Yeah Yeah Yeahs will no longer be playing Saturday Night Live this weekend.
In a statement posted to their Twitter over the weekend, the “Maps” outfit shares that guitarist Nick Zinner has been battling pneumonia over the past month, adding that his recovery has been “up and down.”
“The band’s top priority is supporting Nick through a full recovery,” the statement reads. “As a result we had to pull out from…Saturday Night Live.”
Karen O and company share that it was a “huge honor” to be chosen as the musical guest for SNL‘s final episode of 2022, which is set to air December 17, for which they are “deeply thankful” and now “heartbroken” that they can no longer play.
“It’s been a tough week, and its been a tough year on the health front for us alongside so many artists who are committed to connecting with audiences amidst a pandemic,” YYYs write. “We send our love to our fans and supporters, thank you for your understanding and well wishes, it means the world to us.”
The group concludes, “Wishing you a healthy and happy rest of 2022, we’re looking forward to a strong return in 2023.”
Lizzo, who will be replacing YYYs for the episode, tweeted, “It’s an honor to fill in for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs who unfortunately could not perform next week.”
This year, Yeah Yeah Yeahs released their new album, Cool It Down, the long-awaited follow-up to 2013’s Mosquito. Cool It Down is nominated for Best Alternative Music Album at the 2023 Grammys, while the single “Spitting Off the Edge of the World,” which features Perfume Genius, is up for Best Alternative Music Performance.
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