Some reflections on artistry

Manon Bannerman, Katseye and Tracey Emin

Manon Bannerman of Katseye went on hiatus from the ensemble in February this year, ultimately missing Katseye’s Latin America tour, their Coachella debut, and the recording of their new music video for “Pinky Up” (from which she was also scrubbed from the audio).

There were accusations of discrimination after Bannerman, Katseye’s only black member, liked a post regarding the mistreatment of black members of girl groups. I have found the confusion around the hiatus (initially described by Katseye’s management to be for health reasons, but seemingly denied by Bannerman) captivating.

I started following Katseye after seeing them in their viral GAP ad and watching the Netflix docuseries Pop Star Academy (highly recommend). In it, young women and girls compete over years for a place in Katseye, a collaboration between South Korean music entertainment giant, Hybe, and Geffen Records.

Bannerman was portrayed in the documentary as having a non-committal attitude, having been scouted from social media with no previous performance experience (compared to many of the other girls, who had been singing and dancing since they were toddlers). She missed rehearsals due to sickness and, it seems, a lack of confidence (she has since spoken on how the word “lazy” has followed her, in ways both unjust and racialised). The documentary ends with executives choosing Bannerman for the group, anyway, seemingly due to her innate and visual star power.

I don’t think I’ve ever been, as a consumer of music, so aware of the brand machinery sitting behind a musical act. Everyone, it seems, has theories about the girls’ management and its employees, and the ways the industry victimises them. These are propelled by the parasocial relationships their careers are built on - access via the documentary, but also the enormous amount of content created through vlogs and lives on Weverse (a Kpop fandom platform).

Many have taken as granted an underlying struggle between the girls and their management, implicit in many of their interviews. For example, one where they express a desperation for songs that demonstrate their vocal ability - in what world do artists have to publicly beg for this? When they are asked about the meaning of their music, they (with the exception of one or two members) seem to stumble on. Musical artists, including girl groups, have always been products for wealthy executives to sell. However, there is usually the conceit of artistry beyond performance, which is more or less gone with Katseye. This may be the point, as the tensions between the girls and the corporate beast behind them, as shown by the documentary, are part of the story and brand.