Ariana Grande's Spot-On Celebrity Impressions Steal The Show On 'SNL'

Ariana Grande takes over 'SNL' with impressions, singing, and Glinda moments alongside Bowen Yang.

Filip

• Published in News
• October 19, 2024

Ariana Grande, born in 1993, gained fame through her role in Nickelodeon's "Victorious" before transitioning to music. Her debut album "Yours Truly" (2013) paved the way for her successful career, marked by albums like "Dangerous Woman" and "Positions."

Grande's music blends pop, dance, and R&B, earning her 15 Grammy nominations and two wins. She has also acted in films like "Zoolander 2" and the upcoming "Wicked" adaptation, where she portrays Glinda.

She returned to Studio 8H to host "Saturday Night Live," showcasing her talent for impersonations, including spot-on impressions of Britney Spears, Celine Dion, and more. Grande, who portrays Glinda in the much-anticipated "Wicked" film this November, shared her enthusiasm during her opening monologue.

“Thank you so much,” said Grande. “I’m so happy to be back hosting.

This year has been truly amazing. I got to play Glinda in the ‘Wicked’ movie.

It’s awesome, because I’m such a theater kid. And it’s every theater kid’s dream to be Glinda or Elphaba.

Well, it’s every theater kid’s dream to lose their virginity. But their second dream is of course to be in ‘Wicked.'”

Reflecting on her previous hosting stint, Grande remarked, “The last time I hosted was in 2016, right on the verge of electing our first female president, so I guess the second time’s the charm.”

Famous for her incredible vocal range, Grande humorously commented on her musical prowess, stating, “I just want to make one thing clear; I am just hosting.

I’m not going to make this about me. I’m just going to have fun, take it easy, and keep it low-key.”

"This year has been truly amazing. I got to play Glinda in the 'Wicked' movie," said Ariana

"I'm not going to make this about me. I'm just going to have fun, take it easy, and keep it low-key."

From offstage, Ariana Grande was handed a microphone, prompting her to exclaim, “Oh, what’s this?” She began singing, stating, “I’m not going to sing my favorite notes…

I’m not going to do my impressions…” Moments later, however, the two-time Grammy winner showed off her vocal prowess by doing impressions of Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus, and Gwen Stefani.

Her spot-on rendition of Stefani singing No Doubt’s 1995 hit “Don’t Speak” stood out. Grande humorously added, “I promised I won’t do a lift,” just as she was lifted into the air, accompanied by a glamorous chorus line dressed in suits.

Bowen Yang joined Ariana Grande onstage, dressed as Glinda from “The Wizard of Oz.”

Grande remarked, “Bowen, didn’t anybody tell you? We cut the ‘Wicked’ sketch.”

“Oh, that’s OK,” Yang replied. “I didn’t really want to do it anyway.”

Grande playfully responded, “Great, and this isn’t a wand, it’s a flask,” pulling the top off Yang’s pink Glinda wand. Continuing to sing, Grande added, “I’m not gonna do a duet tonight, so please don’t bring out Stevie Nicks!

And the last thing I’m gonna do is bring out some hot dancers to do some insanely high kicks!” At that moment, she was joined by a glamorous chorus line, all dressed in sparkly suits.

Ariana Grande monologue

But that was not the end of her performance. In another brief sketch, Ariana Grande portrayed Celine Dion, parodying the singer's unexpected NFL promo from the previous week.

This time, Grande's version of Dion humorously sang about the intense, bone-crunching action of UFC fighting, spoofing "It's All Coming Back to Me Now."

Filip