Lance Joseph Martinez

10 Interesting Facts About KATSEYE’s Manon That May Surprise You

Article (news)

<p>A global girl group is currently making waves across the international music scene—<strong>KATSEYE</strong>. Fresh off their appearance at the <strong>2026 Grammys</strong>, the group earned nominations for <strong>Best New Artist </strong>and<strong> Best Pop Duo/Group Performance</strong> for their hit track “<strong><em>Gabriela</em></strong>.”</p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:700px;display:block" width="700"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1771849574503[image] - 5913756.jpeg" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="700"/><span class="fr-inner">Megan, Lara, Manon, Yoonchae, Daniela, and Sophia | Photo from @katseyeworld</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>Among the standout members is the group’s visual, <strong>Manon Bannerman</strong>,<strong></strong> who has recently been trending online as fans seek updates following the announcement from <strong>HYBE Labels</strong> and<strong> Geffen Records</strong> that she will be taking a hiatus from group activities to prioritize her health and well-being.</p><p>Reassuring supporters, Manon personally reached out to fans, sharing: “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!”</p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:700px;display:block" width="700"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1771849791203[image] - 4125557.jpeg" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="700"/><span class="fr-inner">Photo from @meretmanon</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>She added, “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.”</p><p>As interest continues to grow not only among fans but also across social media, many are eager to learn more about the KATSEYE member.<strong> </strong></p><div><strong>Here are 10 facts you might not know about Manon of the globally popular girl group.</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>She is a Swiss.</strong></div><p>Born on June 26, 2002, Manon hails from<strong> Zürich, Switzerland</strong>. She comes from a multicultural background, with a Swiss-Italian mother and a Ghanaian father, making her proudly Swiss-Italian-Ghanaian by ethnicity.</p><p>“I’m so blessed to have been growing up in a household where there’s so many different cultures. My dad is Ghanaian, so I’m really connected to my West African heritage. My mom is Swiss and Italian. I learned a lot about those cultures because we spent almost every summer in Italy. I feel like it broadens me and I have a bigger understanding of the world,” Manon said during an interview with Essence Girls United in 2024.</p><p>As a fun bit of trivia, her name is pronounced “mah-NOH,” with the final “n” kept silent.</p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:700px;display:block" width="700"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1771849458066[image] - 1248872.jpeg" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="700"/><span class="fr-inner">Manon with her father | Photo from @meretmanon</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>She speaks three languages fluently.<br/></strong></div><p>A natural fit for a global girl group, Manon impresses with her multilingual abilities. She speaks<strong> Swiss-German</strong>,<strong> German</strong>,<strong></strong> and <strong>English</strong> fluently, and has even shown some skill in <strong>French</strong>.</p><p>“I’ve been trying to get more into learning Twi from my dad. That’s what they speak in Ghana. He unfortunately didn’t teach me growing up but my auntie really wants me to learn it so I really want to tap into that next,” Manon told <strong>Essence Girls United </strong>in 2024.</p><p>The KATSEYE member is also currently learning <strong>Spanish</strong>, hoping to become fluent so she can communicate more comfortably with her Latina groupmate, <strong>Daniela</strong>.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>She has always dreamed of becoming a performer.<br/></strong></div><p>From a young age, Manon wanted to perform onstage. At 15 years old, she played the piano and the ukulele and started writing her own songs.</p><p>Manon, who studied at <strong>Atelierschule</strong> in Zurich, where students focus on creative arts. She said her goal was to be &quot;as famous as <strong>Beyoncé</strong>.<strong></strong>&quot; Her interest in performing started when she was invited on stage at a concert by German singer <strong>Cro</strong>.</p><p>“I always knew from a very young age I wanted to be a creative. I never saw myself doing a 9 to 5. So songwriting and teaching myself the piano and making songs on my ukulele was always my form of a late at night bedroom activity, just for fun, little outlet,” she explained on Essence Girls United.</p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:700px;display:block" width="700"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1771849418627[image] - 7875406.jpeg" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="700"/><span class="fr-inner">Manon&#x27;s childhood photo | Photo from @meretmanon</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>She has always been visible online.<br/></strong></div><p>Before joining KATSEYE in 2024 and competing in <strong><em>The Debut: Dream Academy</em></strong> in 2023, Manon made waves as a social media influencer and model, catching the attention of HYBE and Geffen.</p><p>She gained fame for her Instagram and <strong>TikTok</strong> content, with her looks even inspiring a TikTok filter. </p><div><br/></div><div><strong>She appeared in several music videos pre-KATSEYE era.<br/></strong></div><p>Before making her mark with KATSEYE, Manon was already carving her path in the entertainment world.</p><p>Beyond her presence as a social media influencer, she also starred in a string of music videos, including <strong>Benjamin Amaru’s “September Skies,” Cobee’s “Chandelier,”</strong> <strong>Badchieff’s “Parkhaus,”</strong> and <strong>Baby B3ns’ “Baby Blizzard.”</strong></p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><iframe width="925" height="525" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/seUiG32S4ic?si=ti-mgycAEzYKHsyw" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>She has appeared in several commercials and secured multiple brand deals.<br/></strong></div><p>Even before rising to fame with KATSEYE, Manon was already turning heads as a pre-debut star, landing brand deals and ambassador spots with big names like <strong>Charles &amp; Keith, Laura Mercier, </strong>and <strong>MONDAY</strong> thanks to her Instagram presence.</p><p>She also made waves in commercials, starring in campaigns such as <strong>Build With Us, Brick by Brick, </strong>and<strong> Goshi.</strong></p><div><br/></div><div><strong>She has multiple tattoos.<br/></strong></div><p>Beyond her music and songwriting, she also channels her personality through her tattoos. Among her ink are five known pieces: minimalist dots on her fingers, a sleek line design on her ring finger, “ham” on her upper arm, penned in her friend’s handwriting, “femme fatale” along her rib, lettering on her foot, and another rib tattoo she’s currently having removed.</p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:700px;display:block" width="700"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1771849194472[image] - 7097270.jpeg" style="width:700px;display:block" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="700"/><span class="fr-inner">Photo from @meretmanon</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>She’s into artistic cycling.<br/></strong></div><p>After seeing fans curious about her pre-debut life and hobbies, Manon revealed she used to do artistic cycling.</p><p>“Y&#x27;all haven&#x27;t found the artistic cycling I used to do yet,” she told her fans.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>She had a short trainee period.<br/></strong></div><p>Among the group, Manon—alongside <strong>Lara</strong>—had one of the shortest training periods before debuting as a member of KATSEYE. She was introduced as a contestant on <em>The Debut: Dream Academy</em> from August 20 to 29, 2023, after being scouted through social media in 2022 to train for HYBE’s global audition project.</p><p>She trained for roughly one year and three months prior to the show’s launch.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>She has a passion for filmmaking.<br/></strong></div><p>Last January, she unveiled a short film she created alongside two close friends—a passion project that reflects her long-standing interest in filmmaking.</p><p>Titled <strong><em>Not Bad,</em></strong> she shared, “A special short film made with my best friends and a lot of heart. Thank you to everyone who helped make this vision come to life.”</p><div><br/></div><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-0" src="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUBvl8Tkvzm/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=1080&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A1151708%2C%22ls%22%3A1150841.0000000002%2C%22le%22%3A1151701%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="881" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-0" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><p>Lead photos from <strong>@</strong><strong>meretmanon</strong> and <strong>Rahul via @meretmanon</strong></p>

<p>We turn the spotlight on KATSEYE's Manon, who recently announced that she will be taking a hiatus from group activities to prioritize her health and well-being.</p>

We turn the spotlight on KATSEYE's Manon, who recently announced that she will be taking a hiatus from group activities to prioritize her health and well-being.