One of Pop’s Hottest Acts Feels on the Verge of Implosion. How Did We Get Here?

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It’s only been six months since I updated readers on Katseye , the incredibly popular, yet seemingly incredibly cursed, global pop girl group whose debut was marked by a Netflix documentary . At our last check-in, Eyekons (the name for Katseye’s fanbase) had been shocked by a press release announcing that one of the group’s six members, Manon Bannerman, would go on a “temporary hiatus ” to “focus on her health and wellbeing”—a generic statement that was seemingly almost immediately contradicted by Bannerman’s own cryptic message, which claimed, “ I’m healthy, I’m okay, and I’m taking care of myself. ” The lack of clarity surrounding the entire ordeal cast a weighty skepticism on the group as a whole, as well as its management companies, South Korea’s Hybe and America’s Geffen Records.

Since then, the skepticism and scrutiny have only increased. While nothing has changed with Bannerman’s “temporary” hiatus, leaving her fate in the group uncertain, everything else surrounding Katseye has dramatically shifted, potentially for the worse. The group’s recent musical output—led by a trio of divisive singles titled “ Pinky Up ,” “ Animal ,” and “ Hootie Frutti ”—has been heavily criticized, while their go-to choreographer has been widely mocked on the internet. If that weren’t enough, two more members have taken leaves of absence of varying lengths from the group, engendering a host of internet jokes made at the expense of the measly three members who were left to do the promotional work for the group’s third EP, WILD , which was released earlier this month.

The situation is, in a word, shambolic. But is this just a temporary setback for Katseye, or is the sextet (at least, what is supposed to be a sextet) looking down the barrel at their early demise as a musical act? And will their listeners—whoever they may be—stick around through all this drama? If you’ve been wondering what’s going on with the most prominent girl group in the Western hemisphere, I’m here to answer your questions.

Bannerman is still on hiatus, whatever that means in this context. She has not been participating in official Katseye activities, including the recording and release of their new EP, although sightings of her at fashion shows and public events at least confirm that she’s still up and around. Her fans continue to support her, amid as-yet-unsubstantiated theories that some kind of mistreatment or discord took place to push Bannerman—who is Swiss Ghanaian, and the only Black member of Katseye—out of the group. In interviews, her fellow members have also spoken about their support and love for Bannerman with no additional news, in line with the contents of their new documentary, Katseye: Wild Hearts , which showcases the Katseye members reacting to Manon’s hiatus by showering her in praise without sharing actual information about her eventual departure or return.

OK … You mentioned that two other members have taken leaves of absence? What’s the deal with that?

On Aug.