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Black women pursuing acclaim in pop music have been grossly misunderstood throughout history. Most are overlooked or pigeonholed into R&B and soul genres. Others often take hard tumbles along the way to stardom while still not being fully appreciated for their contributions. Few break through.
Frankly, Black female pop stars pour themselves into an industry that doesn't always love them back.
It's hard not to think of this when considering Manon Bannerman's recent departure from the girl groupKatseye. Last week, the band's labelsHYBE and Geffen announced the newson Weverse (the HYBE-backed fan engagement platform), revealing that Bannerman was taking a temporary hiatus to "focus on her health and wellbeing." Shortly after, Bannerman, Katseye's sole Black member,released her own statement, which poked holes in the one shared by her labels.
"Hi, friends," the 23-year-old wrote via Weverse DMs. "I want you to hear this from me: I'm healthy, I'm okay, and I'm taking care of myself. Thank [you] 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."
Both statements sent shockwaves throughout the industry and the internet, leaving many to reflect on the loneliness Black women in pop girl groups face. But Bannerman's departure isn't only indicative of a plight in mainstream groups; instead, it's yet another consequence of the music industry's failure to fully see and support Black women in pop.
Katseye is the product of an experiment. Formed in 2023, the six-piece act (including Bannerman, Daniela Avanzini, Lara Raj, Megan Skiendiel, Sophia Laforteza, and Yoonchae Jeung) was created by HYBE's K-pop-inspired competition seriesThe Debut: Dream Academy. Bannerman, who's Swiss-Italian and Ghanaian, was the last to join the group. Already having a following on social media for fashion content, she was scouted directly—becoming the only Katseye member not discovered onDream Academy. In 2024, the group dropped their first EPSIS (Soft Is Strong). That same year, their rise was chronicled in the Netflix docuseriesPop Star Academy: Katseye.
Since then, Katseye has swiftly become the It girl group. They've dropped a handful of Billboard-charting singles (including the viral hit "Gnarly"), secured a major brand deal with Pandora and appeared in a Fendi campaign, embarked on a world tour, announced their Coachella debut, and garnered twoGrammy nominations, including best new artist—all without a full-length album under their belt. The pressure was on for all the girls. But it's likely Bannerman felt a unique weight in all of this, given she's the group's only Black member. InPop Star Academy, Bannerman's missing rehearsals became a focal point, leaving some to speculate about her work ethic.
"Being called lazy, especially as a Black girl, is not fair," shetoldThe Cutearlier this month about the critiques. "Now I feel like I always need to put in extra work to prove something, even though I really don't."
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As of this writing, Bannerman hasn't officially addressed the speculation that racism led to her exit. But sheliked a postthat stated, "Another Black girl subjected to racism and label mistreatment yet again." Following the news, Bannerman has received an outpouring of support from fellow musicians. During a performance at Blue Note NYC on Friday,Lizzo performed "Gnarly"and gave Bannerman a sweet shout-out: "We love you and support you, girl. Take your time." Leigh-Anne Pinnock, a Little Mix alum who wants tocollaborate with Normani and Bannerman,wrote on X, "We need to protect each other." Melody Thornton, the Pussycat Dolls' lone Black singer,posted a picture of Bannermanon her Instagram account with the caption, "We see you." On Discord,Chlöe Bailey wrote, "I'm so sad about Manon."
The overwhelming support for Bannerman seemingly reveals a shared understanding of just how inhospitable the music world can be toward Black women with pop ambitions. To be a Black woman in pop often means not being universally accepted, even by your own people. Early in her career, Whitney Houston—among the preeminent pop stars of all time—wasbooed at the 1989 Soul Train Awards. By that time, Houston achieved thebest-selling debut album by a solo artistand won 11 American Music Awards and a Grammy. But that didn't matter to some within the Black community who felt her music wastoopop.
Janet Jackson faced similar disrespect, but from whiter audiences. Her gargantuan musical legacy is often reduced to the2004 Super Bowl controversy, in which her wardrobe malfunctioned while performing, which derailed her reputation while reinforcing harmful tropes about Black women being hypersexual.
Today, there's a bit more room for Black female pop stars to thrive, though challenges remain. Superstars like Rihanna and Beyoncé are so massive that they've become their own brands. And although there are a growing number of Gen Z Black female singers with crossover appeal (Olivia Dean, PinkPantheress, Tyla), white women still comprise the bulk of pop success. Last year, the topglobal female artists on Spotifywere Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, and Ariana Grande. Dance-pop singer Tinashe has publicly shared her frustration with not being taken seriously as a pop artist, sharing that she felt constrained to the R&B category at the onset of her career: "I feel like when I first got in the game, I really pushed against wanting to be put in a box or be pigeonholed,"she told ELLEin 2024.
Normani, the lone Black member of former girl group Fifth Harmony, has faced serious challenges, too. When she was part of the band, she enduredracist bullying online. After they disbanded in 2018, Normani set out to pursue a pop solo career, made promising by her 2019 single "Motivation" and the accompanying, nostalgia-filled video. But her debut albumDopaminedidn't arrive until 2024 and fell short ofmainstream success. Like Tinashe, Normani has publicly shared her struggles. "It's almost like [pop] becomes a negative when it's a Black girl that looks like me, singing the records that I choose to sing because I loved them," shetoldRolling Stonein 2020.
Whether they're solo artists or part of a group, Black women in pop spaces are long overdue for proper treatment and respect. They deserve to be celebrated, to carve their own lanes and freely express themselves, rather than be confined to stereotypes and dictated by the industry's assumptions.
Bannerman has remained relatively quiet since announcing her hiatus, but she shared a message to her supporters on herInstagram Storythis week: "I love you all more than words can describe," she wrote. Although it's unclear when or if Bannerman will return, the love she's received from fans and fellow musicians proves that more Black female pop stars are needed—even if the rest of the world isn't quite ready for them.
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