An upcoming logjam of must-see music-related TV begins the night before the Grammys, when Chris Stapleton appears as the musical guest on the Jan. 27 edition of Saturday Night Live.
Stapleton previously appeared on SNL in 2016. This time around, he appears opposite guest host and show alum Will Farrell. His fame has increased in the past two years, with his three studio albums to date simultaneously charting among the top five country albums last month.
The following night, Stapleton looks to win three awards at the 60th annual Grammys. He's up for best country album for From A Room: Volume 1, best country solo performance for "Either Way" and best country song for "Broken Halos." Will he perform nominated songs in the spirit of the weekend, or will SNL serve as another means to promote more recent release From A Room: Volume 2?
Further speculation involves longtime Chris Stapleton pal and the musical headliner for the following weekend's Super Bowl, Justin Timberlake. With Stapleton featured on Timberlake's country-influenced album Man of the Woods, another televised collaboration makes sense. Might Timberlake appear on SNL as a special surprise, boosting hype for his album's Feb. 2 release? A duet on album track "Say Something" would definitely up the advance album hype. Or perhaps Stapleton appears on the biggest stage of them all as a special surprise. All of this is speculation, of course, but none of it seems outside the realm of possibility.
