The Spanish singer brought two theatrical performances from Lux to the October 10 episode and is now headed toward major Latin music awards appearances.
Rosalía returned to Saturday Night Live on October 10 with two highly staged performances from her 2025 album Lux. The Spanish singer opened with “Reliquia,” singing the song while standing en pointe, then returned later in the broadcast for a rain-soaked performance of “Magnolias.”
The episode was hosted by comedian Shane Gillis and marked Rosalía’s second appearance as a solo SNL musical guest. She previously performed “Chicken Teriyaki” and “La Fama” on the show in March 2022. She also appeared alongside Bad Bunny during his 2021 musical guest appearance, making Saturday’s episode her third SNL appearance overall.
For “Reliquia,” Rosalía wore a black ballet costume and remained on pointe through most of the four-minute performance. Shadows resembling orchestral musicians appeared behind her against a pale backdrop, while dancers joined her near the end of the number. The performance closed with more intense lighting and movement after beginning in a nearly motionless pose.
The staging drew on ballet imagery that has also appeared during Rosalía’s Lux era. She incorporated pointe work into performances on the Lux Tour, which began in Lyon, France, in March and ended in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in September. Her use of pointe shoes attracted attention because performing correctly on pointe usually requires substantial training and strength.
Rosalía followed “Reliquia” with “Magnolias,” the final track on Lux. Dressed in white against a dark stage, she began the song in relatively spare surroundings before artificial rain started falling during the performance. By the end, she was singing while fully drenched beneath the stage shower.
The two performances highlighted the theatrical style surrounding Lux, Rosalía’s fourth studio album. Released in 2025, the record combines orchestral arrangements, pop, classical influences and vocals in multiple languages. The album was inspired in part by Rosalía’s study of female saints and religious mysticism across different cultures.
Rosalía has said that she spent time reading about saints while developing the album. In interviews, she has described an interest in how women in different religious traditions expressed spirituality and interpreted experiences they considered divine. Her own background also included some exposure to Catholic rituals through her family, though she has discussed the album’s themes in a broader cultural and spiritual context.
That interest shaped several elements of Lux, including its imagery, lyrics and multilingual approach. The album includes references to historical religious figures and uses different languages to reflect the backgrounds of some of those figures. Rosalía has said she was interested in looking beyond celebrity culture for creative references.
The album has also become a major awards contender. Rosalía received seven nominations for the 2026 Latin Grammy Awards, placing her among the most-nominated artists this year. Lux is nominated for Album of the Year, while “La Perla,” her collaboration with Yahritza y Su Esencia, is nominated for both Record of the Year and Song of the Year.
The Latin Grammy Awards are scheduled for November 12 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The ceremony will air live in the United States on TelevisaUnivision platforms.
Before then, Rosalía is scheduled to attend the Billboard Latin Music Awards in Miami on October 22. Telemundo announced that she will receive the Billboard Hall of Fame Award during the ceremony. She is expected to attend the event, although the latest announced performer lineup does not list her among the confirmed musical performers.
Her Lux Tour has already ended, so the SNL appearance was not part of an ongoing run of tour dates. The tour ran from March through early September and included shows in Europe, North America and Latin America.
Rosalía also appeared briefly in a comedy sketch during Saturday’s episode and took part in a promotional clip before the broadcast. In the promo, a joke centered on the idea of making a pop-classical album in many languages, prompting Rosalía to point out that she had already done that with Lux.
Saturday’s performances placed the focus back on the visual and musical world she built around the album. “Reliquia” used stillness, ballet technique and orchestral imagery, while “Magnolias” relied on a stark color contrast and simulated rain.
Her next confirmed public appearance is the Billboard Latin Music Awards on October 22, followed by the Latin Grammy ceremony on November 12, where Lux and “La Perla” will compete in several major categories.
IMAGE: La cantaora barcelonesa Rosalía y el guitarrista Raül Refree, en equilibrado y armónico tándem musical, ofrecieron ayer, domingo 23 de julio, un concierto lleno de emoción y sentimiento que entusiasmó al público. El auditorio al aire libre del Parque de la Cuña Verde de O’Donnell, en el distrito de Moratalaz, tuvo el aforo completo. También se registró un lleno total en la pantalla de apoyo que se instaló con 300 plazas en el mismo parque para quienes no pudieron acceder al recinto.. Photo: Diario de Madrid / Wikimedia, taken 2017-07-24, CC BY 4.0