Betül's Space

Artist of the Day: Manifest

Manifest is a Turkish girl group formed by the talent agency Hypers New Media in 2025. It consists of Esin Bahat, Hilal Yelekçi, Lidya Pınar, Mina Solak, Sueda Uluca, and Zeynep Sude Oktay, and they play a mix of pop, dance, and R&B.

How It Began: The Big5 Türkiye Process

The story of Manifest began with producer Tolga Akış's vision to create a new girl group in Turkiye under the Hypers label. The project, aiming to replicate the global success of Turkish TV series in the music industry, was announced on April 9, 2024, and transformed into a six-month reality show competition called Big5 Türkiye, broadcast on YouTube. From 60 candidates aged 18-24, 12 finalists were selected after preliminary rounds, a camp period, and three grand final episodes. Although the group was initially planned to consist of five members, a surprise development occurred at the grand final on January 30th, with the unanimous decision of the jury members, resulting in six contestants being chosen as winners.

A Dream Turning into a Name: Manifest

Having gone through a challenging and intense preparation process, the members define the core philosophy of the group as 'women's solidarity.' Throughout the competition, they frequently spoke about manifesting this dream and often expressed their awe at the coincidences that unfolded along the way. That is why they unanimously decided to name the group 'Manifest.'

2025-2026: The Manifestival Era

First Steps and Stance

In March 2025, the group appeared on the cover of Cosmopolitan Türkiye, announcing that they were working on a summer album. However, their second single, "Arıyo," planned for release during this period, was postponed following the arrest of Ekrem İmamoğlu, with the statement, "We want to build our career on stronger foundations than stream counts."

Released in April, the dance track "Arıyo" made a strong debut on the charts.
The album film released in May was followed by the music videos for "KTS" and "Snap," pushing for the top spots on digital charts.
Featured in Rolling Stone during this time, the group was described as "a Turkish music group the likes of which hasn't been seen in over a century," praised for their command of choreography, femininity, and confident stance.

The "Manifestival" Storm and Global Peak

The group's highly anticipated debut album, Manifestival, was released on June 13, 2025, making a massive impact both locally and globally.

All 11 songs on the album entered the Spotify Türkiye Top 50 chart within the first 24 hours; the album reached number 1 in Türkiye and Azerbaijan.
Genius listed the album among the best global releases of 2025 so far, praising its themes of "sisterhood, resilience, and fearless self-expression."
"Yaşanacaksa," which samples a 1995 hit by the girl group Çıtır Kızlar, became one of the most streamed tracks on YouTube and Spotify, accompanied by a music video directed by member Lidya Pınar.
With over 480 million total streams, the album became the 3rd most-streamed girl group album globally in 2025. In September, a deluxe version of the album was released featuring 5 new remixes.

The Legal Process and Crisis Period

Investigation & Cancellations: Following their concert at KüçükÇiftlik Park on September 6, 2025, an investigation was launched against the group over accusations of "indecent acts" due to their choreography. After being briefly detained and released under judicial control, the group canceled their entire Türkiye tour amid rising political tension and a media ban on the concert footage.

Political Backlash: The incident quickly became a national political issue, sparking statements from political leaders and veiled criticisms in the Directorate of Religious Affairs' (Diyanet) Friday sermons. Public opinion was heavily divided over debates on women's freedom, expression, and censorship.

The Verdict: The rapid trial concluded in October with a 3-month and 22-day prison sentence for the members. However, the court suspended the sentence (HAGB), lifted their international travel bans, and effectively closed the case, allowing the group to return to their music.

Late 2025 – Present: Rebirth and the Record-Breaking Era

The Winx Club Collaboration

Following the tour cancellations in the autumn, the group made a strong comeback in October 2025 with their hit single "RÜYA" (Dream). The music video featured a special collaboration with Winx Club (The Magic is Back) and Soda Makeup. The members appeared on camera wearing the iconic and original costumes of the animated characters, and the song debuted at the top of the charts.

First Anniversary and the Ajda Pekkan Duet

Celebrating their first anniversary on February 13, 2026, the group released "Başrol Sensin"—their first track entirely written and composed by the members themselves. Following their April single "Daha İyi", they delivered a massive surprise on May 8: "Hileli," a duet with Turkish pop legend Ajda Pekkan. The excitement from these releases culminated in a massive four-night sold-out concert series at the Ülker Sports Arena in Istanbul.

Making History and International Stages

The arena shows kicked off an extensive stadium and open-air tour, reaching major cities across Türkiye as well as international stages in Rotterdam, London, and Cyprus. On July 31, Manifest performed at the prestigious Sunny Hill Festival in Pristina, Kosovo. Their inclusion in the lineup was proudly announced by Dua Lipa on her social media.

The summer peaked with the Manifestival concerts at Izmir Kültürpark Zeytin Sahne (August 28-30). Selling out all 55,000 tickets in just 12 hours, the group broke Türkiye's "all-time fastest ticket sales record," surpassing global stars like Kanye West and Madonna.

My Favourite Songs

Snap

This track is so catchy and danceable. It has been one of my absolute favorites ever since it was first released. While the intro is easily its most iconic moment, the crowd chant section near the end makes it one of the songs that gets everyone most hyped at live concerts (which I also experienced!)

Hileli

I don't even know how to describe my amazement the day this track came out, but feeling Turkish influences so strongly in a song is genuinely empowering. The fact that it's a collaboration with super popstar Ajda Pekkan definitely takes it to the next level. What makes this one of the tracks that truly defines Manifest is how beautifully they express their identity, which is why I’d love for everyone to give it a listen at least once.

Rotterdam Concert

I can't go without sharing a special day here that means so much to me. Spending this day especially with my favorite people was, I'd say, a core memory for me. First of all, seeing so many Turkish peers at the concert venue made me feel right at home, and singing Turkish songs out loud with them felt like fulfilling a dream I once thought I would never get to experience as a kid.

It was by far the most fun concert of my life. Their energy and interaction with us were truly wonderful. What made this concert so significant for them as well was that it was their first international concert right after their travel ban was lifted. Since we knew this, there was a moment during the concert where we chanted "Türkiye is proud of you" and seeing all the members break down in tears instantly was so emotional.

Türkiye wasn't always a country that placed this much pressure on women, and explaining this can sometimes be quite hard, especially to some people in Europe who are misinformed. But having a group like Manifest represent Türkiye brings me back to the old days and gives me hope. I hope we will all witness a day together when Turkish women are free from political pressures.