Who Is Hosting SNL Tonight? (October 21, 2023)

One of our generation's most beloved cross-cultural talents is about to make his hosting debut on tonight's episode of "Saturday Night Live." 

"SNL" is finally back on the air after Season 48 was cut short due to the Writers Guild of America 2023 strike. Last week, former "SNL" cast member Pete Davidson returned to 30 Rockefeller Plaza to host the debut episode of Season 49. Davidson, who left the iconic variety show back in 2022, was joined on stage by Hip-hop artist and certified bop deliverer Ice Spice. The premiere episode was widely praised, thanks in part to Davidson's hilarious (and deeply insightful?) rendition of "I'm Just Ken." Plus, fans were treated to a surprise appearance from America's sweetheart, Taylor Swift, who introduced her "Karma" co-vocalist, Ice Spice. 

Now, all eyes are on tonight's episode of "Saturday Night Live" episode, which debuts on October 21. Tonight, audiences can expect Latin pop sensation Bad Bunny as their host for "SNL." Bad Bunny is making his "SNL" hosting debut, but he's also on track to pull double duty as the show's musical act — a role he previously performed back in Season 46. 

Seeing as "SNL" has been off the air for months, largely due to the writer's room being forced to shutter, it makes sense that NBC is roping in Bad Bunny — one of the most popular artists of his generation — to headline the sophomore episode of Season 49. For Bad Bunny, it's a mutually beneficial gig that allows him to promote his latest album, "Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana," on one of America's most popular cultural platforms. 

Bad Bunny first appeared on "Saturday Night Live" as a musical guest on Season 46, Episode 12, which featured "Bridgerton" standout Regé-Jean Page as host. Bad Bunny performed his Billboard-charting track "La Noche de Anoche" alongside Rosalía, who later made her solo "SNL" debut in 2022. For his second track, Bad Bunny tore Rockefeller Plaza down with the heartfelt "Te Deseo Lo Mejor." In that same episode, the musician also appeared in both pre-recorded and live sketches, proving early on that he has what it takes to dabble in the chaotic world of "Saturday Night Live." 

While he's mostly known for his grooving tracks, which have become internationally well-renowned, the Grammy-winning artist has already dabbled in performing. Audiences last saw the musician in David Leitch's 2022 action-comedy flick "Bullet Train" and in Season 3 of "Narcos: Mexico." Now that he's pulling double duty, audiences can expect to see the record-breaking artist dive even deeper into the world of comedy. 

We don't know what Bad Bunny will perform on tonight's episode, but it's fair to say that he'll likely sing a track or two from his latest album, "Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana," which hit streaming services last week, on October 13. It wouldn't be surprising if he played "WHERE SHE GOES," which peaked at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 earlier this year. Or, perhaps, the artist will play one of his latest collaborations with some of Hip-Hop's most notable personalities. Bad Bunny recently cooked up "Gently" with Drake for the Canadian rapper's recently released "For All The Dogs" album. Then, there's this summer's chart-busting track "K-pop" with Travis Scott and The Weeknd — which continues to make waves on charts.