david byrne and robyn on snl
(Peacock)

The ‘SNL: 50’ concert had one of the single greatest moments thanks to Robyn and David Byrne

We’re in the thick of celebrating the 50th birthday of Saturday Night Live. And the celebration of the music of the series led to one of the most unlikely of duets and I loved it.

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Saturday Night Live has had some great musical guests throughout the years and each has brought some pretty epic performances. We’ve had song debuts, hosts pulling double duty, and more. But this was next level and it was all thanks to David Byrne and Robyn.

The duo performed together and it started with Robyn dressed like the iconic Talking Heads suit look that Byrne often rocks. She began singing her song “Dancing On My Own” and eventually, Byrne joined her on stage. I never really expected to hear Byrne singing a Robyn song and it was honestly one of the coolest parts of the night.

The two went on to sing “This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)” by the Talking Heads together, which was nice to see. But starting their set off with “Dancing On My Own” made me strangely emotional. Maybe it is knowing that Byrne loves music and art and probably was happy to sing with Robyn or maybe it is just my millennial connection to the song but it was really beautiful.

The song is all about embracing that upset of being alone and dancing through it, pushing on even though the one you love doesn’t love you back. It got me through many a college crush and I still love to listen to it when I feel a little down and lonely. Watching Robyn and Byrne dance on stage together to it? Truly one of the best things Saturday Night Live has ever given me.

This is a great time for fans of Saturday Night Live and if this was just the celebration of the MUSIC of the show, we’re in for quite the treat.


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Rachel Leishman
Assistant Editor
Rachel Leishman (She/Her) is an Assistant Editor at the Mary Sue. She's been a writer professionally since 2016 but was always obsessed with movies and television and writing about them growing up. A lover of Spider-Man and Wanda Maximoff's biggest defender, she has interests in all things nerdy and a cat named Benjamin Wyatt the cat. If you want to talk classic rock music or all things Harrison Ford, she's your girl but her interests span far and wide. Yes, she knows she looks like Florence Pugh. She has multiple podcasts, normally has opinions on any bit of pop culture, and can tell you can actors entire filmography off the top of her head. Her current obsession is Glen Powell's dog, Brisket. Her work at the Mary Sue often includes Star Wars, Marvel, DC, movie reviews, and interviews.