Marlon Wayans and Queen Latifah found themselves in a Lip Sync Battle on Thursday.
Wayans took the stage first, dedicating his performance to “all the miserable people out there” before throwing himself into an animated performance of Pharrell’s 2014 hit “Happy.”
Sporting Pharrell’s now-iconic hat, Wayans bounced back and forth across the stage, dancing with Color-Commentator Chrissy Teigen, playing to the crowd and taunting his competitor.
When asked if she could top the performance, Latifah praised Wayans for his effort, but promised a “more subtle approach” for her performance.
“Subtle might work in the bedroom, but it ain’t gonna work on this stage,” Wayans shot back.
“If subtle ain’t gonna work, then maybe sexy will,” Latifah declared, before stripping off her jacket to reveal a long, body-hugging gown and giving a sassy performance of En Vogue’s “My Lovin’ (You’re Never Gonna Get It).
For the second round, Wayans opted for a slower performance with “Stay With Me” by Sam Smith.
The stage was adorned with smoke, curtains and candelabras as Wayans performed the soulful song and an accompanying interpretive dance with his backup singers.
But again, Latifah was unfazed. “I’m about to smash you. I love you, but I hope everybody can catch because I’m coming out there,” she said, pointing at the audience.
When she returned to the stage in a red track suit for her second performance, Latifah took a moment to give LL Cool J a respectful bow, then launched into a swagger-filled rendition of the host’s own track, “Rock the Bells.”
“I didn’t know she was doing that song. Very tricky,” the host said as Latifah played to the crowd.
In the end, the crowd determined that she was still the reigning Queen and crowned her the winner of the battle.