Why Manon Wasn’t At Coachella with KATSEYE

Less than three weeks after their Grammy’s outing, HYBE and Geffen announced that Manon would be taking a ‘temporary hiatus’ for her health and wellbeing after ‘open and thoughtful conversations’. “We fully support this decision,” said the statement.

However, on the same day, Manon posted her own statement on fan platform Weverse, which read slightly differently from the official one. “Hi friends. I want you to hear this from me, I’m healthy, I’m okay, and I’m taking care of myself. Thank u for checking in! Sometimes things unfold in ways we don’t fully control, but I’m trusting the bigger picture. Thank you for standing by me. I love you endlessly and can’t wait to see you again," she said.

The discrepancy about the state of her health, among other things, led to intense speculation among fans and previously passive observers alike, eventually intensifying the discourse about the ‘lone black girl’ in girl groups. Artists like Fifth Harmony’s Normani and Little Mix’s Leigh-Anne Pinnock weighed in, expressing their support for Manon as well as sharing their own experiences.

Since then, KATSEYE has played the South American Lollapalooza, and just this week, the group announced their third EP WILD, with Manon prominently absent from the promos as well as the title track ‘Pinky Up’.

So How Did Manon End Up On The Coachella Stage?

Even though she was absent from KASTEYE’s explosive Coachella debut on the Sahara stage, Manon was spotted at Coachella multiple times, including with Lizzo at Justin Bieber’s afterparty on Weekend 1.

On Weekend 2, Manon’s friend and British songwriter-producer PinkPantheress brought her out in a star studded set that also featured actor Chase Infiniti and American pop singer Slayyyter.

Although Manon was just vibing and not singing or performing per se, the fact that she was present and available to be on stage at the same event that her bandmates performed hours earlier, adds an extra layer to the messy situation between her, the group, and their label.

What KATSEYE’s Coachella Performance Looked Like Without Manon

Since they are only slightly more than two EPs into their career, KATSEYE’s viral set included the first ever live performance of their new song ‘Pinky Up’, as well as all of their existing song catalogue, including certified hits like ‘Gnarly’ and ‘Gabriela’. In addition, KATSEYE also brought out the voices of KPop Demon Hunters’ fictional girl group HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami, to sing their mega hit track ‘Golden’.

All the members expressed how much it meant to them as a group to be performing at Coachella, and leader Sophia Laforteza shouted out fans holding up Philippines flags, in a move paralleling fellow Filipino girl group BINI, who also debuted that weekend.

Where Does Manon’s KATSEYE Future Stand?

Neither HYBE nor Geffen Records has commented on the specific circumstances of Bannerman’s attendance, meaning her hiatus status remains officially unchanged. Earlier this month, she had posted on Weverse that she was having ‘positive conversations’ with her label, but that has not materialised into explicitly affirmative outcomes regarding her status in the group, as of yet.