When Saturday Night Live's season 51 began, the show had a huge task in front of it. Following a huge cast shakeup that felt underbaked, the sketch comedy show needed to prove that it could feel fresh and funny. Fortunately for everyone involved, the season's premiere featured a host with a gigantic fan following, Bad Bunny. The same episode also included a nod to one of the most popular movies of the last several years.
During SNL's season 51 premiere episode, the show welcomed EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami from KPop Demon Hunters. Since KPop Demon Hunters has become a massive hit that was viewed by millions, having three performers from the beloved movie should have been a huge success. Sadly, however, SNL missed out on a huge opportunity for the show when the trio of singers was brought on in cameo roles.
KPop Demon Hunters' singers should have been Saturday Night Live's musical guests
After KPop Demon Hunters was released in June 2025, the animated movie became an absolute sensation. A gigantic hit, the streaming service even released an article in August 2025 that revealed that the movie was the most-watched Netflix movie ever since it had been viewed more than 236 million times by that point. Also in August 2025, the CBC released an article about the fact that four of KPop Demon Hunters' original songs were in the Billboard top 10 at that time. Those songs were "Golden," which was topping the chart, followed by "Your Idol," "Soda Pop," and "How It's Done."
When fans watched KPop Demon Hunters, the movie focused on its main fictional girl group, HUNTR/X. HUNTR/X's singing voices were provided by EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami, three talented performers who helped portray the characters of Rumi, Mira, and Zoey, respectively. Since KPop Demon Hunters' music has become so beloved, EJAE, Nuna, and Ami began making media appearances as a trio, including during a Saturday Night Live episode.
Saturday Night Live season 51, episode 1 featured Bad Bunny as the host and Doja Cat as the musical guest. One of that episode's sketches played off the mammoth popularity of KPop Demon Hunters when a character portrayed by Bad Bunny was obsessed with the movie. Seated with a group of people, Bad Bunny's character would bring the subject back to KPop Demon Hunters no matter what anyone else said. Ultimately, the sketch concluded with EJAE, Nuna, and Ami making a brief cameo, singing together.
Considering that SNL has always attempted to reference the biggest things going on in pop culture, it made perfect sense for it to bring up KPop Demon Hunters. However, if the sketch comedy show was going to feature EJAE, Nuna, and Ami, it is baffling that the trio wasn't named their episode's musical guest. Instead, the decision was made to have the trio make their singing debut on The Tonight Show three days after their SNL appearance. While that was a coup for Jimmy Fallon's show, it is shocking that the team behind the sketch comedy show let that opportunity slip through their fingers.
Given the show's differing formats, it would have made much more sense for SNL to be the show that featured the KPop Demon Hunters singers as the musical guest for one huge reason. SNL musical guests get to perform two songs. That means that EJAE, Nuna, and Ami could have performed both of their hit songs that charted on the show, "Golden" and "How It's Done."
On top of that, NBC could have promoted KPop Demon Hunters week by revealing that they would be SNL's musical guest and then interviewed on The Tonight Show a few days later. That would have made both episodes events for the movie's rabid fans. For both of those reasons, SNL really missed the mark with the show's HUNTR/X tie-in.