Rosalía returned to Saturday Night Live on 10 October and opened her set by singing Reliquia while dancing on pointe. The 34-year-old Spanish singer was the episode’s musical guest for the second time, appearing on a night hosted by Shane Gillis. The performance quickly became one of the most shared clips from the episode. The episode formed part of the show’s 52nd season.
Reliquia, a track from her latest album Lux, takes its title from the Spanish word for relic. For her first performance of the evening, Rosalía combined the song with classical ballet technique, supporting her full body weight on the tips of her toes as she sang. Pointe work demands years of training, and pairing it with a live vocal on a television broadcast made the performance one of the most discussed musical moments of the new season. Her careful balance and steady vocal impressed many viewers watching at home.
The staging gave the song a theatrical setting that matched its title. The performance was later shared online, where clips spread quickly among fans and viewers who had not seen the show live. She went on to give a second performance later in the episode, continuing a night that highlighted the album’s ambition. Her second song of the night was Magnolias, which she sang in the rain.
The appearance comes during a strong awards season for the singer. Rosalía is nominated for seven awards at the 2026 Latin Grammys, which take place on Thursday 12 November. The nominations confirm Lux as one of the most recognised albums in Latin music this year, and the SNL slot gave her a large American audience ahead of the ceremony. Seven nominations put her among the leading names going into the ceremony.
Being invited back as musical guest for a second time is itself a sign of how the show values her. The episode itself drew attention for other reasons, with Gillis’s monologue prompting debate online, but Rosalía’s set was widely shared on its own merits. With the Latin Grammys a month away, the performance served as a reminder of the scale of her live shows. Her performances that night showed why the programme was keen to bring her back. Clips of both songs continued to circulate online in the days after the broadcast.
