Dakota Johnson plays ‘Madeline’ during Lily Allen’s SNL appearance
Star Dakota Johnson made a surprise appearance on “Saturday Night Live” this week, performing the mysterious “Madeline” during Lily Allen’s performance of that song. The song was Allen’s second of the evening.
During the performance, Johnson was largely hidden behind a screen during the song while Allen sang about the mistress. But Johnson sang the spoken word portion of the song, which appears on Allen’s album “West End Girl.” In the song, Allen notes that she and her significant otherR “had an agreement: be discreet and don’t be flashy. And there had to be payment. It had to be with strangers. But you’re not a stranger, Madeline.”
Later in the song, “Madeline” explains her side of the story via text messages to Allen: “I hate that you’re in so much pain right now. I really don’t want to be the cause of any upset. He told me that you knew this was going on and that he had your full consent. If he’s lying about that, please let me know. Because I have my own feelings about dishonesty. Lies are not something I want to get caught up in. You can contact me at any time, By the way, if you need more details or just want to vent or something.
After reading those lines, Johnson came out from behind the curtain and walked over to Allen – and gave her a quick kiss.
‘Madeline’ is one of the standout tracks from Allen’s new album ‘West End Girl’ and has led to much speculation about who the mysterious pseudonym is (or a composite of it could be). At least one person has told the press that she is “Madeline,” although Allen has said it is actually a composite of several women.
For her first “SNL” song, Allen sang “Sleepwalking” from “West End Girl” in a bedroom under a neon sign. Given the provocative lyrics, Allen had to censor himself and omit the lyrics, “Why don’t we fuck, baby?” (She did the same with “Madeline,” avoiding part of the sentence “I’m not convinced he didn’t fuck you in our house.”)
Allen appeared on “Saturday Night Live” to promote “West End Girl,” which received critical acclaim for its brutal honesty and craftsmanship. The album is about her breakup with ‘Stranger Things’ star David Harbour, without ever mentioning him by name. (As characterized by scathing lyrics on songs like ‘Pussy Palace’, ‘Sleepwalking’ and ‘Madeline’.)
In his Variety review, Chris Willman named “West End Girl” a contender for album of the year. He wrote about “relishing each confessional line and wondering what on earth she was going to tell us in the next to top it. It’s the pleasure of listening to a master storyteller who makes your jaw drop by having spilled all the tea almost from the start, and then the tea just keeps on coming. Perhaps since Boston in 1773, someone has dumped it so massively or so satisfyingly.”
“West End Girl” was Allen’s first album release since 2018. Allen announced a tour in support of the album in March, marking the first time Allen has toured since 2019.
This is Allen’s second time on “Saturday Night Live,” following an appearance on the February 3, 2007 episode hosted by Drew Barrymore. During that episode, Allen performed the songs “Smile” and “LDN” from her debut album “Alright, Still.”
