As soon as upon a time, woman teams dominated the music trade. Nonetheless, as time went on, the age of all Black woman teams started to dwindle, and followers had been launched to extra various ensembles like “Pussycat Dolls,” “Little Combine,” “Fifth Concord,” “Katseye,” and extra. Whereas these teams are perceived to have considerably equal racial and ethnic illustration, there’s a sample that persistently reveals itself in these pop-music teams, significantly in how the Black girls are handled. In current weeks, this dialog has been reignited by Katseye
The worldwide pop group, fashioned on Netflix’s actuality competitors collection Pop Star Academy: Katseye, options Daniela Avanzini, Manon Bannerman, Lara Raj, Megan Skiendiel, Sophia Laforteza, and Yoonchae. That was till HYBE and Geffen Data introduced that Bannerman, the group’s solely Black woman, could be taking a “non permanent hiatus from group actions to concentrate on her well being and wellbeing.” Since then, Bannerman has remained comparatively quiet, apart from an announcement reassuring followers that she is protected and taking good care of herself.
“Generally issues unfold in methods we don’t absolutely management, however I’m trusting the larger image. Thanks for standing by me. I really like you endlessly and may’t wait to see you once more,” she shared on the time.
This week, nonetheless, Bannerman broke her silence since February by way of WeVerse, writing: “Thanks a lot for all of the love and help you’ve been sending my method. I’m actually grateful for the endurance and kindness everybody has proven throughout this time. HxG and I are having optimistic conversations, and I really feel supported. I’m completely happy, and I’m wholesome. I’ll share extra quickly. Thanks for all the time being there for me.” Moreover, followers observed the singer eliminated the group’s title from her bio, which many speculate might sign her departure from the group.
As we frequently rejoice the illustration that comes with having at the least one Black member in a preferred band like Katseye, moments like this depart many questioning: however at what expense? When information of Bannerman’s hiatus broke, many had been fast to level out disparities in how she was handled in comparison with her bandmates, echoing a long-standing sample in pop woman teams.
Previous to her hiatus, Bannerman was very trustworthy in regards to the actuality of being the one Black member within the worldwide woman group. In an interview with The Minimize, the “Katseye” member mirrored on how producers portrayed her of their Netflix collection, significantly underlining how the “lack of labor ethic” narrative positioned on her carried over past the present.
“Being referred to as lazy, particularly as a Black woman, is just not honest. Now I really feel like I all the time must put in further work to show one thing, although I actually don’t,” she shared.
And Bannerman is just not the primary token Black woman from a woman group to share this sentiment. Melody Thornton of the Pussycat Dolls echoed the identical stress to not be the “weakest hyperlink” throughout her time in a woman group.
“The one factor that I all the time saved in thoughts was, ‘You may’t be messing up. You bought to maintain it collectively as a result of you’re the Black woman. Folks know that, individuals see it, and so they wish to see you win, so you could prevail via any adversity – no matter it seems like,” Thornton instructed Essence GU.
Seventeen years after the Pussycat Dolls fashioned, younger ladies met Fifth Concord, which featured Normani. Like Thornton, Normani was the Black woman within the pop group, and since their indefinite hiatus in 2018, she’s been open about feeling neglected and having to “do probably the most in an effort to be seen” throughout her time within the band
“For thus lengthy, I felt hidden,” she instructed Folks journal in 2024. “I used to be the one Black woman. To not say that the women didn’t wish to be there for me, however I don’t assume that they knew the right way to as a result of my expertise was my very own.”
Equally, former Little Combine singer Leigh-Anne in contrast her expertise as the one Black girl within the group to “feeling like I’ve to work 10 instances tougher and longer to mark my place within the group as a result of my expertise alone isn’t sufficient,” in a 2020 interview. And as Leigh-Anne famous in a current interview, it’s a “vicious cycle” that Black girl-group members proceed to face.
Woman teams are sometimes platformed as examples of sisterhood and friendship for followers. However this generational sample is a heartbreaking reminder of how tokenism does extra hurt than good.
