LOS ANGELES:

Variety

Cyrus

The last “SNL” of 2018 was one of reflection and hope, and that included the final song by musical guest Mark Ronson and Miley Cyrus – a rendition of the John Lennon classic “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” on which the two were joined by Sean Ono Lennon. The song’s lyrics, “And so this is Christmas / And what have you done / Another year over / A new one just begun,” offered a fitting bookend to a tumultuous year.

The performance was introduced by “SNL” cast member Pete Davidson, who had drawn public concern after a series of social media messages he posted earlier in the day, one of which noted that he “really want to be on this Earth anymore.” The message was shared by many of his famous friends and colleagues, who sent their wellwishes to the comedian and also pointed out that Davidson has been very open about his struggle to be mentally healthy (he revealed a borderline personality disorder diagnosis last year). Davidson did not appear in any sketches during the Dec 15 episode.

Cyrus and Ronson appeared together on stage twice that night. Earlier in the show, the two were accompanied by a string section for their latest single, “Nothing Breaks Like a Heart.” The song has a “Jolene”like Americana vibe and, as Cyrus had described during an appearance on “The Howard Stern Show” earlier in the week, she was drawn to it because of the timeliness of its message. (RTRS)

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