KATSEYE is back on Saturday Night Live, and this time they are the ones doing the judging. The global girl group made a cameo in the season 52 premiere’s “Dream Academy” sketch, which spoofed the reality competition series that launched them. The sketch aired Sept. 26 on NBC.
In the sketch, four of KATSEYE’s six members appear as judges overseeing a new crop of contestants whose journey to pop stardom is much more chaotic than the first season. The contestants are teenage hopefuls, and the judges watch as their auditions and rehearsals spiral into messes. The group’s own debut came through a reality show format, so the joke lands on exactly the right target.
The Judges and Their Contestants
The new contestants are introduced one by one:
- Neelsa Boyce, portrayed by SNL newcomer Saidah Belo-Osagie
- Veronika Slowikowska as Isla
- Sarah Sherman as Jamie
- Jane Wickline as Duff
- Grace Reiter as Margle, another newcomer
The contestants train under Dorian Fylnt, a hilariously demanding choreographer portrayed by SNL host and New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson.
What the Judges Say
After a series of messy auditions and rehearsals, the contestants are greeted by season one champions KATSEYE. The group praises the new contestants for their “athleticism,” “talent,” “songs” and “whatever this is.” The last item on that list is the funniest part — it sounds like a quality they picked at random because they could not think of anything better to say.
Then the judges unveil the contestants’ global music video debut, “Guardians of the Mist,” featuring KATSEYE.
KATSEYE’s Own Story
KATSEYE formed just two years ago through Dream Academy, a reality competition series. The group is a joint venture between K-pop powerhouse HYBE and Universal Music Group’s Geffen Records. The six-member lineup released its debut EP, SIS (Soft Is Strong), in 2024 before breaking the following year.
The group’s origin is the whole point of the sketch. SNL is making fun of the format that created them, and the group is happy to play along. By appearing as the judges, they are acknowledging that the show they came from was ridiculous enough to be mocked.
Musical Guest Appearance
KATSEYE also made its SNL debut as the episode’s musical guest. The group performed “Animal” and “Hootie Frutti” from the group’s latest EP, Wild. Four members took the stage, while Manon Bannerman and Sophia Laforteza are currently on hiatus to focus on their mental health.
The performance was a chance for the group to showcase new material in front of a national audience.
Tour Dates Continue
KATSEYE is currently on its 31-date Wildworld Tour, which launched in Europe earlier this month before heading to North America in October.
The tour dates give the group a live presence while the sketch runs on TV.
The Sketch’s Structure
The structure of the sketch follows a clear arc. After the contestants are introduced and the training begins, the judges greet the contestants with praise that feels undeserved. Then comes the reveal of the music video, which ends the sketch.
The auditions and rehearsals are messy. The judges offer vague praise. The final reveal of the music video brings the sketch to its conclusion.
Why the Cameo Works
The cameo works because KATSEYE is not a parody group. They are a real girl group with a real history, and the fact that they are willing to appear as the judges makes the joke sharper. If they were a fictional group, the sketch would be funny but hollow. Because they are real, the joke is about the system that created them.
“Athleticism,” “talent,” “songs” and “whatever this is.”
That line sums up the whole sketch. The judges are looking at people who cannot dance, who cannot sing, who cannot rehearse without falling apart, and they are supposed to find some way to praise them. The “whatever this is” part is the joke — it is the quality they cannot name, the one that exists only because they have to say something.
The Takeaway
The sketch is a win for SNL and a win for KATSEYE. It is a clever piece of writing that acknowledges the absurdity of the industry while giving the group a platform to perform. The group gets to show their music, and the show gets to mock the system that produced them.
The “whatever this is” line is the perfect punchline. It is a quality that exists only because the judges have to say something, and it captures the whole spirit of the sketch. The contestants are terrible, the judges are exhausted, and the music video is inevitable.
It is a good week for KATSEYE. The sketch is funny, the performance is strong, and the tour is underway. The group has found a way to be both the joke and the payoff, and that is a rare trick.
See the video the story is built around at Billboard.
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