R&B legend Dionne Warwick graced the Saturday Night Live stage to remind us that “What the World Needs Now Is Love,” with a little help from…Dionne Warwick.
The icon joined a version of herself played by Ego Nwodim to perform a duet of the classic tune during a segment of “The Dionne Warwick Talk Show.”
The recurring sketch’s third installment began with its usual format — Nwodim in character as Warwick hosting a fictional talk show, spontaneously breaking into song when not asking tongue-and-cheek questions to celebrity guests, both real and impersonated.
“I’m sick and tired of interviewing people who aren’t icons,” Nwodim said after wrapping up conversations with a version of Miley Cyrus played by Chloe Fineman, Post Malone impersonated by Pete Davidson, Jason Mraz played by host Kieran Culkin and musical guest Ed Sheeran, appearing in the sketch as himself.
“Please welcome me,” Nwodim said introducing the real Warwick, who received a warm welcome from the crowd at Rockefeller Plaza’s famed Studio 8H.
“I’m so excited for you that I’m here,” the 80-year-old singer said to her double once the cheers subsided.
“Let me ask you something,” Nwodim’s Warwick began. “Dionne, why are you perfect?”
The real Warwick, wearing a sparkling outfit that matched Nwodim’s costume, replied with a grin: “My darling, I’m not perfect, I’m just very, very good.”
After further witty banter between the two, Nwodim’s Warwick asks the real singer for her opinion on a modern musical trend — specifically, why musicians these days have names such as YoungBoy Never Broke Again instead of names like Burt Bacharach, a longtime songwriter who formerly collaborated with Warwick.
“I don’t know the answer, but I will keep tweeting until I find out,” Warwick answered, referencing her grand entrance into the Twitter-verse towards the end of 2020.
“Please do not bring that foolishness into 2021,” read a Dec. 2020 Tweet from Warwick that not only made it onto Nwodim’s inaugural installment of the recurring sketch, but was also featured on a billboard in New York City.
Nwodim closed out Saturday’s segment by asking if Warwick wanted to “sing a song to the people.”
“Do they deserve it?” Warwick asked, to which Nwodim replied: “I think they do.”
The pair proceeded to perform Warwick’s 1966 rendition of the Bacharach track “What the World Needs Now Is Love.”
“What the world needs now is love, sweet love …” Warwick began.
“…It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of …” Nwodim finished.
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