A resurfaced interview with Manon Bannerman, member of global girl group KATSEYE, is sparking debate online after fans revisited her past comments about work, creativity and the idea of a “9 to 5” job.
The discussion has become broader as fans also connect it to the group’s recent appearance and speech at the American Music Awards.
According to Koreaboo, in the interview clip, Manon spoke about her early interest in music and creativity, explaining that she never saw herself working in a traditional job.
“I always knew from a young age that I wanted to be a creative. I never saw myself doing a 9-to-5 job,” she said.
He described spending his time learning piano, writing songs and making music at home for fun before realizing it could become a career. She added that growing up in Switzerland made a music career seem unlikely, saying it wasn’t a common path for people around her. Despite this, she said she is grateful that her dream came true and brought her to where she is today.
However, the “9 to 5” comment quickly became the center of online debate after resurfacing on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). Some users criticized the phrase, interpreting it as dismissive of traditional working-class jobs. Others compared the comment to KATSEYE’s demanding rehearsal and training schedules, which require long hours of preparation and performance.
Fans divided over Manon’s old comments
Some fans also linked the discussion to Manon’s past absences from the group’s activities, suggesting that the interview revealed inconsistencies. Others strongly defended her, saying the clip had been taken out of context and that she was simply describing her personal creative journey, without criticizing regular jobs or hard work.
The debate grew as fans also revisited KATSEYE’s recent American Music Awards moment, where the group made a big debut.
During the event, KATSEYE, made up of Lara Raj, Megan Skiendiel, Daniela Avanzini, Sophia Laforteza and Yoonchae, performed their song “Pinky Up” and received awards in every category they were nominated for, Cosmopolitan reported.
In their acceptance speech, Megan Skiendiel thanked the fans, saying, “Thank you EYEKONS. We are so grateful to each and every one of you.” The group also thanked their team and thanked BTS, but some viewers noticed that Manon wasn’t mentioned during the speech.
