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The pop star appeared as host and musical guest on May 4.
Dua Lipa appears as host and musical guest during "Saturday Night Live" on May 4, 2024. Courtesy Photo
Dua Lipa was all about positivity during her Saturday Night Live monologue.
The 28-year-old pop star — who pulled double duty as host and musical guest during SNL on May 4 — opened the show with a monologue that explained why her just-third studio album is titled Radical Optimism.
“A lot of people ask me what Radical Optimism means,” the “Levitating” singer told the Studio 8H crowd, which included her parents. “To me, it’s like looking on the bright side of any situation. Here, I’ll show you.”
From there, Lipa called on various members of the audience to share a problem in their lives. One man stood up and revealed that his wife left him because he accidentally called her mom while sharing an intimate moment.
“Well, on the bright side, now you’ll have more time to spend with your mom,” the British artist said. “See, Radical Optimism.”
Next, SNL cast member Bowen Yang stood up to share that his doctor ordered him to stop drinking alcohol.
“Well, on the bright side, there’s always poppers,” Lipa replied, referencing the recreational drug. “See, you can put a positive spin on anything.”
The singer ran into a snag when calling on MAGA hat-wearing South Dakota Republican governor Kristi Noem (played by Heidi Gardner), who has received criticism for shooting her puppy.
“No, no no, sorry, I can’t help,” Lipa immediately replied after Gardner’s Noem introduced herself.
Saturday’s SNL marks Lipa’s third time appearing as musical guest on the long-running sketch comedy show and her first time hosting. She was previously a musical guest in 2018 and 2020.
During the May 4 episode, she performed Radical Optimism tracks “Illusion” and “Happy For You.”
Following Saturday’s episode, season 49 will wrap up with two new episodes: May 11, with former SNL star Maya Rudolph hosting for a third time and Vampire Weekend as musical guest for a fourth time, and May 18 with Jake Gyllenhaal hosting a third time and Sabrina Carpenter making her musical-guest debut.
Watch Dua Lipa’s SNL monologue below. For those without cable, the broadcast streams on Peacock, which you can sign up for at the link here. Having a Peacock account also gives fans access to previous SNL episodes.
