‘SNL’: Watch Arcade Fire Deliver Blistering Performance of ‘The Lightning I, II’

Arcade Fire returned to Saturday Night Live for their fifth stint as musical guests where they performed two tracks from their sixth studio album We.

The Canadian indie rockers delivered an equally heartfelt and anxiety-inducing performance of the lead single from it, “The Lightning I, II“

At the end of the set, bandleader Win Butler grabbed the mic to give his opinion regarding the threat of Roe v. Wade being overturned: “A woman’s right to choose forever and ever and ever. Amen.”

Arcade Fire also performed the uplifting track “Unconditional I (Lookout Kid)” from We, which Butler dedicated to his son Eddie. He also delivered a Mother’s Day tribute after the final note saying, “I love you, mom.”

But even after taking the stage twice, the band wasn’t quite done. Right before the credits ran, the seven-piece group returned to perform a snippet of “End of the Empire I-IV” from their latest LP.

Arcade Fire previously appeared on SNL in 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2018. Their Nigel Godrich-produced album We was released on Friday.