‘SNL at 50’: Alessia Cara’s on-air mishap and meeting Kate McKinnon

As “Saturday Night Live” marks its 50th anniversary, The Canadian Press looks back on some of the sketch comedy show’s most notable Canadian musical performances.

Musical guest: Alessia Cara

Songs: “Scars to Your Beautiful” and “River of Tears”

Host: Kristen Stewart

Date: Feb. 4, 2017

THE SHOW: Alec Baldwin cold-opened the show with his impression of U.S. President Donald Trump just a few weeks after his first inauguration. Melissa McCarthy appeared as then-press secretary Sean Spicer for the first time, and Stewart poked at the president’s petty social media quibbles by digging up his old tweets about her and “Twilight” co-star Robert Pattinson. “She cheated on him like a dog & will do it again,” one Trump tweet read, in part. “He can do much better.”

BACKSTAGE: Walking into NBC’s famed 8H studio in New York was a dream come true for Cara, who had often spoken about wanting to be on “SNL.” At age 20, and still a year away from winning the best new artist Grammy, she was mingling with her comic idols. They included cast member Kate McKinnon who spotted Cara and her mom, waltzed over in her bathrobe, and set her head on Cara’s mom’s shoulder. “Are you Demi Lovato?” she asked jokingly, aware that mom wasn’t a pop star in her own right. “(It) feels like I dreamt this moment, but it’s very real,” Cara said with a smile. “She’s so funny, and that was the most random moment.”

THE REHEARSAL: Cara performed her hit single “Scars to Your Beautiful” and “River of Tears,” a deep cut from the deluxe edition of her 2016 debut album. Playing a relatively unknown track — and a ballad no less — was first suggested to Cara by her manager as a calculated risk that might pay off. “We wanted to do something raw and real,” Cara said.

LIVE ON AIR: “Scars to Your Beautiful” went off without a hitch, but she faced an unanticipated snag when she returned for “River of Tears.” As she moved along with the song and its piano accompaniment, she accidentally knocked her mic pack off, disconnecting her in-ear monitors. “I couldn’t hear myself at all — on live TV,” Cara said. “I remember thinking, ‘This is either going to sound absolutely terrible, or best case scenario, nobody will notice.” Cara pushed ahead and finished the song without a fumble. “Thank God I didn’t lose my pitch,” she said. “But I remember that being the most scary moment of my life.”

THE LEGACY: The now 28-year-old said she’ll always remember her experience at “SNL.” It taught her about the unpredictability of live performances, and that sometimes calculated risks pay off. “In that phase in my life and career, there were a lot of voices and opinions on who you should be and what you should be doing,” she said. “We were trying to be defiant of all of that — just be yourself, go out there and sing your song with no effects. Just do you.” She kept one souvenir from the show. “I have the cue card,” she said. It reads: “Ladies and Gentlemen, Alessia Cara.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 15, 2025.