When Katseye teased their upcoming song, “Pinky Up,” with a short clip on Thursday, April 2, fans were quick to point out that Manon Bannerman was nowhere to be found. Although some held out hope that she’d be featured in the full music video, others noticed that Bannerman had removed any mention of the girl group from her Instagram bio.
Amid mounting speculation that she won’t be returning following news of her temporary hiatus back in February, Bannerman reportedly sent fans a Weverse message later on Thursday. “Thank you so much for all the love and support you’ve been sending my way. I’m really grateful for the patience and kindness everyone has shown during this time,” she wrote, via Forbes. “HxG and I are having positive conversations and I feel supported. I’m happy and I’m healthy. I’ll share more soon. Thank you for always being there for me.”
On Feb. 20, Hybe and Geffen Records announced that after “open and thoughtful conversations together, we are sharing that Manon will be taking a temporary hiatus from group activities to focus on her health and wellbeing.” The message read that the companies “fully support this decision” and that Katseye will “continue scheduled activities during this time, and we look forward to being together again when the time is right.”
As the group prepares for their Coachella debut in April, none of the other five members of Katseye have yet to comment on Bannerman’s hiatus.
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In a February interview with The Cut, Bannerman discussed the pressure of being the sole Black member of Katseye. “Being called lazy, especially as a Black girl, is not fair,” she said, commenting on the criticism that has followed her since Dream Academy, where the singer missed rehearsals due to illness. “Now I feel like I always need to put in extra work to prove something, even though I really don’t.” Bannerman only missed one date of their debut headlining tour, which concluded in December.
Rolling Stone music writer Larisha Paul examined the isolation and pressures artists who have been in Bannerman’s position have faced. “The idea that Black women should simply power through, or endure mistreatment under the guise of proving themselves, is systemic. It’s a perpetual test designed for them to fail,” wrote Paul. “It’s expected that they not only overextend themselves to prove their place, but also that they should feel lucky to be there — and be considered — at all. But it’s never a privilege to suffer and struggle.”
