Charli XCX Finally Made It to the SNL Stage, Baby

On the long, long list of things COVID-19 has taken from us? Charli XCX’s December 2021 Saturday Night Live appearance. Slated to feature guest stars Christine and the Queens and Caroline Polachek joining for “New Shapes,� it was canceled for a lack of crew amid the Omicron surge in New York City. Charli finally got her pop-star moment on the SNL stage over the weekend, performing two new songs, “Beg for You� and “Baby,� off her upcoming album Crash — and she made it worth our wait. (Yes, she previously performed way back in 2014; yes, she did “Boom Clap.�) Charli held her own, sans duet partner Rina Sawayama, for “Beg for You,� performing in an extremely billowing white outfit complete with extra-long nails. But Charli’s newest (and hottest) track, “Baby,� was the real attraction, as she turned out cool, complicated choreography alongside two dancers. Oh, and she got to appear in a bizarre sketch as a meatball attached to Sarah Sherman’s body, too! Charli really told SNL, “Imma f-ck you up, baby.�