KATSEYE’s Manon Opens Up About Criticism, Culture, and Holding Her Ground
As KATSEYE rise to global fame, the 23-year-old Swiss-Ghanaian pop star talks to Billboard Philippines about cultural pride, internet hate, and what it really takes to stay true in the spotlight.
Photographed by JC Cerilla.
Photographed by JC Cerilla.
When Manon Bannerman was personally selected to join HYBE and Geffen Records’ secretive training program, she had no idea that her life would become the reality that it is today.
Her early days as both a model and digital content creator merely served as a prelude to the much larger stage that was to come following The Debut: Dream Academy, especially with just how much has changed for herself and her fellow KATSEYE members just a little over one year since their official debut on the scene.
Such changes are not solely geographic for her (even if Los Angeles is indeed quite the stark difference from Zürich, Switzerland), given that life for Manon is now defined by multiple sold-out shows, jam-packed performances, a plethora of chart-topping hits, countless of trips around the world, and all the demands you’d expect from being a professional musician.
Yet even in the face of all that change, the 23-year-old Swiss-Ghanaian pop star still retains the same open-minded idealism and sense of curiosity that she’s had ever since she began her unexpected journey as an artist.
Even as we speak on the set of KATSEYE’s Billboard Philippines cover shoot, one could easily note the underlying giddiness that she has, being in yet another studio once more. “We’re all super excited. It’s always super fun to be on set and shoot,” she says with glee.
As we converse about the whirlwind year that she and her fellow members have undergone, she reflects on how much has changed for all of them within such a short amount of time. Whether it’s the evolution in terms of sound or even the number of fans they’ve managed to reach, she describes it as a very “rewarding” experience. “It’s been honestly so heartwarming, because I think [that] specifically through the release of ‘Gnarly’ and Beautiful Chaos, we have also developed a much bigger audience, like a lot of new people are [now] tuning into KATSEYE,” she states.
The ever-expanding reach of the group has resulted in nearly 26 million monthly listeners on Spotify and a total of 5.4 million followers on just Instagram alone, which in itself is a feat that not many of their peers could attain within the same amount of time that they did. “It’s honestly such a treat for us too, because we love welcoming new EYEKONs into the KATSEYE family. So it feels so amazing and also quite rewarding [for us]. It feels like all of the hard work that we put into [this] is starting to pay off, and from here on out, we can’t wait to build an even bigger fan base and welcome even more people into the world of KATSEYE.”
But beyond the usual set of fans, Manon also notes how their music is hitting a different demographic than any of them had expected — that of the people that they’ve looked up to. “We’ve seen that [our music] really is taking over, and a lot of people that we look up to are doing videos on TikTok to ‘Gnarly’ [and our other songs],” she says.
She recalls the one celebrity video that personally shocked her the most — being that of the Jonas Brothers, who she mentions were her childhood favorites. “I remember seeing it and thinking like, ‘The Jonas Brothers? My God!’ I was just in so much shock because that was my whole childhood! So seeing all these people that we used to look up to now listening to our songs is absolutely surreal,” Manon laughs.
While there are a lot of positive moments that come out of their success as KATSEYE, she remains aware that there is still an aspect of pressure that comes with their achievements, whether it’s the expectations for them to become the next big girl group, or even those of the industry standards that often tend to box and limit artists from time to time.
“I mean, there’s always like a certain aspect of pressure that any of us tend to feel being in roles and positions like this,” she states. “But I like to think of it [as] more of an honor and a privilege for us to be the ones who have the power to represent so many young girls around the world, even if it’s having that role of being someone they can look up to.”
Manon’s awareness of their impact on several corners of the world is not one to be understated, considering how it’s a role that she welcomes wholeheartedly. “It really does come with great pride, I would say. I guess I’m trying to say that do we take this seriously, and we always try to be a good influence on others. I want to show girls that they can do whatever they want, and that you know you can never dream too big,” she notes, considering how it mirrors her experiences and ambitions from when she was younger.
Many casual fans and EYEKONs alike have noticed just how seriously she embraces her culture and heritage within her craft, whether it’s through incorporating Ghanaian waist beads into nearly every outfit she wears (both on and off stage), or even with the unique braiding patterns that she styles her hair with. What one may initially perceive as minute details could actually symbolize a whole lot more to millions of people, which is exactly what Manon embraces with pride.
“Being able to represent my culture, it honestly is like one of my favorite things about this,” she says, emotionally. “I wouldn’t even call it part of the job, but it’s more about this life that I’m able to live and represent for others.”
She tells me of a recent TikTok video that she watched just a few days before, wherein a young black girl was watching a performance video of theirs on the television. “She was probably like five or six years old, and she was watching a KATSEYE video. It was a young girl who looked just like me [at that age], with beautiful, curly hair, and when she looked at the TV, she said, ‘I love her, I love her!’ while pointing at me.”
“It made me cry so much, because I was just like, ‘Oh my god.’ All my life, growing up in Switzerland, that is something I wanted to see on TV, which was someone who looked like me on the screen,” Manon continues, holding back some tears. “So seeing that was just super surreal, and it was a little bit of an ‘Oh my god, I made it’ moment because that’s literally all I would say any of the KATSEYE girls want to be, which is a means of representation for any girl around the world.”
“I think we just want to show an authentic part of ourselves to the world, and for me, that’s to openly be proud of my culture,” she adds. “I remember back in Switzerland, I would try to fit in as much as possible and maybe not bring my culture everywhere as it wasn’t something that was the norm, you know. So just being able to live that out proudly and loud and showing other people that it’s okay and you should be proud where you’re from, and representing it whenever you can — it really is like the impact that we wanted to bring to the world.”
Though her intentions are pure and come from the goodness of her heart, the unfortunate reality and state of the world have seen Manon get some vitriol from online haters and trolls who spew racist and discriminatory remarks at her way. Still, the 23-year-old musician remains focused on what matters most, preferring to keep her head up as she ignores such meaningless retorts from these faceless and anonymous individuals.
“Honestly, I tend not to take it personally unless it’s constructive criticism, but if it’s hate — don’t let that get to you. Haters come with success, it’s just a given, so I tend to let it be a sign of you doing good,” she says, lightheartedly. “But on a serious note, I think a lot of people who hate online are probably going through something and use that hate to vent, so you never really know what they’re going through. So even if it’s a hater, if you kill them with kindness, they can’t say anything.”
While there are days when things may become overwhelming for her and the group, Manon states that she finds comfort in relishing the bond they’ve developed as a sisterhood of sorts to ease the weight of the pressure and challenges that they face. “I think we really do like leaning on each other because it’s so refreshing and nice to have five other girls who are going through the exact same thing. That makes it a lot easier,” she says. “Teamwork is really something that we as KATSEYE have all gotten so good at.”
Now that KATSEYE continue to conquer new stages and expand their reach following the release of Beautiful Chaos, Manon reflects on how much being a part of the group has shaped her relationship with herself — both as a person and as an artist. “Overall, I think I’ve become such a hard worker, like we really do work a lot,” she laughs. “Having long, long days on set and in the studio has kind of become our norm now, but I love diving into that work mentality and putting our energy into the act of creating.”
“Obviously, I’m growing with my artistry — both as an individual and in KATSEYE — even just as a woman that is now 23 years old. I feel like there’s a lot of personal growth going on with getting older, and entering that adult life and everything. I think we’re growing in all aspects, which is amazing,” she continues.
As she envisions the future of KATSEYE, she states the group’s overarching goal of world domination. “We want to take over the world,” she laughs. “I want [us] to perform in every single country of this planet, so the first step is definitely global domination. I want even the people in the smallest countries to know who KATSEYE is and what we’re capable of.”
While they’re already more than one step closer to achieving such a goal, Manon remains focused on maximizing the most out of this chapter of their career with the success of Beautiful Chaos. “I feel like, because we have so many new fans joining us, I want this moment to be remembered as like really the breakthrough of KATSEYE. I want EYEKONs to have a Beautiful Chaos Summer and just bump it everywhere while enjoying their lives while listening to it.”
What first began as a leap of faith into a mysterious, high-stakes training program has since unfolded into a life Manon Bannerman could have never scripted for herself. A year after KATSEYE’s debut, she is no longer just chasing a dream — she has become the dream realized. The stages are bigger, the audience louder, the expectations higher — and yet, the heart of it all remains startlingly intimate. For Manon’s evolution is more than geographic or professional, but has become a full transformation of self, shaped by community, culture, and conviction.
And still, amidst all the accolades and chaos that her fame with KATSEYE brings, what makes Manon magnetic is her unwavering sense of purpose. Her visibility isn’t just a byproduct of success, but a form of representation that carries weight — especially for the girls who see themselves in her. Every braid, every bead, every lyric feels intentional, rooted in where she comes from and where she hopes to go.
Sure, KATSEYE may be poised for global domination, yet for Manon, the true triumph lies in how many lives she’s already touched simply by being seen.
Read KATSEYE’s August 2025 cover story here.
Listen to KATSEYE’s latest EP, Beautiful Chaos, below:
Photographed by JC Cerilla. Creative Direction by Daryl Chang. Art Direction by Nicole Almero. Art by Alannah Mitra. Make up by Valerie Vonprisk assisted by Ashley Ysabelle Sarmiento. Hair by Sully Layo assisted by Ryan Taniguchi. Camcorder videographer Coey Wu. Interview Video & BTS video Edmond Liang. Assistant and BTS photographer Sky Wu assisted by Malcolm Bacani. Production by Andrew Bear & Spencer Kelly of Hyperion LA. Shot at Hype Studios LA. Produced by Mika Cruz.
Special thanks to Hybe, Geffen Records, Interscope, UMG PH, Hyperion LA, & Hype Studios LA.
Written by Gabriel Saulog. Billboard Philippines, August 2025.