Nathaniel Rateliff made his presence felt during his Saturday Night Live debut on Feb. 13, delivering passionate performances of new and older material alongside his band the Night Sweats.
For his first performance, the folk singer-songwriter treated viewers to his recent song “Redemption,” a stirring ballad about being freed from one’s past. The moving track was written for Justin Timberlake‘s latest film, Palmer, which premiered on Apple TV+ in January.
Rateliff immediately set the mood on SNL by appearing alone in the dark with just his guitar, surrounded by five beaming spotlights, before a trio of angelic-looking backup singers and his tight band joined in for a rousing performance.
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The music video for “Redemption” premiered earlier in the week, featuring snippets of Timberlake in the film interspersed with footage of Rateliff driving and performing around rocky terrain.
Later in the Regina King-hosted episode, the Denver-based artist sat behind the keys for a rousing performance of the R&B-tinged song “A Little Honey,” from his 2018 album with the Night Sweats, Tearing at the Seams. Midway through the tune, Rateliff stood up behind the mic to belt out such memorable lines as, “I need you baby/ More than you’ll ever, ever know,” ahead of Valentine’s Day.
Check out Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats’ SNL performances below.
https://youtu.be/EkPr-P2132M
https://youtu.be/QKRWAjQyKgw