Sabrina Carpenter and Paul Simon in 2025. Photo: NBC

Sabrina Carpenter and Paul Simon are returning home to Saturday Night Live for its 50th anniversary special.

On Sunday, Feb. 16, the “Espresso” songstress, 25, and “You Can Call Me Al” crooner and honorary Five-Timers Club member, 83, kicked off the show with an acoustic version of the Simon & Garfunkel song “Homeward Bound.”

Simon said that he came onto the sketch show in 1976 to perform the song with George Harrison during SNL‘s second season. Meanwhile, Carpenter joked she hadn’t been born at that point — neither were her parents.

“Well, I’m glad they’ll get the chance to hear it tonight,” Simon said. “Me too!” Carpenter agreed, before performing the 1966 song.

Sabrina Carpenter and Paul Simon in 2025. NBC

The star-studded lineup of SNL50: The Anniversary Special also included Steve Martin, Tom Hanks, Scarlett Johansson, Ayo Edebiri and Bad Bunny.

Other celebrities who took part in the historic special included Adam Driver, Dave Chappelle, John Mulaney, Kim Kardashian, Martin Short, Miley Cyrus, Paul Simon, Pedro Pascal, Peyton Manning, Quinta Brunson, Robert De Niro, and Woody Harrelson.

Past cast members were also featured, including Amy Poehler, Andy Samberg, Chevy Chase, Chris Rock, Eddie Murphy, Fred Armisen, Garrett Morris, Jane Curtin, Jason Sudeikis, Jimmy Fallon, Kate McKinnon, Kenan Thompson, Kristen Wiig, Laraine Newman, Maya Rudolph, Molly Shannon, Pete Davidson, Seth Meyers, Tina Fey, Tracy Morgan, Will Ferrell and Will Forte.

Sabrina Carpenter Performs Hit Song ‘Espresso’ as She Makes Her Saturday Night Live Musical Guest Debut

Simon has made many appearances on Saturday Night Live throughout its 50 years. Though he has only hosted four times in 1975, 1976, 1986 and 1987, the musician is considered a member of the Five-Timers Club for his contributions to the sketch show’s 100th episode in 1980.

He’s appeared as a musical guest over a dozen times as well and has made six cameos through the years.

Simon has also been close friends with the show’s creator Lorne Michaels for over 50 years. The singer offered to host the show’s first episode but Michaels, 80, turned him down, so he could “work out the kinks on the first show,” per Vulture.

Simon would wind up pulling double-duty on SNL‘s second episode in 1975, appearing as a co-musical guest with Randy Newman and Phoebe Snow. The following season, he came back to host, dressed as a turkey for Thanksgiving.

His most memorable moment on the show was when he sang “The Boxer” surrounded by NYC firemen and police officers on the Sept. 29 episode following the September 11 attacks.

His most recent appearance was in October 2018 when he sang “Bridge Over Troubled Water.”

Paul Simon on ‘Saturday Night Live’. Dana Edelson/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty 

Meanwhile, Carpenter made her debut on the show in May. At the time, she performed “Espresso,” “Feather” and “Nonsense.”

The day after her debut, Carpenter reflected on her experience on Instagram and made a cheeky reference to her “Espresso” lyrics.

“Literally working late cuz I’m a singer @nbcsnl thank you for having us I’m sooooo not chill about it and never will be,” she wrote.

Meanwhile, in November, Carpenter leaned into an SNL skit during her Short n’ Sweet tour show in Los Angeles. At her shows, the “Taste” singer “arrests” someone from the audience before the start of her song “Juno” — and she chose Marcello Hernández‘s beloved SNL character, Domingo.

“Sabrina, I’m here!” Hernández, 27, yelled from the crowd, according to a fan-captured footage on TikTok. The comedian then proceeded to say he’s the “cute boy with the blue jacket and the thick accent,” remixing her song “Bed Chem.”

Sabrina Carpenter Used to Sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to Local Pub Customers as a Child: ‘My First Real Audience’

When the Grammy-winner, asked “Domingo” if he had anything left to say — he broke into song.

“Came all the way / Had to explain / Direct from Domingo / Sabrina’s a friend / She’s like my sis / But I would hook up though,” he sang.

In the SNL skit, a group of bridesmaids reveal that the bride hooked up with Domingo at her bachelorette party to the tune of Carpenter’s hit song “Espresso.” Carpenter and Hernández revamped the sketch during the live SNL50 broadcast on Feb. 16, which featured a number of other buzzy stars.

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Last month, a four-part docuseries was released on Peacock titled SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night. The docuseries featured over 60 contributors who reflected on five decades of Saturday Night Live.

SNL50: The Anniversary Special airs Sunday, Feb. 16, at 8 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.

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