‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Singers Give Surprise Performance as Bad Bunny’s Idols on ‘Saturday Night Live’

Global music and film sensation Bad Bunny recently stepped into the role of host for the season opener of "Saturday Night Live." During the broadcast, a standout sketch featured him as Thomas, a socially awkward character whose fervent obsession with the fictional girl group Huntr/x becomes the punchline during a meal with friends. Thomas adamantly argues that the group's feature film, "KPop Demon Hunters," is rooted in actual events, much to his companions' amusement.

The scene takes an unexpected, surreal twist when Thomas drifts into a daydream, silently wishing for protection by "three gorgeous Korean girls." This mental summons brings forth the real-life vocalists of Huntr/x—Ejae, Rei Ami, and Audrey Nuna—who storm the stage with an energetic performance of their single "Golden." Their intervention proves crucial, as they ultimately rescue Thomas and his entire group from the movie's antagonist, Jinu, portrayed by SNL cast member Bowen Yang.

This cameo cleverly leverages the historic success of "KPop Demon Hunters." The Sony Pictures Animation musical fantasy, which debuted on Netflix in late August, rapidly became the streaming service's most-watched movie ever. For the week of September 22-28, it achieved a milestone 15th straight week in the Netflix Top 10, breaking the platform's previous record for the longest-running English-language film. Such enduring performance is uncommon and typically indicates that a project has achieved a significant cultural footprint.

Audiences can look forward to another major appearance from the Huntr/x members. Ejae, Nuna, and Rei Ami are set to give the inaugural full televised performance of "Golden" on October 7th during "The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon." The musical segment will be followed by an interview with the host. According to Dr. Lena Cho, a pop culture analyst at the Pop Culture Institute, "This coordinated move from animation to live TV and comedy sketches reflects a modern, multi-platform approach to artist development, aiming to transform a viral film phenomenon into a sustainable musical career." This strategy mirrors efforts by other media conglomerates to build franchises that span multiple entertainment formats.