Billie Eilish brought Barbie back to life last night (Dec. 16) during the final Saturday Night Live of the season, performing her smash hit from its soundtrack, “What Was I Made For?” on an episode hosted by former SNL cast member and Barbie star Kate McKinnon.
“What Was I Made For?” is up for five Grammys, including Record and Song of the Year. Eilish wrote the track with her brother Finneas, while she directed its music video. It was one of many reasons Barbie became a full-on cultural phenomenon this summer, propelling it to box office receipts of over $1.4 billion to make it the year’s highest-grossing film. As of now, it’s also the 14th highest-grossing film of all time and owns a similar distinction for movies directed solely by women.
During her performance of the song, where she was backed by her brother Finneas, bassist Christian McBride, and a group of string musicians, Eilish re-created the scene from Barbie with childhood photos of the female cast members. She was introduced by McKinnon and Barbie director Greta Gerwig.
Additionally, she covered “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” as fake snow fell onto the stage. Following the performance, Eilish appeared with McKinnon in a skit about a cat rescue shelter. Earlier in the episode, she appeared in a short with special guests Maya Rudolph, Kristen Wiig, Paula Pell, McKinnon and Gerwig.
This was Eilish’s third appearance on the show, following her 2019 debut and a 2021 stint both hosting and performing. In recent interviews, the artist has hinted that work on her next album is well underway, although no timetable has been revealed.
