Rosalia delivered her second Saturday Night Live performance on Saturday, singing “Magnolias” in the rain during the episode hosted by comedian and actor Shane Gillis.
The song is the closing track on her latest album, Lux, and formed the Spanish singer’s second number of the evening. In its chorus, she repeats the phrase “Tirame magnolias”, which translates as “Throw me magnolias”.
“Magnolias” reflects on Rosalia’s own death, presenting the subject through imagery intended to make it beautiful rather than mournful.
She has previously described the song as an ode to Anandamayi Ma, an Indian saint, teacher and mystic.
Speaking to Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, Rosalia recalled hearing about an unusually peaceful burial surrounded by flowers and said it made her consider how she would want her own funeral to be remembered.
“There was an amazing burial… There were so many flowers… like, it’s crazy. And apparently everybody felt so at peace… apparently everybody was outside… everybody felt so much peace and like joy,” she said.
Rosalia added: “And so for me, I was like, wait — this is amazing to know that that happened. And I’m like, how would my burial be? Maybe it’s just about: please don’t be sad when I die. Just please have a party.”
