Katseye debuted an official music video for their hit single “Pinky Up” ahead of their highly anticipated Coachella set this weekend – but it’s missing fan-favorite member Manon Bannerman.
The global girl group released the song’s high-energy video on Thursday, just one day before they make their first-ever appearance at the annual music festival in Indio, California, on Friday night.
It features the “Gnarly” singers’ five active members – Daniela Avanzini, Lara Raj, Megan Skiendiel, Sophia Laforteza and Yoonchae Jeung – dancing in colorful outfits as the scene jumps from a forest of plushies, to a pink bedroom to a motel ballroom.
Each member is also seen pretending to drink tea and lifting their pinky à la the song’s title throughout the surreal and chaotic video.
Bannerman, however, was noticeably absent from the newly released “Pinky Up” music video after taking a step back from Katseye in February to focus on her health.
“After open and thoughtful conversations together, we are sharing that Manon will be taking a temporary hiatus from group activities to focus on her health and wellbeing,” the group announced in a statement on Feb. 20.
They added, “We fully support this decision. KATSEYE remains committed to showing up for one another and for the fans who mean everything to us.”
Bannerman, 23, then reportedly thanked her and Katseye’s fans earlier this month for their “love and support” amid her temporary hiatus from the group.
“I’m really grateful for the patience and kindness everyone has shown during this time,” she wrote on April 2. “I’m happy and I’m healthy. I’ll share more soon. Thank you for always being there for me.”
Katseye first gained recognition via the survival competition show “The Debut: The Dream” in 2023.
The six-member girl group became global superstars one year later with Netflix’s “Popstar Academy: Katseye” docuseries.
“I don’t want to say too much … it’s been a grind,” Raj, 20, said of the group’s Coachella prep during an interview with Billboard published Friday. “It’s been crunch time.”
She continued, “We actually only had two weeks to do this whole thing, and there are a lot of new things that we’re working on, including our new single. So it’s going to be really exciting. We’re really happy about it.”
Raj also shared that she and her fellow Katseye members were “heavily inspired” by Beyoncé’s legendary Coachella sets in 2018.
“I mean, the most iconic,” the “Touch” singer said. “We are so inspired by the 2000s and how the showmanship of those artists was so valued, and to have shows that were so maximal and so many things going on. I think that’s something we really want to carry.”
