Leigh-Anne Pinnock has named KATSEYE‘s Manon and Normani as her dream collaborators.
- READ MORE: Leigh-Anne on going independent and her debut solo album: “You’re not going to tell me the kind of artist I should be. I know who I am”
In a fan video circulating on social media, the former Little Mix star was asked which artists she would love to work with. Leigh-Anne replied, “Me, Manon and Normani, yeah? Fire.”
It comes after KATSEYE announced that Manon would be taking a “temporary hiatus” from the group to focus on her “health and wellbeing”.
The Grammy-nominated Los Angeles girl group – assembled by Hybe and Geffen Records – shared the news on February 20 in a statement posted to Weverse, adding that the group will “continue scheduled activities during this time, and we look forward to being together again when the time is right.”
Hours later, Manon appeared to address fans directly through Weverse DMs, writing: “I’m healthy, I’m okay, and I’m taking care of myself. Thank u for checking in! Sometimes things unfold in ways we don’t fully control, but I’m trusting the bigger picture,” per Billboard.
Since then, Leigh-Anne has publicly shown support for Manon. Responding to a fan who noticed she and Normani both followed Manon on Instagram, Leigh-Anne wrote: “We need to protect each other.”
Leigh-Anne when asked who she would like to collaborate with in the future:
“Me, Manon and Normani, yeah? Fire.” pic.twitter.com/wq97Njbxo7
— LAP Management (@LAPManagement) February 27, 2026
We need to protect each other ❤️
— Leigh-Anne (@LeighAnneMusic) February 23, 2026
In another new interview, Leigh-Anne further reflected on Manon’s departure from the group, saying: “There is some kind of vicious cycle going on right now with Black girls in girl groups. We see it all the time, so I’m glad people are speaking about it and highlighting it.
“I take a lot of comfort in talking to other artists that are going through something similar, because there was a point where I never got to do that,” she added. “I remember, when I had other Black members of girl groups reaching out to me and saying ‘I feel you, I see you, I’m feeling exactly the same,’ really taking comfort in those moments and thinking, ‘Oh god, I’m not alone.’ So I feel like it’s really important that we all keep talking to each other and support each other.”
All three artists were the lone Black members of their respective girl groups, with Normani previously a member of Fifth Harmony. This dynamic is something Leigh-Anne has publicly addressed in 2021 with her BBC documentary Leigh-Anne: Race, Pop and Power.
In it, Pinnock, whose parents are both mixed-race, discussed with peers, including Sugababes’ Keisha Buchanan, whether being a light-skinned Black woman made her a more “palatable” option for powerful music executives.
Leigh-Anne speaks on her recent support for Manon from KATSEYE:
“I definitely feel like there is a lot to say. There is some kind of vicious cycle going on right now with Black girls in girl groups. We see it all the time, so I’m glad people are speaking about it and… pic.twitter.com/JdNzQ2syoq
— JADE tea room ☕️ (@JADEtearoom) February 26, 2026
Reflecting on her documentary later, Leigh-Anne said: I know I’m helping some people, and I know I’m doing a good thing, and I’m going to continue to do that. And one thing I’m 100% going to do is talk about light-skinned privilege. I truly believe it’s helped me to get to where I am today.”
She also addressed experiencing racism and comparison to her bandmates – Perrie Edwards, Jesy Nelson, Jade Thirlwall – saying: “I always used to say, ‘Should I feel like this, having accomplished my dream?’ Why do I feel like I might as well not be here sometimes? Why does it feel like I’m not being noticed? Why do I feel invisible? Why am I not appreciated like the others? It just didn’t feel right.”
KATSEYE released their ‘Beautiful Chaos’ EP last year. The track ‘Gnarly’ was named as the fifth best song of the year by NME.
Speaking to NME last year, Manon reflected on the track, telling us: “I didn’t expect such a crazy song.” She added: “I was just super excited because I was like, ‘Oh my god, finally we can cuss!’”
As for Leigh-Anne, she recently released her debut solo album ‘My Ego Told Me To’. Speaking to NME ahead of its release, she told us of its sound: “There’s so much variety on there, and I am a very versatile artist, but at the same time, I think there’s a sort of reggae-leaning sound that is the footprint for the album. I found my thing, my lane, and that was my main goal. Like, what do you want to say? How do you want this to sound and feel? And I just feel like I’ve got there.”
