A$AP Rocky debuted songs from his new album ‘Don’t Be Dumb’ for the first time on Saturday Night Live. Watch below.
- READ MORE: NME’s most anticipated album releases of 2026
Last night (January 17) marked Rocky’s first time performing on SNL, and he marked the occasion by performing three songs from his new LP, which dropped the day before.
He opened with lead single ‘Punk Rocky‘ – which he released a star-studded video for last week, featuring appearances from Winona Ryder, Danny Elfman, Thundercat, and Rocky’s cousin A$AP Nast.
Next, played a medley of ‘Helicopter’ and the album’s title track. Check out both performances below.
The album has also made headlines for including a presumed Drake diss track, called ‘Stole Ya Flow’, which also references Rocky’s partner, Rihanna, and for seemingly dropping a Morrissey collaboration which the rapper had teased since 2018.
‘Don’t Be Dumb’ is Rocky’s first album in almost eight years – his last LP, ‘Testing’ came out in May 2018. He first announced the album in June 2024 with the release date scheduled for August, but it was then subjected to a number of delays. In February 2025, he said he was “in the mixing and mastering realm of it,” and in December, he shared the fresh January release date.
NME listed ‘Don’t Be Dumb’ as one of the most anticipated album releases of 2026, writing: “After a years-long legal battle, A$AP Rocky was found not guilty last February for his role in a 2021 shooting incident. His fourth album ‘Don’t Be Dumb’ – preceded by singles such as ‘Pray4DaGang’, ‘Ruby Rosary’ and ‘Tailor Swif’ and coming nearly eight years after his last album, ‘Testing’ – then feels like the return of a prodigal son.”
In November, meanwhile, Rocky was officially unveiled as a new brand ambassador for Chanel. The rapper said of the French fashion house’s artistic director, Matthieu Blazy, “His designs feel both sensitive and strong, they’re grounded in reality but at the same time, always invite one to wonder. I’m so excited to see him at Chanel.”
Two months before, he welcomed his third child with Rihanna – Rocki Irish Mayers was born on September 13. The ‘Umbrella’ star had revealed her pregnancy while making a fashionably late entrance at the Met Gala in May.
He was also in two movies last year, starring in indie hit If I Had Legs I’d Kick You alongside Rose Byrne and Conan O’Brien, as well as Spike Lee’s Highest 2 Lowest, opposite Denzel Washington.
