UPDATED
Ratings for “SNL” fell with Harry Styles as host and musical guest. They were down to 3.9 million from the previous show’s 4.1 with Kristen Stewart and Coldplay. “SNL” has averaged 4.1 mil this season but is way down from last season. The show seems to be steering away from politics after the cold opening. That’s a mistake.
EARLIER Harry Styles premiered his new single, “Watermelon Sugar,” on “Saturday Night Live” last night. It’s the second single from his forthcoming album, “Fine Line.” The title of the song echoes Richard Brautigan’s avant garde 1968 novella “In Watermelon Sugar,” which is described thusly: “Death is a place where the sun shines a different colour every day and where people travel to the length of their dreams. Rejecting the violence and hate of the old gang at the Forgotten Works, they lead gentle lives in watermelon sugar. Brautigan expresses the mood of a new generation.”
Hmmmm. Did Harry read the book or just like the title? You decide. The song jumped to number 4 overnight on iTunes. Not number 1. Harry has trouble getting his fans to buy his music, I don’t know why.
There are about 10 other songs on Spotify called “Watermelon Sugar.” There’s also a group called “Watermelon Sugar.” But this sort of thing doesn’t bother Harry. On his debut album, he borrowed sounds and riffs from many places. This is called interpolation these days. It’s all an homage of different, er, Styles.
