Early life
Bannerman was born on June 26, 2002, in Lucerne, Switzerland to a Swiss-Italian mother and Ghanaian father. [4] [5] She was raised in Zurich, where she spent most of her childhood. She has one older sister. [6] She speaks English, Swiss German and German. [7]
Since she was four years old, Bannerman knew she wanted to be on stage. [8] At age 15, she taught herself piano, songwriting, and composing on the ukulele as a "personal outlet". Her father would refer to her as "Beyoncé", comparing her aspiration of becoming an artist to the American singer. [4]
Her full name is Meret Manon Sarpong Bannerman. [9] [10] While spending a year as an exchange student in Los Angeles, she began going by her middle name, "Manon", due to her classmates pronouncing her given name, "Meret", strangely. [8] "Sarpong" is her Ghanaian name. [10]
Bannerman attended the Atelierschule in Zurich, with an "artistically" oriented teaching style. She put a focus in music and arts throughout her teenage years, stating her goal of becoming "as famous as Beyoncé", her "biggest idol." [4] She has described being brought up on stage at German musician Cro's concert as an important moment that made her she realize what she wanted to do. [11]
Career
In 2020, Bannerman began posting on Instagram and TikTok as an influencer. [7] She also began acting in music videos, appearing in works for artists such as Swiss pop musician Benjamin Amaru and German rapper Badchieff. [8] She collaborated and worked with several brands, including Laura Mercier and Charles & Keith. [7]
In 2022, Bannerman was scouted through social media by Hybe casting manager Michelle Kim. [12] [13] She was invited to participate in a global casting competition organized by Hybe and Geffen Records, in plans to form a "global" girl group. Bannerman originally dismissed the offer as a scam, but after verifying its authenticity, she accepted the invitation and then auditioned. [13]
In 2023, Bannerman became one of 20 finalists entering as a participant on the talent competition reality show Dream Academy . She joined the training program despite having no prior experience in dancing or professional singing. [14] Bannerman placed among the final six contestants, marking her debut with Katseye. In the Dream Academy docuseries Pop Star Academy: Katseye, Bannerman was praised for her "star power", a term used by Hybe and Geffen executives to describe her potential as a pop star. Casting manager Kim described her as "an aura that was calming yet vibrant," adding, "It's not something you can quantify with science or math—it's a feeling, an undeniable presence." [15]
2024–present: Katseye and hiatus
On June 28, 2024, Bannerman debuted with Katseye through their single "Debut". [16] As a member of Katseye, Bannerman became the first Black artist to sign with Hybe. [17] In 2025, Swiss media noted Bannerman for being the first Swiss woman to win an MTV Video Music Award, when Katseye won the Push Performance of the Year award for "Touch". [18] [19] They again commended her for being the first Swiss artist to be nominated for a Grammy General Field award and also perform at the ceremony when Katseye performed at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards. [20] [21] In January 2026, Bannerman starred in Not Bad, a short film directed by her friend Sophie Hall-Mochkatel, which was shared on January 27. [22]
On February 20, Katseye announced that Bannerman would be taking a temporary hiatus from the group to "focus on her health and wellbeing". [23] The announcement received substantial coverage in entertainment media, and spurred considerable speculation on social media. [24] [25] [26] Some media outlets discussed the hiatus in the context of Bannerman's position as the only Black member of Katseye. [27] [28] Other artists, including SZA, Chloe Bailey and Leigh-Anne Pinnock, expressed support for her, with the BBC noting Pinnock's comments in light of her own experience as the only Black member of Little Mix. [29] [24]
In April, Bannerman said that she and Hybe x Geffen were having "positive conversations" and that she felt supported. [30] Around the same time, media outlets noted that she had removed "Katseye" from her Instagram bio, which renewed speculation about the future of her hiatus. [31] Her absence remained a focus of coverage during Katseye's next activities; she did not appear in the group's April single "Pinky Up" or its music video. [32] [33] Hybe later confirmed that she would not participate in Katseye's Coachella debut, though media noted she was present at the festival. [34] [35] In interviews surrounding the performance, Katseye's members expressed their support for Bannerman during her hiatus. [33]
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