Korean boy band BTS will make their ‘Saturday Night Live’ debut on April 13, a day after the group released their new ‘Map of the Soul: Persona’ album. ‘SNL’ is a highly coveted and notoriously difficult stage to play for artists.
Days after BTS announced their forthcoming Map of the Soul: Persona album coming April 12, one of the first promotional opportunities tied to the record was announced—and it’s a big one.
Saturday Night Live announced three new episode hosts and musical guests. The top-rated comedy sketch show revealed Sandra Oh will make her hosting debut on its March 30 show with Tame Impala performing. The April 6 show will feature Kit Harington and Sara Bareilles, both their first times on the show. Finally, BTS will make their musical debut on SNL for an episode where Emma Stone—a self-declared K-pop fan herself—hosts the April 13 episode. Crucially, the boy band’s new Map of the Soul: Persona drops just a day before the show.
SNL is a highly coveted stage for any performer with the ability to bring an artist to new heights of their career—a pre-fame Adele performing on a late 2008 episode went on to the highest-rated episode in 14 years and sent her 19 album to new highs on the charts. The stage is also notoriously difficult to play with it sometimes fumbling with stars’ careers, if just temporarily (e.g. Lana Del Rey, Ashlee Simpson).
Still, landing SNL is a major opportunity typically given to artists who are either eyed by its bookers in line to be a «next big thing» as well as musicians who can master the live stage.
