During a recent episode of author James Andrew Miller’s podcast “Origins,” Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels revealed that Kanye West wasn’t the first choice to be the musical guest for season 44’s premiere on Saturday, Sept. 28. Instead, he said that Ariana Grande was supposed to perform, but due to personal reasons, she stepped out and West stepped up.
“We had Ariana drop out for emotional reasons two days ago,” he revealed on the show around the 51:30 mark. “That’s our premiere, and then Kanye stepped up, and he’ll be there. So the reach of the show and the number of people that will step forward is somehow now I think probably at its peak.”
West has been teasing his forthcoming album Yandhi since it was announced he’d be performing on the sketch comedy show. It will drop on Saturday night. He revealed during a recent listening session that XXXTentacion and Tekashi 6ix9ine will be featured artists on the LP.
Ariana Grande’s gig cancellation is certainly justified. Other than the traumatic Manchester bombing that happened at her concert last year, she is dealing with the highly-publicized and sudden passing of her ex-boyfriend, rapper Mac Miller. She has posted more frequently on social media throughout the month, but on Twitter this week, she wrote that she was begging for “one okay day.” She also quote-tweeted her own tweet about “everything” being “okay” with “j f**king k.”
READ MORE: Ariana Grande Shares Touching Tribute To Mac Miller: “I Adored You From The Day I Met You”