During Lizzo‘s poignant Saturday Night Live performance this weekend, she paid homage to the beloved piece of art Blue Monday by painter Annie Lee through an intricate set design and thoughtful styling.
Performing her song “Break Up Twice” from her album Special, Lizzo adorned a slinky white custom slip dress by Rey Ortiz with a single drop strap styled by Brett Alan Nelson. The Grammy Award winner sported Bantu knots by hairstylist Shelbeniece Swain.
Lizzo perfectly recreated the scene in the painting, with a bed next to a lamp and alarm clock on the bedside table, with a blue wall and calendar behind her, and slippers near her feet. She also appeared as the tired, hunched over female figure portrayed in Lee’s self-portrait as she began to sing.
An impressive last-minute endeavor, Lizzo took a moment to praise the efforts of her team, who pulled it all together with less than a week to prepare. The singer was announced as a replacement for musical guest on Dec. 10 after The Yeah Yeah Yeahs had to cancel when guitarist Nick Zinner came down with a case of pneumonia.
Lizzo took to Instagram to thank Swain, Nelson, creative director Tanisha Scott, producer and musical director Quintin “Q” Gulledge, makeup artist Alexx Mayo, nail artist Eri Ishizu, and producer Kevin Beisler. She posted side-by-side imagery of the performance and the painting writing, “💙 y’all make miracles happen!”
Lizzo also posted a series of tweets pointing out the artistic reference. “Uniquely Black in America @lizzo is unapologetic about her place in the cultural zeitgeist,” wrote one Twitter user. “This hung in every Black household at the turn of the 21st century. It fully encapsulates our mood today. We are beyond tired.”
Another tweet read, “Lizzo, your “Blue Monday” homage was everything tonight on @nbcsnl. Saaaang @lizzo and keep Annie Lee fresh in our hearts.”
Lee passed away in 2014 at the age of 79. Known for her authentic depictions of African American everyday life and faceless figures, body language took center stage in Lee’s compositions and women were often at the forefront. Lee told the Chicago Tribune in 1997, “I think my paintings connect me to women. I know that how I feel is the way a lot of women feel.”
For her second song of the night, Lizzo performed her own rendition of Stevie Wonder’s “Someday at Christmas,” which was released in November. The episode was by Elvis actor Austin Butler, and marked the last appearance for longtime cast member Cecily Strong after 11 seasons on the iconic sketch comedy show.
