in order to survive this particular mission. While not exactly plot points to Quantum of Solace’s overall story, again it is the chorus to “Another Way To Die” that gets right to the paranoid heart of the matter in short, detailed manner:

While he’s better at his job, the cracks in the world of Bond’s line of work are already showing. Quantum is only the start, and as we see in the next song/film in the modern 007 franchise, the famed super spy trusts very few people implicitly.

"Skyfall" by Adele (2012)

At this point in Daniel Craig’s run as James Bond, he’s had his heart broken by the ultimate betrayal, and avenged the death of his beloved Vesper Lynd with what he thought was the last nail in the coffin of his vengeful quest. Of course, Skyfall would prove this theory to be horrifically wrong, as M (posthumously discovered to be named Olivia Mansfield) the person he most trusted in his world, is tragically taken from him.

That, of course, is only after a full movie’s worth of cat and mouse games run by disavowed operative with a grudge Silva (Javier Bardem), who leads both Bond and his somewhat adoptive maternal figure to the place where his life began: his family’s ancestral home of Skyfall.

Acting as the title of the film, as well as the Academy Award winning title song sung by Adele, this track almost sounds like a lullaby from a mother to a child. These lyrics in particular feel rather telling:

Even when MI6 was at its most vulnerable, and James Bond was technically unfit to return to active duty, he and M stuck together through thick and thin in Skyfall. Ultimately, while new allies are won over, the MI6 chief dies in the line of duty, leaving her metaphorical son orphaned yet again. This erosion of the world James once knew is only going to get worse in Spectre, though a new love will provide a crack of light on the horizon.

“Writing’s On The Wall” by Sam Smith (Spectre, 2015)

After the previous M’s untimely death, and with Gareth Mallory (Ralph Fiennes) as the new boss when Spectre kicks off, James Bond’s previously reckless antics are getting more dangerous, and more explosive. It doesn’t take long for him to find a new purpose though, as his deceased mentor leaves him the clues he’ll need to uncover an even greater threat than he’s ever faced.

Spectre sees Bond uncovering the legendary organization of villains that plagued him throughout the classic 007 films. As he weaves through the web of deception, he realizes that his adopted brother, Ernst Starvo Blofeld (Christoph Waltz), has been behind basically every tragedy and act of terrorism he’s encountered. It’s a lot to take in, for sure.

But upon meeting Dr. Madeleine Swann (Lea Seydoux), the daughter of former foe turned informant, Mr. White, Bond is ready to give it all up and call it a day. “Writing’s On The Wall” suggests this right from the start, as Sam Smith’s ballad is more focused on this potential retirement, rather than any sort of action driven storyline.

Bond knows that his current line of work is either going to kill him, or leave him alone. That writing is clearly on the wall, and he acknowledges it because he’s known it for some time. However, if he gives this profession up in the name of love, he could possibly have a normal life.

It’s what motivated him to try and quit with Vesper at the end of Casino Royale, and Madeleine has inspired similar feelings in Spectre. This song is James asking Dr. Swann if he can trust her enough to try this sort of act again, because at this point in his life it’s either be a lonely superspy for life or get out while he still can.

By the end of the movie, James makes his choice, and in a way tries to kill the person he was supposedly fated to become. No longer a mere hardened orphan doing a job he was psychologically fit for, Bond and Swann could have a shot at a normal life as they drive into the sunset. However, as we’ve seen in the ads for No Time To Die, it looks like that retirement is not only short lived, but totally not worth it.

"No Time To Die" by Billie Eilish (2020)

A long time ago, James Bond was asked a very simple question: are you willing to die? That metaphorical query was pertaining to how far the man would go in terms of completing his missions, and what he would give for his job as a spy for MI6. That question has seemingly been answered “yes” throughout his various adventures, bringing us to No Time To Die, and his return from his aforementioned retirement.

While we don’t know what exactly is going on between James and Madeleine, there’s a secret that’s so explosive it not only looks to have broken their love affair off, but it could have serious repercussions throughout the world of the James Bond series. The air is ripe with mistrust, and Billie Eilish’s torch song about a shattered relationship has grand implications for the road ahead:

Shades of Bond’s ill-fated relationship with Vesper in Casino Royale are cropping up again. Once again, a moment of supposed weakness has lead him into another horrific lapse of judgement, and he’s not going to let it happen again. If you were to ask 007 if he’s willing to die at this point, you might see him say no.

No Time To Die’s epic finale to Daniel Craig’s time as James Bond looks like it’s going to be the moment where Bond truly hardens himself to the outside world. As we’ve been working on a timeline that’s shown us his origins and his development as a 00 agent, this final adventure could be the one that truly does break him out of the mold of trying to be a normal person.

With every adventure, James Bond has been pushed further towards his personal edge, and the results are an escalating sense of danger and insecurity. Every time he thinks he can fall into a loving relationship, or some sort of personal connection that isn’t connected to killing, a new pitfall reminds him that, at least in his case, that’s not possible.

Bond has lost some very important people in his line of work, and it looks like the greatest losses are yet to come. So if you’ve ever wanted to know how James Bond went from a promising, but reckless, spy into an adrenaline junkie who’s constantly looking for the next thrill, you need not look any further than these five songs that have set up a rather tragic and dour trajectory of personal reinvention.

No Time To Die will show us just how fall James Bond will fall, when it opens on April 10th.

In April, the James Bond series will make history as No Time To Die has drafted Billie Ellish to co-write and sing the latest entry in the franchise’s catalog of theme songs. As the youngest person to ever hold this honor, it’s a pretty huge happening, in a history that’s brought us some of the slickest, most entertaining singles to come from the world of the movies.

Out of the 24 existing songs, spanning all the way back to Monty Norman’s original James Bond theme, there are 10 that represent what we believe to be the best James Bond theme songs of all time. Excluding the omnipresent theme itself, this lineup encapsulates the highlights of this ever expanding library of killer tracks.

Here now are the 10 James Bond theme songs that have shaken and stirred audiences over the ages. And don’t worry if you think we’re missing a song on this lineup, as you’ll have your chance to join the conversation after we’ve come to the end.

10. Sheryl Crow - Tomorrow Never Dies

One of the last people you’d have expected to sing a James Bond theme song is, undeniably, ‘90s pop-rock star Sheryl Crow. And yet, her work on the title song to Tomorrow Never Dies is a surprising departure from the music that most would identify her for. It’s an absolutely gorgeous downer, told from the point of view of an ex-lover from Bond’s past.

Much like her work on “The Globe Sessions” album, Crow’s song is a morbidly romantic tune that laments how danger and love collide in the world of James Bond’s line of work. If there was ever one statement that could pin down why Bond hasn’t been the best mate in his checkered past, it’d have to be the lyrics detailing how, “martinis, girls, and guns [are] murder on our love affair.” It’s a wonder he’s ever been married, and may very well be again in No Time To Die.

9. Paul McCartney & Wings - Live And Let Die

The Roger Moore era of James Bond saw some interesting transitions when it came to music. Once that traditional Bond sound had been established with theme tunes bombastic and lavish, the more rock and roll themes always felt like something that snuck in.

However, in the best cases, such as Paul McCartney & Wings’ classic James Bond theme song to the film Live and Let Die, that surprise is a breath of fresh air when things are starting to get too comfortable. A fast, hard driving opener that starts out under a false sense of security, McCartney and his post-Beatles band helped bring Bond into the ‘70s in style.

8. a-ha - The Living Daylights

If the stories are to be believed, a-ha’s titular theme to The Living Daylights was the song that apparently led series composer John Barry to finally retire from the James Bond franchise. Which is a damned shame too, as this is one of the most memorable entries from the ‘80s James Bond canon.

This particular song isn’t the aggressive, synth laden sort of product we saw just one film prior with A View To A Kill, but rather a crossroads between Barry’s orchestral stylings and a-ha’s modern sound. Bordering on melancholy, but not lacking the steam needed to excite the audience, “The Living Daylights” is a song that sets up Timothy Dalton’s more grounded Bond in a brief, concentrated context.

7. Garbage - The World Is Not Enough

Chances are, if you’re a singer named Shirley, you’ve got good odds of singing a killer bond theme. Garbage’s lead singer Shirley Manson proved this fact once again when The World Is Not Enough delivered its mournful ballad of conquest at the end of the 20th century.

Part retro throwback to the flowery orchestral stylings of the classic James Bond theme songs, the song was most definitely something that Garbage would have released even if they weren’t asked to officially create a Bond theme. It’s a song that teases villainous intent, with a sexy edge, a reflection of the film’s own twisted plot.

6. Duran Duran - A View To A Kill

Earlier, we mentioned how aggressive Duran Duran’s theme to A View To A Kill was when compared to the energy of the song that directly succeeded it, a-ha’s The Living Daylights. Yet its aggressive nature is exactly what makes this James Bond theme song something to truly behold, as it’s another example of a song that sounds like it’s dedicated to the villain.

Perpetuating a flare for the dramatic, the band’s lyrics about “first crystal tears” and a presence that will “dance into the fire,” it’s a pulpy treat that blazes through synth runs that both please and pierce the ears. For a movie with Christopher Walken as the villain, this feels perfectly at home.

5. The John Barry Orchestra - On Her Majesty's Secret Service

One of the only James Bond theme songs that lacks lyrics (at least, lyrics known to the general public,) On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is one of John Barry’s finest contributions to the world of 007’s musical landscape. It’s also one of the most memorable themes, in an impressive lineup of songs that sing some pretty terrific metaphors.

All Barry needs is a vague clocklike ticking to set his tune against, and this James Bond theme song encapsulates the feeling of a new era arriving in the world of this British super spy. As George Lazenby strutted into his first, and only, film in the role, James Bond blazed a musical trail that’s still a breathtaking work to behold.

4. Tom Jones – Thunderball

The history of James Bond theme songs all boil down to one, simple construct of music: talented singers belting out tunes that are either supporting the heroes or lamenting the villains. Tom Jones’ masterful performance of Thunderball is one from the latter category, as we’re introduced to baddie Emilio Largo in truly dramatic fashion.

With a climax that was rumored to cause Jones to collapse after recording it, the swagger on “Thunderball” is off the charts. It’s too bad he never returned to sing another theme, as he could have been the male counterpart to the truly royal talent that left her stamp across eons of the James Bond firmament.

3. Shirley Bassey – Goldfinger

All hail Shirley Bassey. The woman who lent her forceful vocals to the title tracks for Goldfinger, Diamonds Are Forever, and Moonraker, her presence is one that still reverberates throughout every performance that mimics her classic style. Though if we had to single one particular song out, it’d have to be her very first entry in the 007 series.

Goldfinger is still, apologies for the unintended pun, a gold standard when it comes to James Bond theme songs. Bassey knows Auric Goldfinger, and through a booming title track warns you up front what this man is capable of. From that point on, any danger incurred was at the fault of those foolish to not heed those warnings.

2. Chris Cornell - You Know My Name

Like a brick through a plate glass window, Daniel Craig’s casting as James Bond sent shockwaves through the system that had gotten used to another lull of familiarity in the landmark franchise. And with a new, daring Bond, a bold new direction was needed for Casino Royale’s theme song; which is where the late great Chris Cornell came in.

“You Know My Name” is one of the few James Bond theme songs that isn’t titled after the film its accompanying, but much like the title of Ian Fleming’s first 007 novel, fans wouldn’t forget the name of this innovative rock tune that gave a new age of espionage the forceful pulse it needed.

1. Adele – Skyfall

Sometimes, tradition isn’t such a bad thing, especially if it’s dressed with the right modern trappings. As Sam Mendes took to the 007 series for the first of two directing gigs, Skyfall symbolized its blend of classic Bond style with modern storytelling in several ways.

The newfound vulnerability of James’s psyche is reflected in a beautifully haunting tune that, upon further examination, is a love song of sorts. Not a romantic one, mind you, but one that symbolizes the pseudo mother-son relationship Craig’s Bond had with Dame Judi Dench’s M. Dramatic strings, and an ominous horn section seal the deal as Adele’s soaring vocals led this song to be not only the best James Bond theme song ever, but also the first to ever win an Oscar for Best Original Song.

There are so many terrific tracks that we haven’t mentioned throughout the rest of the extensive back catalog of themes. But if we’re sticking to the 10 best James Bond theme songs, these are the gems that will last as long as diamonds tend to do.

Naturally, we’d like to know what you think the best James. Bond theme song is, be it something from this list or a title we didn’t include in our ranking. So vote on the poll below, and leave some feedback in the comments section below.

And don’t forget, No Time To Die hits theaters on April 2nd in the UK and April 10th in the US.

This poll is no longer available.

We did not need additional evidence to know Adele is one of the most down-to-earth superstars in music these days, but the living legend went ahead and gave us proof anyway. For the final night of the Australia and New Zealand leg of the Adele Live 2017 tour, inclement weather swept in and tried to ruin the show. A lesser artist would have canceled the show, but a storm couldn't stop Adele from putting on a poncho over her gown and taking the stage. After all, we're talking about Adele, a true blue musician with plenty of touring experience. Although she seems to be a pro at touring at this point, Adele announced to her audience how lucky they were because in fact she might never go on tour again. Here is what the vocal goddess had to say:

According to News.com.au, which reported on the rainy show in New Zealand, Adele's tour grossed more than $200 million from its UK, European, and North American shows, so we imagine her management team is probably not in love with the idea that Adele might bring things to a halt after this trip around the world. However, it sounds like they have known about Adele's tour exhaustion for a while. Live Nation Chairman Michael Coppel, the local promoter for the show in Australia and New Zealand, added:

True, no one--not even Adele--knows what the future holds. It's also true that Adele has experienced similar uncertainty in the past. Apparently, there were times when Adele thought a third album would not happen after the birth of her son. Boy, was she wrong, so maybe she will be wrong about this feeling and eventually tour again down the road. At the same time, Adele is one of the few music artists who does not rely on sales from tours to thrive. Her first album, 19, sold seven million copies. Her latest album, 25, has sold 20 million. The masterpiece in the middle, the classic 21 with its timeless singles "Rolling in the Deep" and "Someone Like You," is up there with a mountain of 55 million copies sold. In other words, it stands to reason that Adele could move home, never tour or give any notable live performances again for years, and release music from her living room knowing it would still dominate the radio and reach every corner of the world.

It feels like just the other day Adele was saying "Hello," and now she may be saying goodbye. She hopefully won't go that route, though. Hopefully, she will enjoy the rest of her days on the road. Then she can decide what to do after some much-needed R&R. I'm sort of wishing an announcement like this one could be a way to prepare us for an Adele residency somewhere. Something like what Celine and Britney have achieved in Las Vegas would be great for a Adele, a megastar with a growing family. Pick a city, Adele, and let us come to you.

Last night, Adele made her way back onto the live Grammys stage, this time performing a George Michael tribute as part of the long-running awards show. After last year's audio issues, this year Adele should have had a comeback with a vengeance. Instead, shortly into the performance, Adele stopped singing, apologized and asked to start over. While the rest of the performance seemed to go off without a hitch, it was a pretty big gaffe, one Adele actually addressed after the performance. Here's what she had to say:

After last year's big performance flub, Adele revealed that she was so embarrassed she spent the day after the ceremony crying a whole bunch. Clearly, the audio problems made a lot of headlines and Adele didn't want a repeat performance this year. In addition, this year's performance was a tribute to George Michael, someone the singer saw as an icon. It's no wonder that she wanted to do well this year, noting to reporters (via People) on Sunday night that when it didn't go as planned she was truthfully upset.

Granted, once Adele stopped and started over, the performance was likely exactly what she hoped for. Her rendition of George Michael's "Fastlove" was memorable and likely would have gone down as one of the loveliest moments of the night had she not had to stop and start over. As it was, she really handled it as well as she could have while still keeping her dignity. Can you imagine what would have happened if she had just tried to push through with a performance she was uncomfortable with? Clearly she felt that way, saying during the broadcast itself:

If you didn't catch the restarted performance when it aired live, you can head here. In addition, we should be getting more interesting live moments when the Oscars hit the schedule on Sunday, February 26.

Taylor Swift had a good year in 2015, but that's probably stating the obvious. The country-turned-pop singer has been riding a wave of success for quite a while now, and that apparently includes besting her fellow musicians in the earnings department by a sizable margin. Between album sales and her other musical earnings, the artist raked in more than $70 million, which is tens of millions more than the talented and popular dude who came in second on Billboard's list (said dude being Kenny Chesney.)

Billboard posted their list of highest-paid musicians of the past 12 months, and Taylor Swift topped it with a whopping $73.5 million. That's $7.2 million for album sales, $564,000 for streaming, $4.1 million for publishing and a massive $61.7 million for her concert tour. As mentioned, she beat out #2 on the list, country singer Kenny Chesney, whose total revenue for 2015 topped out at $39.8 million.

Here's the top 10 breakdown:

1) Taylor Swift - $73.5 million

2) Kenny Chesney - $39.8 million

3) The Rolling Stones - $39.6 million

4) Billy Joel - $31.7 million

5) One Direction - 24.2 million

6) Grateful Dead & Company - $23.8 million

7) Luke Bryan - $23.1 million

8) U2 - $21.8 million

9) Adele - $20.5 million

10) Maroon 5 - $19.2 million

I need to pause on the Swift conversation for a moment here, because it seems well worth noting that Adele managed to land a spot in the Top 10 despite no reported earnings for touring, which is ultimately the big money-maker for musicians. It helps that Adele earned $16.3 million in album sales alone. Had she gone on tour, it's a safe bet that she would've had a much higher spot on this list, if not the top spot, considering her album sales are more than double Swift's. Adele is the only artist in the Top 10 with no touring income.

Getting back to Taylor Swift, Billboard's list only cites income related to their musical endeavors. There's no mention of money made on endorsements, of which Swift has had numerous in recent years, including Keds, Diet Coke, and more recently, those Apple Music ads that have been cracking us up. So theres a good chance she reported a bit more on her 2015 taxes than the figure mentioned above.

Taylor Swift has been inching further and further away from country music with each album, and 1989 took her into full-on pop territory, with much success. As Billboard points, her publishing royalties had some help, thanks to Ryan Adams' releasing a cover of her 1989 album. The singer-songwriter capped off her album release with a massive tour, which included drop-ins by various celebrities and musical acts. Based on the numbers, it's evident that Swift's hard work and talent have paid off.

If you’re like us, and you watched that Captain America: Civil War trailer like fifty times as soon as it dropped the other night, you’re well aware that, for all the action and spectacle, it’s one of the most emotional promotional bits that Marvel has ever put together. Those few minutes are all about friendship and feelings, and just when you think it can’t get any more sensitive and moving, some damn lunatic went ahead and put Adele’s new hit, "Hello," over the top of the action and it’s all we can do to keep from weeping openly in public.

"The Civil War: Bromance Version," as this video from Vimeo user Anthony Meadows is called, is seriously spot on. With everything that’s going on in Marvel’s next superhero adventure—from the government trying to regulate superheroes, to old friends coming back together, to other old friends fighting against one another—is super maudlin and emotional, and laying this Adele track over the top of it, oh god, it just amplifies all of the feels exponentially. Somebody please pass the tissue.

The Captain America: Civil War trailer has only been online for a few days, but it’s already been watched millions and millions of times—there’s a lot going on, and it goes by quick, so it takes a couple of views, at least, to get a handle on everything. You get an introduction to the Sokovia Accords, the legislation that splits the superhero community by demanding that they all register with the government and submit to bureaucratic oversight. Of course, there are those that support this move, led by Tony Stark/Iron Man, and those who oppose such draconian measures, led by Captain America. This pits friends against each other in a violent clash, and if that’s not enough to keep you occupied and entertained, there are villains at works, like Baron Zemo (who we don’t see), and new heroes to check out, like Black Panther (who we do see).

If it’s been a few hours you watched, here’s the original trailer in all its glory.

And if you’re not familiar with Adele’s work, here is the video for "Hello." The first single from her album 25, the track was released in late October and became an instant sensation, racking up more than 27 million views in the first 24 hours. That’s impressive.

Captain America: Civil War, sans Adele, hits theaters on May 6, 2016.

“Box of Lies” is a game that is oft played on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, but we’ve never seen one that is as sneaky as this game between Adele and Jimmy Fallon. The two get up to quite a few shenanigans as they cleverly attempt to lie to one another in the early rounds, but ultimately Fallon proves he’s pretty masterful at the game. You can check it out, below.

Early on in the video, Adele talks about how she’s always wanted to play “Box of Lies,” that or do a “Lip Sync Battle” with the popular NBC late night host. After watching her play, we think she probably would have been a better fit for the latter Tonight Show segment, but I do appreciate how sneaky Adele is. In the first round, the “Hello” singer tells Fallon she pulled a dinosaur out of her box—which is true—but then lies and says that the dinosaur is wearing a fairy costume. In reality, the dinosaur is actually wearing a cowboy costume. It’s like Rex wearing Woody’s clothes. Adele almost gets away with it, but she ruins the moment by laughing, leading Fallon to take the lead.

As the game progresses, Fallon is also caught in a lie. The next time around, Adele tells the truth and is caught by Fallon, after she says she sees a giraffe wearing donuts around its neck. The big mistake, here, is that she properly describes the donuts, which I feel is a level of detail that would be hard to make up on the spot.

“Box of Lies” is a pretty fun game, and I feel like Fallon chose that one because Adele would have destroyed him at “Lip Sync Battle.” The late night host does note there’s always next time, so hopefully Adele will be back sooner rather than later. No ballads though. I want to see her tackle like a Roots song or something equally oddball.

As far as Adele being sneaky at this game goes, we probably should have seen it coming. The popular singer is frequently up to shenanigans and recently even donned a prosthetic nose to pretend to be an Adele impersonator and sing at a local audition along with other Adele impersonators. It's generally hard to trick your fans, but she crushes it.

Fallon’s frequently up to games like these, so he obviously has an advantage in games like “Box of Lies” that the other celebrities don’t have. Still, we love it when Fallon is able to put one over on big names. He’s nearly always gleeful about winning and is never mean-spirited, making the games a pretty good time for all.

You can catch new episodes of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on weeknights at 11:35 p.m. ET, only on NBC.

Adele has the world firmly within her grasp and refuses to let go. Her new album 25 has been on sale for a few days and is already poised to break records. With so much love and worldwide adoration, it seems that everyone out there wants to be Adele – even Adele. The singer recently decided to enter an Adele impersonator contest to see how she stacked up with the competition, and the results are as hilarious as you would expect. Check the video out below for yourself.

Donning a fake nose and some expertly applied makeup, the singer –under the guise of Adele impersonator “Jenny” – decided to crash the contest airing on the BBC to see if the others would be able to see through her disguise. She even changed the cadence of her voice and the way in which she walked in order to properly sell the façade. Whilst mingling backstage, Jenny and the others begin discussing all things Adele: when her new album would be released, and which of the other impersonators she would like. As the last to perform, "Jenny" begins to show signs of extreme nervousness on stage, but as soon as she begins to sing it becomes obvious who she really is and the impersonators rejoice at the opportunity to meet their idol. Looking back it's obvious that "Jenny" had no real reason to be nervous, because none of the impersonators could come close to the look and talent of the real, genuine Adele.

This represents another one of those heartwarming moments in which a beloved celebrity makes time for the people who have made them famous. It’s not dissimilar from Hugh Jackman surprising an Australian Wolverine fan over the summer, or Chris Pratt and Chris Evans making time to visit sick Marvel fans as their respective characters Star-Lord and Captain America. These gestures have the effect of making the fans realize that they are just as appreciated as the artists who create the work they hold so dear. She’s not just a worldwide phenomenon. She’s not just the singer of one of the greatest James Bond theme songs of all time. She truly cares about her fans.

Moments like these make the Adele mania that has swept the world make a great deal of sense. If you’re already an Adele fan then be sure to give the video above a gleeful watch, and if you aren’t a fan of Adele, then the video could very well convert you.

Most human beings are able to come to some kind of understanding with their parents. They probably don’t share all of the same beliefs, but they can co-exist in a room without arguing, usually by avoiding controversial topics. When it comes to extended family members, however, damn near every person on this planet walks on egg shells, just waiting for someone to say the wrong thing. Thankfully, Saturday Night Live has finally figured out how to diffuse the tension. Check it out…

You know what makes everything in the world better? Adele. Her songs are modern and aggressive enough to please younger family members and yet they’re universal and straightforward enough to appeal to older people. It’s really the perfect balance. Her music is uniquely suited to please everyone, which is probably why she gets great reviews, sells millions of copies and apparently, will be bailing tons of people out of stressful arguments this coming Thursday on Thanksgiving.

In a funny way, this sketch highlights what Saturday Night Live has always been able to do best. The show has always been able to come up with really bizarre ideas that are oddly insightful and then crank those ideas up as much as possible for comedic effect. So, here, the basic idea is that Thanksgiving conversations can go South quickly because most people have absolutely nothing in common with their relatives. So, we look for anything, the smallest little bit of common ground and try to stay there as long as possible in order to prevent more fights. And right now, there’s almost nothing the world collectively agrees on more than Adele.

As for the rest of the Saturday Night Live episode, it was hosted by Matthew McConaughey and featured a wide range of other funny moments, probably highlighted most by leaked Star Wars audition tapes that brought in a slew of random celebrities including Jon Hamm, Emma Stone and a few members of the actual cast. You can check it out below…

Saturday Night Live airs on Saturday nights at 11:30 EST on NBC. Adele, meanwhile, is about to sell an estimated 2.5 million copies of her new album 25.

James Bond movies are iconic for a wide variety of reasons. There is, of course, the international super spy, his badass cars, his cool gadgets, and his lady friends, among other elements. One of these is the opening theme of the movie. If you’re interested in such things, you can lay a wager on who will sing the signature tune for Spectre, Bond’s upcoming adventure, but according to British Bookies, there is one clear frontrunner in this race.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the odds-on favorite to share his vocal stylings with the opening of Spectre is Sam Smith. The 23-year-old British troubadour may be young, but he walked away with four Grammys earlier this year on the back of his maudlin single "Stay With Me." According to the bookies, he is a 2/5 favorite to land the coveted job. To give you pause before you plunk down your hard-earned dollars, however, Smith has denied rumors that he is involved, though the bookies don’t seem to buy his story.

Spectre director Sam Mendes, who helmed the last James Bond movie, the billion-dollar-earning Skyfall, even fanned the flames. He says the theme has already been recorded and is "fantastic," and indicated that we won’t have too long to wait to find out who landed the gig. All of this, of course, only fuels the speculation even more.

If Smith does wind up with the job, he’ll have some big shoes to fill. British singer and songwriter Adele belted out the Skyfall theme and was rewarded with an Academy Award and Golden Globe for her soulful efforts. She’s not the only notable artist to lend their pipes to the Bond franchise, either. Over the years you’ve heard Paul McCartney, Chris Cornell, Shirley Bassey, Duran Duran, and many more add their talents to the Bond pool.

Though Smith may be at the head of this pack by a wide margin, at least according to bookmakers in the U.K., he’s not the only contender. Ed Sheeran comes in at 8/1 odds. Like Smith, he has also denied being involved, but if one of them does wind up with the job, they’ll be the first British male solo singers to belt out the James Bond theme since 1965, when Tom Jones contributed the theme to Thunderball.

Running down the list, "Love Me Like You Do" singer Ellie Goulding comes in at 10/1; a repeat Adele performance sits at 12/1, which would make her only the second artist to record multiple Bond themes; Lana Del Rey at 14/1 is the highest non-Brit on the list; 18-year-old Lourde sits at 16/1, though she contributed a song to The Hunger Games: Mockingjay—Part 2, which opens shortly after Spectre and may diminish her chances; and Oasis frontman Noel Gallagher is at 25/1.

We don’t know exactly when we’ll find out how accurate the bookie’s prediction are, but we do know that we’ll see it for ourselves on the big screen when Spectre opens in the U.K. on October 26 and in the U.S. on November 6.

No one would doubt that the James Bond films aren't huge everywhere: the last one, Skyfall, collected $1.1 billion dollars worldwide - over $300 million of that coming from America. But in England, they're absolutely NUTS for Agent 007, to the point where stories involving the new movie (slated for release November 6th, 2015) take on an almost fanatical level of rumor and conjecture. This happens particularly often in regards to the fabled "Bond theme." Who will be singing it this time for Bond 24?

Well, if you believe The Sun (via Music Times), the man of the hour is Sam Smith, currently rocketing up the worldwide charts. The 22-year-old British crooner has achieved crossover success with his soulful anthem "Stay With Me," a ballad that sounds absolutely nothing like a Bond tune. The young chap has a lovely voice for a kid that wasn't even alive for the Timothy Dalton era, as you can hear below.

Part of the rumor is that Sam Smith is getting the call because Adele has opted not to return. It is unusual that the producers would ask a Bond singer back, but you don't mess with success, and Adele did absolutely own the title track for Skyfall. Back in the day, Shirley Bassey actually recorded three songs for the franchise, having sung the themes for Goldfinger (greatest), Diamond Are Forever (awesome) and Moonraker (adequate!).

It's a little hard to believe they'd pick a theme singer just yet, given that the movie is more than a year away. Smith also feels a bit too trendy a pick, given that he's currently charting so high. Skyfall was considered one of the best-ever Bonds, and Adele's theme was one of the greatest of all time, so the bar is way up there. Is a young fella with a sotto voce voice like Sam Smith the best pick? Shirley Bassey is still around, guys. Sharon Jones is also still around. What about Muse, who claimed that their song "Supremacy" was their unofficial Bond song?

There are two kinds of Bond songs: the kick-ass action-y theme, and the softer, romantic one. Smith honestly seems a bit green for the latter. Does a character who has starred in 24 films need lessons in love from a kid who was in kindergarten when Goldeneye came out? And we haven't really heard Smith really let loose just yet, so do we know if he's capable of singing something a bit more driving and up-tempo? We can probably count him on the list of prospective Bond theme singers, but it's just way too early to proclaim him the frontrunner let alone the choice.

Responding to someone's insults by hurling insults back may be a bit hypocritical, but if you can dish it out, you should be able to take it. And that may apply to Joan Rivers, who had a lot to say (and gesture) to David Letterman about her interactions with Adele at the Oscars. In response, Australian comedian and talk show host Adam Hills laid into Rivers on his British TV series The Last Leg for her personal attacks on Adele, calling Rivers a dick and defending Adele for being a good role model.

Rivers wasn't shy about poking fun of the British singer's weight when she visited The Late Show, gesturing that the singer was big and joking that she's rolling in the deep fried chicken. Calling it like she sees it has always been part of Rivers' schtick, but in the case of her comments toward the "Skyfall" singer, she's rubbed some people the wrong way, including Adam Hills, who responded to Rivers' comments on his show with a big "fuck you!" and calling her a dick.

Hills comes close to bordering on hypocrisy by referencing Rivers' plastic surgery, but he keeps the focus on mixing humor with outrage in this fast-spoken rant, coming to Adele's defense and pointing out that she's actually a positive role model for young people, particularly by comparison to other female pop stars. And he gets plenty of laughs doing it. He's also getting a lot of attention. The video has already passed the one-million-view mark at YouTube since it was uploaded on March 1.

Joan Rivers has never been known for her tact. Over the course of her lengthy career, she’s made her reputation out of making aggressive and unflinching comments about some of Hollywood’s biggest stars. As a result, people have learned to put on their thick skin when listening to her. They’ve learned to not be offended over minor issues, but even with that knowledge, she still shocked the crowd on the Late Show With David Letterman this week when she ripped Adele for her size.

Touching on the singer’s size multiple times, she didn’t hold back in the slightest and got plenty of shocked reactions from the fans and even an irritated look from the host himself who clearly wasn’t overly excited about dwelling in such a place. Go ahead and take a look at the footage below…

I’m pretty open-minded when it comes to comedy. It doesn’t bother me in theory that Rivers poked fun at Adele’s weight, but what does bother me is that she kept cycling back to it. Making so many jokes about her weight when she was just one of many people at the Oscars feels like an attack more than a comedy routine, and perhaps even worse, it feels cheap and easy.

When the irrepressible, amazing Adele took the stage to accept her Best Original Song Oscar for "Skyfall," it was like the best part of the Grammys had been magically transferred to the Oscars. Adele is far from the first singer to win both a Grammy and an Oscar, but at the rate she's going-- she's only 24!-- could the ever-popular EGOT be far behind?

EGOT, if you're not a 30 Rock, refers to Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony-- the top prizes in television, music, film and stage that are hard enough to win one of, much less all four. Only 14 people have done it, and though plenty of people have two like Adele does, they might not have planned it out quite as distinctly as she has. Asked backstage at the Oscars if she was on her way to an EGOT, Adele didn't just get the reference, but she picked a fellow pop diva to emulate on her way toward an Emmy:

Before you get too excited about her "Someone Like You" power ballad musical, Adele is quick to admit it's "not in my probability for the moment" to do a musical-- probably because she's too busy raising a baby and being completely fantastic to focus on Broadway. But if you want yet another reason to root for Adele to get that EGOT, revisit her performance of "Skyfall" from last night. Why wouldn't you want someone who looks that good in sparkly shoes to be at every awards ceremony from now on?

Photo Credit ©ABC

Adele is a woman with a big personality. Typically, she has plenty to say whenever someone puts a microphone in front of her, but today, well, today was a little bit different. After the singer was announced as the winner of the Academy Award for original song, she almost started crying on the way to the stage, and by the time she got there, she could only utter out a few words before handing it over to “Skyfall’s” co-writer Paul Epworth.

It was a very beautiful, humbling moment, but it actually almost never happened. For years, the Bond films were known for their beautiful, powerful and sultry theme songs sung by female vocalists, but in recent years, directors have chosen rock songs instead. When Sam Mendes boarded the project, he decided to shoot for a more classic theme, and that’s where Adele came in. She and Epworth agreed to write the song and later recored it at Abbey Road Studios. Since its release, it has sold more than two million copies, and picked up a Golden Globe and now, an Oscar.

Pop Blend’s sincerest congratulations go out to Adele. Prior to “Skyfall”, it had been more than thirty years since a Bond track had been nominated for an Academy Award. Considering how well received Skyfall was and the fact that it marked the fiftieth anniversary of the franchise, it’s fitting the movie was able to find a song that matched its quality. Kudos to Academy voters for recognizing that.

Photo Credit ©ABC

Last year's Oscars ceremony was terribly dull. Not only was Billy Crystal a less-than-thrilling choice to host the event, the Academy failed to capitalize on the opportunity given to them by the fact that a song sung by Muppets was nominated for (and ended up winning) Best Original Song. Instead the only on-stage number was a completely forgettable performance by Cirque du Soleil celebrating the year in movies. Luckily, the ceremony won't be dropping the ball again this year.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has officially announced that Adele will be featured on stage singing her theme from the last James Bond film, Skyfall, at the 85th Annual Academy Awards. The performance will be the first time that Adele has performed the song live and the Bond theme is the first to be nominated for an Oscar since 1981's "For Your Eyes Only" and was the only one to ever place in Billboard's Top 10 when it was first released.

Said the singer/songwriter in a statement, "It's an honour to be nominated and terrifyingly wonderful to be singing in front of people who have captured my imagination over and over again. It's something I've never experienced and probably only ever will once!"

What's interesting about the announcement is that it doesn't mention any of the other nominees up for Best Original Song at this year's ceremony, a list that includes Alain Boublil, Claude-Michel Schönberg, and Herbert Kretzmer ("Suddenly," Les Miserables); Mychael Danna and Bombay Jayshree ("Pi's Lullaby," Life of Pi); Walter Murphy and Seth MacFarlane (“Everybody Needs a Best Friend,” Ted); and J. Ralph (“Before My Time,” Chasing Ice). Whether or not those songs will also be performed is currently unknown.

We still don’t have a ton of details about Adele’s pregnancy, but we do know the singer recently gave birth to a healthy baby boy. She and Simon Konecki are said to be over the moon, and as of now, the singer is reportedly planning to take an extended leave in order to enjoy her boyfriend and the newest addition to their family.

In just a few short years, Adele has gone from an unknown to one of the biggest pop stars in the world. With several number one hits on both sides of the pond, Grammy Awards and tons of high profile supporters, her fame is clearly on an upward trajectory at the moment, but if she does actually follow through with her stated plan to take as many as four or five years off, it’s unclear whether she’ll return to a world that’s quite as supportive.

The music business has a tendency to cycle in and out of genres. The style of voices the radio prefers and the type of beats it goes for are always changing. You would like to think Adele will simply pick up where she left off whenever she decides to return, but it’s unclear whether that’ll happen. She has the talent. She has the spunk, but success often requires timing too.

What do you think? Will Adele be as popular after her maternity leave? Let us know your thoughts by voting in the poll below…

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For more questions of the day, head here

Neither Adele nor her much older boyfriend, Simon Konecki, has spoken publically about the pop star’s pregnancy over the past few weeks, but if rumors in the British press are to be believed, she actually gave birth already. Details are still extremely fuzzy, but everyone seems to agree the child is a healthy baby boy.

According to The Daily Mail, Adele and Simon, who already has a five-year-old from a previous relationship, are both over the moon about the birth, which is good considering it doesn’t seem to have been planned. The two began dating last summer, moved in together earlier this year and announced her pregnancy in June. There’s no word yet on whether the bundle of joy will convince the two to push their relationship to the next level via marriage, but for the time being, they have far more pressing concerns related to the new addition to the family.

Earlier this month, Adele released the theme song to the new James Bond film Skyfall. Her addition to the franchise is really good, but with the birth of the baby, it will likely mark her last new song for awhile. She publically announced a few months back that she’d like to take four or five years off, and nothing she’s done since has reversed that decision.

Pop Blend’s sincerest congrats go out to Adele and Konecki. Here’s to hoping the little guy brings them all the happiness in the world.

It is now past 0:07 GMT which means that it is officially Bond day, everyone! While Friday isn’t for a couple of hours still in the United States, the clock has rolled over in the UK and the 50th anniversary of the London premiere of Dr. No can be celebrated. We’ve been bringing you different tidbits of information from the world of 007 all week, but now comes the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow: Adele’s theme song from the new movie, Skyfall, is now available online.

As we mentioned in our post about the new Skyfall video blog a few minutes ago, the official Adele website has been counting down to when the single would be released and it has finally hit zero. To order your copy of the song you can go to the iTunes Store and download it straight to your computer for $1.29. But that’s not all!

Adele has also released a video for the song via YouTube that allows you to listen to the song for free! Watch it below:

It’s a really awesome, soulful track, and really harkens back to the days when Shirley Bassey would record the theme for the different movies. I can’t wait to hear it while watching the opening credits of Skyfall.

The new James Bond movie will be in theaters on November 9th.

Do you remember the days when people got incredibly excited to find out who would record a James Bond theme song, then counted down the days until the track was released for the public to hear? Yeah, I don't really either. Most of the classic songs that have accompanied Bond movies to this point came from decades ago, and the last one to crack the top 10 in the US charts-- Madonna's "Die Another Day"--was passable at best.

Which is why it's pretty fantastic to see the hubbub surrounding Adele's "Skyfall," the song that will open the upcoming Bond film of the same name, opening November 9 (October 26 in the UK). The pairing of singer and film have seemed perfect from the outset, with Adele possessing that exact sultry voice that reminds us of all the great Bond themes of the past (like Nancy Sinatra's "You Only Live Twice" or Shirley Bassey's "Goldfinger"). But the fact that Adele is also a massively, massively popular pop artist means her selection wasn't just a nod to nostalgia-- she's got the old-school aesthetic but the new-school popularity, and if you're the Bond producers, you don't pass that up.

Yesterday a minute-long preview of the song debuted online, and it sounded exactly how we expected-- rich with Adele's powerful vocals, a little melancholy but with the potential to explode into something bigger, and with a hint of Shirley Bassey that still doesn't slip into being a copy of something older. It's not just that it sounds like a good song, either-- the fusion of old and new reminds me of exactly what Skyfall director Sam Mendes and producer Barbara Broccoli have been promising about the movie for months. When I visited the film's set in Istanbul back in April, I constantly heard the phrase "classic Bond"-- even the choice to film in Istanbul was a nod to From Russia With Love. But it's clear from the film's trailers so far that Skyfall isn't intended to be some period piece or artifact dredged up from the past-- like a hipster wearing arm garters or Mad Men's effect on modern fashion, it's something deeply influenced by the past but staking its own territory.

Which, again, is exactly what Adele seems to be doing with her own "Skyfall" track. I can't wait to hear the final product, which debuts this Friday in celebration of Bond's 50th anniversary as a screen character. But it's more than just looking forward to what seems like a great song. Adele's spin on "Skyfall" seems like a perfect microcosm of what Mendes is going for in the movie, and if both the film and the song turn out to be as strong as their potential suggests, the era of "classic Bond" should be back with a vengeance.

This has been a pretty killer week for everyone's favorite superspy James Bond. Tuesday saw the release of Bond 50, a new Blu-ray/DVD set that packages together all 22 previous 007 films in one complete set, yesterday we learned that Skyfall, the newest film in the franchise, will debut one day early in IMAX theaters, and today we get our first look at the cover art for the new theme song for the movie that's sung by the epically-voiced singer sensation Adele.

While there have been rumors that Adele would be singing the new theme since last year, last Monday the news was officially confirmed and now MI6-HQ has provided our first look at the physical single. It's not the most stunningly creative cover we've ever seen - basically just an altered version of the film's poster, but it's hard to argue with a classic and I like how they have put Adele's face into the image. Check it out below.

Adele has a fantastic, classic voice that would go perfectly with the Bond vibe. With any luck we'll get to hear the song before the movie comes out, but worse comes to worse we'll just have to enjoy it while we watch the title's opening credits.

Directed by Sam Mendes, Skyfall sees Daniel Craig make his third appearance as 007 with a cast that also includes Javier Bardem, Dame Judi Dench, Ralph Fiennes, Albert Finney, Naomie Harris, Bérénice Marlohe, Helen McCrory, Ola Rapace and Ben Whishaw. The movie will be in theaters on November 9th and you can see more from the film, including trailers and behind the scenes videos, in our Blend Film Database.

The minute I first heard smoky-voiced Adele croon “Rolling in the Deep,” I claimed she should sing the next theme song for a James Bond sequel. Now I wish I’d written it down somewhere and published my prediction, because the obvious is about to become true.

Sam Mendes’ Skyfall, which opens in theaters in November, will begin with a new track sung by Adele, Total Film confirms after more than a year of rumors. The song will be called Skyfall, and will be her first bit of music since her multi-award-winning 21. According to reports, Adele was spotted at an MGM recording studio recently, which kick-started a healthy dose of online speculation. Now that we know Adele’s down to sing the tune, we’re dying to hear it.

It’s the latest in a series of teases Sony has been laying out as they look to marginally reboot Bond after the swing-and-a-miss that was Quantum of Solace. We’ve been treated to several behind-the-scenes video blogs, addressing everything from location shots to costuming. Lately, a series of posters have been hitting the ‘net, starting with an action-oriented domestic one sheet (see it right here). The latest is a UK poster that’s slightly disappointing following the U.S. version, though it still gives fans a look at the dapper Daniel Craig in “uniform” (i.e., a tuxedo) ready to take on the next challenge.

It’s possible we might get one more trailer for Skyfall before we reach the film’s Nov. 9 opening. And if Sony’s smart, it will have a snippet of that Adele theme song.

Adele cleaned up Sunday’s Grammy Awards Ceremony, winning all of the six awards she was nominated for. Though the album that propelled her to these Grammy wins, 2011’s 21, is full of heartache and lonely possibility, for Adele, it may be time to sing a new direction.

In the upcoming March issue of Vogue, Adele spoke out about people’s perceptions of her, and how the topics within her songs may have gone a long way to solidify these opinions.

While I am pretty sure people’s perceptions are not half as bad as “bitter witch,” I do understand her sentiment. Adele is a woman known for writing after breakups, which can be a great way to get over a negative experience, but can be a bad way to let the public know you are an optimistic individual.

The key will be writing a great record with Adele’s soulful voice that has a perky, poppy quality. I don’t know if the “Rolling in the Deep” singer has it in her, but if she does, she might find herself with some even bigger payoffs in the future. I hear Katrina and the Waves’ “Walking on Sunshine” still makes like a million bucks every year.

You can read more from the Vogue interview over at New York Daily News.

Adele may have been busy this month recuperating from vocal surgery, but the Glee cast certainly picked up her slack last week. The girls went all out in a mash-up of Adele’s “Rumour Has It” and “Someone Like You,” that Cinema Blend recapper Melissa Duko called her “favorite song in Season 3.” Apparently, she isn’t alone in her opinion: after Tuesday’s episode aired, the mash-up has shot up to the number 1 track on iTunes.

After a dry spell at the start of the season, November saw Glee improved ratings through a sex-themed episode. Maybe what the show really needs to improve is a more pop-savvy routine of the likes the Fox show gave us this past week. According to TV Line, more pop covers are exactly what Glee has planned. Upcoming episodes will include recent Rihanna hit “We Found Love,” Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror,” Destiny’s Child’s “Survivor,” Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive,” to spice things up a bit. Glee is on hiatus for the next couple of weeks, but those last few songs make me wonder if someone is planning an entire break-up themed episode. It is Glee, so probably.

Also, if you haven’t checked out the Adele cover, below, you should really get on that.