Justin Timberlake recently opened up about the moment he had to persuade the incredible Beyoncé to join him in the unforgettable 2008 “Single Ladies” sketch for Saturday Night Live. In the documentary Ladies & Gentlemen… 50 Years of SNL Music, which premiered in January and aired again on February 15 ahead of SNL’s 50th anniversary celebration, Timberlake recounted that “She was very polite about it, but she was very hesitant, and when I say hesitant, I mean like, she was not having it.”
The sketch was born out of a text message Timberlake received from SNL cast member Andy Samberg, who pitched the idea of a parody of Beyoncé’s chart-topping track “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It).” Timberlake shared, “He said, ‘Bobby Moynihan has this great idea for a sketch about you, me and him being Beyoncé’s background dancers for single ladies that never made the cut.’” Timberlake humorously recalled asking Samberg, “Full leotard?” to which Samberg responded, “Yeah.” Excited by the idea, Timberlake knew it was a must-do.
Once Timberlake understood the premise of the sketch, he was determined to convince Beyoncé of its comedic brilliance as it was set to air in the November 2008 episode hosted by Paul Rudd. “I’m like, does she know how funny this is gonna be? How beloved this whole moment will be?” Timberlake implored. With enthusiasm, he declared, “So I said, ‘Bring me the leotard.’”
Timberlake reminisced about the day he donned a black leotard, tights, and high heels, covering himself with a robe. He recalled walking into Beyoncé’s dressing room, throwing off the robe, and striking a pose. “She was like, ‘No, you didn’t,’” Timberlake laughed as he remembered her reaction. Ultimately, Timberlake, Samberg, and Moynihan participated in the sketch alongside Beyoncé and Rudd, who portrayed the singer’s video director.
In the comedic clip, Beyoncé expressed her nerves about meeting the dancers appearing in her music video. Rudd, reassuring her, said, “Oh look, don’t worry about the other dancers, B-Town. I hand-picked them myself; these guys are pros.” To this, Beyoncé replied, “These guys?” At that moment, Timberlake, Samberg, and Moynihan made their entrance, attempting to assure Beyoncé of their readiness, saying they were all warmed up.
As they began to perform the iconic dance, the video transitioned to black-and-white, and Beyoncé halted production, wondering aloud, “Something just doesn’t feel quite right.” She expressed her confusion, saying, “I’m just a little bit confused, because this song is called ‘Single Ladies’ so I imagined the dancers would be strong, beautiful women.” Even though Beyoncé did not allow the trio of male dancers into her music video, the sketch concluded with the group joyfully dancing to her beloved tune.
The documentary Ladies & Gentlemen… 50 Years of SNL Music is currently available for streaming on Peacock, providing fans with an engaging retrospective on the show’s rich history and memorable moments.
