Lizzo to Replace Yeah Yeah Yeahs as SNL’s December 17 Musical Guest

Yeah Yeah Yeahs have canceled their upcoming appearance on Saturday Night Live due to guitarist Nick Zinner’s current bout of pneumonia. The band announced the news via social media early this morning (December 11). “As many of our fans know Nick has had pneumonia over the past month and it’s been an up and down recovery process,” they wrote in a statement. “The band’s top priority is supporting Nick through a full recovery, as a result we had to pull out from our engagements of KROG’s Acoustic Christmas and Saturday Night Live.” The trio were slated to perform as musical guests on the December 17 installment. Now, SNL has announced that Lizzo will replace Yeah Yeah Yeahs for the episode. Elvis star Austin Butler is still scheduled to host.

Elsewhere in their statement, Yeah Yeah Yeahs wrote that they have “enjoyed the incredible heights of being chosen to close out SNL’s 2022,” and that they are “deeply thankful and expectedly heartbroken we cannot rise to these occasions.” They continued:

It’s been a tough week, and it’s been a tough year on the health front for us alongside so many artists who are committed to connecting with audiences amidst a pandemic. We send our love to our fans and supporters, thank you for your understanding and well wishes, it means the world to us. Wishing you a healthy and happy rest of 2022, we’re looking forward to a strong return in 2023. 

Much love,

Karen, Nick, and Brian

Next weekend’s SNL episode would have marked Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ first time performing on the show since 2009, when Zac Efron hosted and the band played Fever to Tell’s “Maps,” as well as “Zero” from that year’s It’s Blitz!

Karen O and Yeah Yeah Yeahs returned earlier this year with Cool It Down, their first new album since 2013’s Mosquito. The record was led by the single “Spitting Off the Edge of the World,” featuring Perfume Genius. The new LP is nominated for Best Alternative Music Album at the 2023 Grammy Awards, while the song got nominated for Best Alternative Music Performance.