KATSEYE opened a major new chapter in their U.S. promotions by appearing on the Season 52 premiere of Saturday Night Live as the episode’s musical guest.
The group performed two songs from their third EP WILD, including the pre-release track Animal and title track Hootie Frutti.
For Animal, KATSEYE delivered a darker and more dramatic stage, while Hootie Frutti switched to a brighter tropical concept with a colorful set and playful choreography.
The group also took part in one of the night’s comedy sketches instead of appearing only for the musical stages.
KATSEYE joined a parody titled Dream Academy: Season 2, which played off The Debut: Dream Academy, the competition that originally formed the group. In the sketch, the members appeared as judges evaluating new contestants.
The setup gave the members a chance to show a different side of themselves as they seriously reacted to intentionally awkward and unusual performances for comedic effect.
Their first appearance on Saturday Night Live comes after a growing list of U.S. television appearances, including The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Today.
Billboard also pointed to the SNL appearance as another sign of KATSEYE’s growing presence in the U.S. mainstream, describing them as “one of the most commercially successful girl groups in the world.”
The group is also nominated in four categories at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards, including Best Group, Song of Summer, Best K-Pop, and Best Choreography.
