Rosalía used her return to Saturday Night Live to turn two songs from her 2025 album Lux into small pieces of theater. On Saturday, October 10, she performed "Reliquia" and "Magnolias" as musical guest on the third episode of the show's 52nd season, hosted by comedian Shane Gillis, NME reported.
It was her second stint as the show's musical guest. Her first came in March 2022, when she did "Chicken Teriyaki" and "La Fama."
Stillness, then strobes
For "Reliquia," Rosalía wore a black tutu and sang the whole four-minute song standing en pointe, barely moving. Dancers joined her toward the end, and the performance finished in a burst of strobe light, according to NME. Consequence noted that she held the en pointe position for the entire song without dropping a note.
"Reliquia" was co-written by Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo of Daft Punk, NME noted.
Rain on the closing track
Later in the broadcast she came back for "Magnolias," the closing track on Lux. Dressed in white, she sang as an onstage rain shower began midway through the song, and she was soaked by the finish. Consequence described the setting as a stark black backdrop with water pouring around her.
She also had a small role in a sketch, appearing in a thought bubble to urge Gillis to leave his sick mother's bedside for a Jelly Roll concert at the Sphere, per NME.
The Lux run so far
The appearance follows the end of her Lux tour, which NME said included a five-star-reviewed show at the O2 Arena in May. NME also gave the album five stars on release last November. Consequence, which named Lux its best album of 2025, said the SNL set reflected the scale of an album recorded with a full orchestra, with lyrics in 16 languages, and a five-act live show. It also pointed to the challenge of shrinking that spectacle to fit Studio 8H and its difficult acoustics.
Other recent milestones, as NME listed them: a performance of "Berghain" with Björk at the BRIT Awards in February, and the International Songwriter of the Year prize at the Ivor Novello Awards in May. In her acceptance speech, NME reported, she said she made Lux because she "found the world lacking in tenderness."
What comes next
Consequence said Rosalía has no other public appearances on her calendar, but it expects Lux to pick up Grammy nominations next month. NME added that Bono recently told her he sought her advice on Spanish lyrics for "The Mirror Maker (Rosalía)," a song about her on U2's forthcoming album Carnaval De Luz.
For an artist whose current era is built on big visual ideas, the SNL slot suited her. The ballet and the rain each reduced a large production to a single image.
Reporting sources: Music News | First For Music News | NME, “Watch Rosalía perform ‘Reliquia’ en pointe and ‘Magnolias’ in the rain on ‘SNL’” · Consequence, “Rosalía Raises the Bar (Once Again) with Incredible SNL Performances: Watch” · Billboard, “Shane Gillis & Rosalía on ‘SNL’: Here’s Where to Watch ‘Saturday Night Live’ Online for Free”.