The Lonely Island rose to prominence thanks to their work onSaturday Night Live, and the group excitedly returned to the show to direct, write, and star in a new video for season 50. Lorne Michael’s late-night live sketch comedy-variety TV series has featured hundreds of comedians since its premiere in 1975, and one of the show’s most famous recent stars is Andy Samberg.NBC hired Samberg, Jorma Taccone, and Akiva Schaffer (aka The Lonely Island) as writers in 2005,with Samberg also selected to become aSaturday Night Livecast member. Together, they forever changedSaturday Night Live.
Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone, and Akiva Schaffer formed The Lonely Island when they met while attending Willard Junior High School in Berkeley, California, in the early 1990s.
While Adam McKay is credited with creating the concept ofSaturday Night Live’s Digital Shorts,The Lonely Island made the comedic (and typically musical) video shorts popular.As a result, the comedy trio aided the late-night sketch series' transition into the digital age and helped the show adapt to the entertainment industry’s new normal in the mid-2000s. Unfortunately, The Lonely Island eventually leftSaturday Night Livebut sporadically returned to develop new skits, including during season 50, episode 2, on July 29, 2025.
The Lonely Island’s “Sushi Glory Hole” SNL Short & Lyrics
Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone, & Akiva Schaffer Returned To SNL
The Lonely Island made a special guest appearance inthe cast ofSaturday Night Liveseason 50, episode 2, “Nate Bargatze; Coldplay.“Andy Samberg and Akiva Schaffer starred in a Digital Short, “Sushi Glory Hole,“written by all three members of The Lonely Island and DJ Nu-Mark. The video features Samberg and Schaffer playing two businessmen giving a pitch (which entails putting holes in public bathroom stalls for people to eat sushi out of) to three investors, played by Maya Rudolph, Kenan Thompson, and Bowen Yang. PerGenius, the lyrics to “Sushi Glory Hole” (some of whichSaturday Night Livecensored) are:
Instead of strange d*ck, you’d be getting a snack
High-end fish, no doubt
Hey, where are you going?
Hey! Where are you going?
(Still together)
Makes too much mothеrf**king sense not to do it
Fish through a hole
You know it ain’t nothing to it
And thеre is no scenario in which you wouldn’t want it
So drop to your knees, open wide and get ready for some rice
With fish on
Rice with fish on it
Hear us out
You got nothing to fear
It’s a good idea and it’s not weird
So hear us out while we tell you
What the concepts are all about
Where are you going? (Where are you going?)
(together)
You forgot to eat
Now you’re out and about
But you wanna be discreet
Can’t be eatin omakase in the middle of the street
No!
Then you open the app S-G-H is all over the map
So you head to a club, hit the bathroom stall
Find the sushi size hole in
The bathroom wall, then make a wish and prepare for
Some shockingly high grade fish
Where are you going?
Come back, come back, come back, come back
You know I’m fooling with yuzu
What you would usually do it
If you got fund approval
You’re who we’re trying to get through to
Hey. And no gimmicky rolls
Just strictly nigiri coming out of the holes
And no substitutions or special requests
And no d*ck and no sex
That’s two stalls over
So you’re gonna wanna ensure you come in sober
Cause none of them are labeled
And full disclosure
There’s a chance you’re gonna get a d*ck
But it’s worth it ‘cause the quality of fish
The flavor that you gain outweighs the risk
Don’t leave, don’t leave, don’t leave, don’t leave
Don’t leave
At a sex club when you need stamina for sex
But forgot to eat, back soon
At a sushi restaurant where you don’t like the food
Sushi Glory Hole
Don’t leave
Aside from Samberg, Schaffer, Rudolph, Thompson, and Yang, otherSaturday Night Livecast members who appear in “Sushi Glory Hole” include Chloe Fineman, Mikey Day, Andrew Dismukes, and Devon Walker.All of them play men and women who find themselves in situations where they need a “Sushi Glory Hole.” For example, Fineman’s character has bad sushi at a restaurant. So, she goes into the bathroom to be fed good sushi through a hole in one of the stalls.
The Lonely Island’s SNL Return Was Worth The 6-Year Wait
The Comedy Trio Haven’t Appeared On SNL Since 2018
Sometimes, when comedians return toSaturday Night Liveafter being absent for many years, their appearances don’t live up to expectations. Thankfully, that wasn’t the case for The Lonely Island. Their skit was the furthest thing fromdisappointing inSaturday Night Liveseason 50, episode 2.“Sushi Glory Hole” feels like a classic Digital Short from The Lonely Island— it’s catchy, hilarious, outlandish, and everything one could hope for in a musical video from the comedy trio.
Saturday Night Live’s Parks & Rec Reunion Makes A Revival More Likely
Leslie Knope and April Ludgate’s recent Parks & Recreation reunion on SNL proves there are still plenty of reasons to revive the popular sitcom.
“Sushi Glory Hole” was also well received by the audience.Fans were elated and nostalgic about The Lonely Island’sSaturday Night Livereturnduring the episode hosted by Nate Bargatze. Many took to social media to express their excitement about Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone, and Akiva Schaffer creating another Digital Short for the NBC late-night live sketch comedy series. Hopefully, this means more Lonely Island Digital Shorts are to come in season 50. SinceSamberg is playing presidential candidate Kamala Harris' husband, Doug Emhoff, leading up to the 2024 election,the opportunity is there for more music videos.
Why & When The Lonely Island Members Left SNL
The Lonely Island Officially Retired From SNL In 2012
After working aswriters forSaturday Night Livefor seven years, The Lonely Island left the show in 2012 (after season 37).Andy Samberg stepped down as a cast member,while Jorma Taccone and Akiva Schaffer slowly began walking away from the NBC late-night live sketch comedy series. Samberg wanted to focus on acting in films and other shows, and he was successful when he landed the leading role in the Fox/NBC sitcomBrooklyn Nine-Ninein 2013. Meanwhile, Taccone and Schaffer also began working on different projects. However, the three continued working together to record albums and develop other projects.
The Lonely Island’s Previous Returns To Saturday Night Live Since Their Exit
The Trio Created A Handful Of Digital Shorts For SNL After Retiring
Although they technically retired in 2012,The Lonely Island has still created a few videosforSaturday Night Livein the years since. Just one year later, the comedy trio developed “YOLO,” a Digital Short that aired in January 2013.The Lonely Island would come back three more times before taking a six-year breakfromSaturday Night Live.
Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer, Jorma Taccone, and Chris Parnell
SNLseason 31, episode 9
“Natalie’s Rap”
Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer, Jorma Taccone, and Asa Taccone
SNLseason 31, episode 13
“Dick in a Box”
Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer, and Jorma Taccone
SNLseason 32, episode 9
SNLseason 32, episode 17
“Jizz in My Pants”
SNLseason 34, episode 10
“I’m on a Boat”
SNLseason 34, episode 15
“Like a Boss”
Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone
SNLseason 34, episode 19
“I Just Had Sex”
Akiva Schaffer
Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer, Jorma Taccone, Jerrod Bettis, and Justin Franks
SNLseason 36, episode 10
“YOLO”
The Lonely Island, Rhiannon Bryan, Rhydian Davies, and Khari Cain
SNLseason 38, episode 12
June 09, 2025
After “YOLO,“The Lonely Island directed, wrote, and starred in “Hugs” in May 2014,“Finest Girl (Bin Laden Song)” in May 2016, and “Natalie’s Rap 2” in 2018. So, it has been six years since fans last saw Samberg, Schaffer, and Taccone onSaturday Night Live. However, the three have been keeping busy.
What The Lonely Island Has Done Since Leaving SNL
The Trio Directed, Wrote, & Starred In Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping
After stepping away fromSaturday Night Liveafter season37,The Lonely Island focused on writing albums and producing two feature films.Their albums includedThe Wack Album,Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping, andThe Unauthorized Bash Brothers Experience, with the last two coming from the comedy trio’s movies of the same name.Popstar: Never Stop Never Stoppingpremiered in 2016 and was, unfortunately, a box office bomb. However, it received positive reviews from critics and has developed a cult following. Most recently, Netflix releasedThe Lonely Island Presents: Unauthorized Bash Brothers Experiencein 2019.
Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping
Cast
Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping is a 2016 comedy starring The Lonely Island members Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone, and Akiva Schaffer. The film centers on Samberg’s character, Conner, a former boy band member who slowly sees his celebrity status drop. However, he’ll do anything to reach stardom again.
