The worldwide lady group Katseye was purported to be having a second.
Contemporary off their historic 2026 Grammys look, turning into the primary lady group in over 20 years to hit that stage, the six-member group had all of the markers of pop dominance with viral singles like “Contact,” “Gnarly,” and “Gabriela,” model offers with GAP, Laneige, and Matrix, and a quickly increasing worldwide fanbase.
RELATED CONTENT: Why Followers Are Anxious About Manon Bannerman’s Hiatus From KATSEYE — And The Parallels To Normani
However as an alternative of celebrating a breakthrough yr, Katseye is now on the heart of a rising controversy that feels all too acquainted.
On Feb. 20, 2026, Hybe x Geffen introduced that Manon Bannerman, one of many group’s most seen and beloved members, could be occurring a brief hiatus for what was framed as psychological well being causes. Followers had been stunned however initially supportive.
Then Manon spoke.
In a quick however loaded assertion, she instructed followers she was “wholesome” and that “issues unfold in ways in which we don’t absolutely perceive.” And similar to that, the narrative shifted. What was first introduced as a routine business pause shortly turned a set off for a broader dialog about race, visibility, and the way Black ladies are handled inside international lady teams. As a result of for lots of followers, this didn’t come out of nowhere.
On-line, supporters started resurfacing moments they are saying level to a sample. In music movies, Manon appeared much less centered or partially obscured. In promotional campaigns, she was generally lacking altogether. And within the group’s 2024 documentary Popstar Academy: Katseye, she was ceaselessly framed as “lazy,” “egocentric,” or the “weakest hyperlink.” It is a narrative that many followers now see as racially coded and acquainted.
That’s why the response hasn’t simply been about Katseye. It’s been about historical past. Artists like Normani of Fifth Concord and Leigh-Anne Pinnock of Little Combine, each of whom have publicly spoken about being the one Black ladies of their respective teams, have proven assist. So have artists like SZA, Kehlani, Chlöe Bailey, and rising voices like Chase Infiniti.
For a lot of followers, this appears like a recurring story the place the Black lady within the group is commonly hyper-visible and invisible on the identical time. She is scrutinized extra harshly, praised much less persistently, and positioned as expendable when tensions come up. She’s anticipated to hold the load of illustration whereas navigating an business that also struggles with the right way to market, shield, and absolutely embrace Black femininity on a worldwide stage.
It didn’t assist that Daniella Avanzini’s father, Rafael Avanzini, added gas to the hearth with feedback suggesting the group could be nice with 5 members and that it “wants ladies who can grind.” Although he later apologized, the injury was already accomplished, particularly in a second the place followers had been already questioning how Manon was being positioned behind the scenes.
Now, with Hybe x Geffen remaining silent and no public statements from the group’s different members, followers are left studying between the traces.
Manon, for her half, has saved her message easy, telling supporters she “loves her followers greater than phrases can describe.” However the uncertainty surrounding her hiatus, and whether or not she’ll return for Katseye’s upcoming Coachella efficiency in April, has solely intensified the dialog.
As a result of at this level, the query isn’t simply “The place is Manon?” It’s why this retains occurring. Why does the one Black member so typically change into essentially the most contested one? Why are narratives of “angle,” “laziness,” or “not becoming in” so simply hooked up? And why do followers should piece collectively patterns earlier than the business acknowledges them?
Katseye could have been constructed on the thought of world unity between six ladies, with completely different backgrounds, one sound. However this second is revealing the fractures beneath that picture. For a lot of followers watching intently, it’s now not nearly one group. It’s about an business that also hasn’t discovered the right way to deal with Black ladies as full, protected, and central, not elective, within the story.
Kannon Trowell is a journalism main at Howard College. She is inquisitive about leisure reporting. You’ll be able to observe her on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/kannontrowell
RELATED CONTENT: ‘I’m A Product Of Bravery’ — Olivia Dean Pays Homage To Guyanese Grandmother As She Accepts Grammy For Finest New Artist
