KATSEYE Makes Its ‘Saturday Night Live’ Debut With Two Songs

KATSEYE reached another major U.S. television milestone on Saturday night, making its Saturday Night Live debut with performances of “Animal” and “Hootie Frutti.” Both tracks appear on the group’s five-song EP Wild, released in August.

Daniela, Lara, Megan and Yoonchae represented the six-member group onstage. Manon Bannerman and Sophia Laforteza remain on hiatus after separately citing their mental health, so the performance became a four-member showcase rather than a full-lineup appearance.

A television milestone during a fast rise

The SNL booking followed KATSEYE appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and the Today summer concert series. The group also appeared at the American Music Awards in May after making its Coachella debut one month earlier.

KATSEYE was formed through Dream Academy, the competition project developed by HYBE and Geffen Records to assemble a globally sourced girl group. The act released its first EP, SIS (Soft Is Strong), in 2024 before earning a larger commercial breakthrough with 2025’s Beautiful Chaos.

That second EP reached No. 4 on the Billboard 200, while “Gnarly” became the group’s first Billboard Hot 100 entry. “Gabriela” later climbed to No. 21, and the run brought Grammy nominations for best new artist and best pop duo/group performance.

‘Wild’ pushes the group higher

Wild opened at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 170,000 first-week units, according to Billboard. “Animal,” which Ed Sheeran co-wrote, debuted at No. 24 on the Hot 100. Those numbers frame the SNL performance as more than a promotional stop: it arrived after KATSEYE had already converted online attention into chart results.

The group is also in the middle of its 31-date Wildworld Tour. After opening in Europe earlier this month, the itinerary is due to reach North America in October, beginning in Miami before moving through Canada, the western United States and Mexico City.

Performing as a reduced lineup placed extra attention on the four members present, but the two-song debut kept the focus on the new EP and marked another step in KATSEYE’s rapid move into mainstream pop.