Photo Credit; Getty Images
Harry Styles returned to Saturday Night Live's famed Studio 8H this weekend, and used his opening monologue to poke fun at one of the internet's favorite debates about him.
The singer, 32, hosted the long-running sketch comedy show on March 14 while also serving as the night's musical guest, marking his first time pulling double duty since his 2019 appearance. Over the years, Styles has appeared on the program multiple times, both as a member of One Direction and later as a solo artist.
During his monologue, Styles reflected on the last time he hosted the show, joking that audiences seemed far more interested in his wardrobe than his comedy.
"Back then people paid a lot of attention to the clothes I was wearing," he told the crowd. "Some people accused me of something called 'queerbaiting.'"
The singer then teased the audience by adding that perhaps critics simply "don't know everything" about him.
His latest album, Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally., arrived earlier this month and inspired several jokes during the monologue. Styles said the unusual title came from asking artificial intelligence to generate "the most Italian phrase ever," before dramatically shouting the name in a thick accent.
The comedic highlight came moments later when several female cast members briefly appeared onstage hoping to receive a kiss from the singer. Instead, the moment took a turn when cast member Ben Marshall walked out and jokingly demanded the same treatment.
"Come here," Styles laughed before pulling Marshall in for a quick kiss.
Turning back to the camera, he delivered the punchline with a grin: "Now that's queerbaiting."
Later in the episode, Styles performed two songs from the new album, the disco-leaning track "Dance No More" and the ballad "Coming Up Roses," continuing a long tradition of musicians pulling double duty on the iconic late-night show
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