Chappell Roan Had a Major Wardrobe Malfunction at Her SNL Performance — Right Before She Went on Stage

There was almost a major “snag” in Chappell Roan’s performance as a musical guest on Saturday Night Live in November.

In an interview with Canadian celebrity journalist Nardwuar posted to his YouTube channel on Dec. 15, Roan, 26, revealed that her performance on the late-night sketch show was almost derailed by a major wardrobe malfunction just moments before she took the stage.

“It ripped all the way down the back right before I walked on stage,” the “Hot to Go” singer told Nardwuar of the dress she wore to perform her hit “Pink Pony Club.” “I had to have SNL‘s in-house seamstress … I was sewn into the dress because it ripped all the way down.”

Following up, Nardwuar also asked Roan about her wardrobe maintenance routine: “And so after you use the dress, is there a bit of sweat sometimes? Do you have to clean it, or how does that work?”

“They smell crazy yeah. I don’t know if I clean it, I think I just put it in a bag and put it back on the rack,” Roan replied.

The dress, a sparkling, form-fitting white-jeweled floor-length gown, was accompanied by Roan’s signature big, red curls and drag makeup. The singer wore a voluminous red wig with silver streaks and bold, dark eye makeup as she began the song sitting on a throne-like chair. Affixed to her lapel, she had a large jeweled spider broach, while a jewel-encrusted spider bracelet was on her wrist. Both were a subtle nod to Halloween, which came just days before her performance.  

Roan debuted a new country-style track for her second performance of the night, “The Giver.” To debut her new song, the singer wore a pink and white gingham bralette with lapels and a tie, as well as matching shorts and cowboy boots. Her band and backing singers sported similarly country-themed looks.

In the interview, Nardwuar also asked Roan if she ever reused any of her outfits, to which Roan replied, “I would love to, but my stylist is like, we gotta keep it moving.”

Roan has been applauded for her daring stylistic looks in the past, drawing inspiration from drag queens, theater, horror movies and more. In June, Roan appeared for a performance at New York’s Governors Ball music festival, painted in all green as the Statue of Liberty.

Another look she wore in a promo for her SNL appearance, a blue and green burlesque-style look, crafted by Project Runway alum Gunnar Deatherage, drew attention for its elaborate construction.

Following the episode, Deatherage took to TikTok and Instagram to explain his process, revealing that the dramatic look (which included dragonfly wings jutting from her hips and a headpiece just as wide) was inspired by burlesque dancers from the 1900s.

In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Deatherage detailed how he put together the extravagant costume for one of music’s biggest pop stars.

“It’s been such a gift, honestly, to create such cool, complex things and then let so many people see them,” Deatherage told PEOPLE of crafting Roan’s look.

The burlesque-inspired getup Roan wore in the promo was originally slated for a performance at a music festival. However, Deatherage admitted that the plan for the outfit evolved as it came together.

“As we kept building and the look kept evolving and getting cooler and more complex, it was apparent that this look needed to be seen in a more stationary moment, rather than jumping around on stage,” Deatherage says. “Because the last thing we wanted to do is prohibit Chappell from being able to be Chappell on stage — prohibit the magic.”