[live review] Karmin take to the SNL stage

Well, shit. Hope y'all placed your bets early and high on ex-Boston sweethearts Nick Noonan and Amy Heidemann of KARMIN. Those crazy kids appeared on SNL this past weekend, and pulled off a reverse-Lana-del-Rey performance. (Sorry, Lana del Rey.)

The duo opened with their latest single, "Brokenhearted," a power-pop anthem featuring Heidemann's absurdly quick rap chops, and closed with a brand-spankin' new song, "I Told You So," a grittier nod to the pair's love of hip hop hooks, complete with... leather? pleather? ...hotpants. On Amy, not Nick.

Karmin's rise to fame has never been without its haters, and these performances are no exception. Most complaints seem to hover around her outfits, her makeup, the crouching, the stage presence, "nick is so hott why isnt he singinggggg <3 <3 <3," and her rapping style, oft compared to Nicki Minaj. Considering the historically poor quality of the SNL sound stage, I went into this viewing extremely nervous, but didn't cringe once.

But, haters gonna hate. While I do occasionally miss Amy and Nick and their living room covers, no one can deny these two are powering through the music industry at an admirable speed, whether you like it or not.

Noonan and Heidemann recently announced the April release date of their debut album, Hello, off Epic Records. Keep an eye on those charts.

ALSO READ: "Spitting a fierce hip-hop cover, Karmin use YouTube as a launching pad for success," by Cassandra Landry.