Turnstile and Taylor Swift Share Groundbreaking SNL Episode

Turnstile delivered their inaugural appearance on Saturday Night Live last night, marking the first hardcore act to grace the late-night stage in 45 years. The episode also featured Taylor Swift as a surprise guest, presenting a birthday cake to host Dakota Johnson during her monologue—whom Johnson humorously introduced as Swift’s “literal therapist.” Performances of “BIRDS” and an “I CARE/DULL” medley by Turnstile, along with Swift’s unexpected cameo, are available below.

Turnstile became the second musical guest of SNL’s 52nd season, following last week’s appearance alongside host Jalen Brunson and Katseye. Upcoming performances include Rosalía with host Shane Gillis next week, and Gracie Abrams alongside *Obsession* star Inde Navarrette on October 31. Turnstile will subsequently embark on a North American tour spanning St. Louis, Austin, Las Vegas, and other cities, culminating in a Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival set in Los Angeles this November.

Swift’s appearance marks another notable SNL outing, as she has appeared on the series numerous times throughout her career. Her most recent prior appearance came in 2023, where she introduced Ice Spice as musical guest. She last served as musical guest in 2021, delivering a ten-minute extended edit of “All Too Well” to promote *Red: Taylor’s Version*. Most recently, she released *The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore*—a deluxe edition of 2025’s *The Life of a Showgirl* featuring four new tracks—on September 25 ahead of the VMAs, where she was honored with the inaugural MTV VMA Artist Director Honors.

The last time a hardcore act performed as SNL’s musical guest was in 1981, when FEAR’s set allegedly resulted in approximately $20,000 in damages to NBC Studios at Rockefeller Center. Frontman Lee Ving disputed the figure in a 2009 *Citizine* interview, contending the actual cost was closer to $500,000.

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