Cher brought the curtain down on Saturday Night Live’s final episode of 2025 with a festive two-song showcase drawn from her 2023 holiday album, reminding viewers why her presence still feels larger than life.
Despite a career spanning more than six decades, Cher has rarely appeared on SNL as a musical guest, making this performance especially notable. She kicked off her set with the energetic “DJ Play a Christmas Song,” one of the original tracks from the album and a clear departure from traditional holiday standards. The song’s modern pop pulse set the tone for a performance that felt celebratory rather than nostalgic.
Her Christmas record — her first ever holiday release and 27th studio album overall — stands out for its star-studded collaborations. The project features a powerful duet with Darlene Love on the seasonal classic “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home),” along with guest appearances from Stevie Wonder, Michael Bublé, Tyga, and Cyndi Lauper, blending generations and genres into one festive collection.
Speaking to Billboard at the time of the album’s release, Cher was characteristically candid about the project. She emphasized that the songs weren’t meant to be traditional yuletide fare. “They’re not ‘Christmas-Christmas’ songs,” she explained, describing them instead as simply strong, well-crafted tracks. Known for being her own toughest critic, Cher admitted that she rarely praises her own work — but made an exception here, noting how much audiences responded to the music and how proud she felt of the result.
For her second SNL performance of the night, Cher leaned into rock-and-roll history with “Run Rudolph Run,” the high-octane holiday classic written by Chuck Berry in 1958. The song, also associated with songwriter Johnny Marks, has long been a staple of seasonal playlists, and Cher’s rendition gave it a bold, veteran-rocker edge that suited her persona perfectly.
The appearance comes at a significant moment in Cher’s career. At 79, she is enjoying renewed recognition following a recent legal victory involving royalties for iconic Sonny & Cher recordings, including the timeless 1965 hit “I Got You Babe.” Adding to the milestone year, Cher has also been named a recipient of the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award — a fitting honor for an artist first nominated for a Grammy six decades ago.
Closing out SNL’s year with confidence and unmistakable star power, Cher proved once again that longevity, reinvention, and relevance can coexist — even under the bright holiday lights of Studio 8H.
