Fanship and Fandom: Navigating Artist-Fan Relationships in K-Pop —
By Atharv Bokil (UG ‘24), Illustrated by Anoushka Antony (UG ’25)
Fandoms and fans constitute an integral and vibrant facet of the music industry. Ardent and devoted fans deeply connected with their preferred artists, groups, or bands, exert considerable influence on concert attendance, merchandise sales, streaming metrics, and overall music trends. This article aims to look at some of the more general benefits of joining a K-pop fandom through the lens of behavioral science and then take the case of K-pop’s golden standard, BTS to see how their agency Big Hit’s strategies along with the unique fan needs the idols themselves satisfy transformed a niche export into a global phenomenon.
The magnetic appeal of K-Pop fanship
The decision to join a fandom transcends mere musical preference. It involves establishing a profound connection with a particular artist or genre, fostering a sense of social identity and belonging. Consider the BTS ARMY, a fandom that exemplifies dedication beyond mere music appreciation. This global community, bonded by shared adoration for BTS, represents more than just fans; they are part of a collective experience.
Fanship is defined as the psychological attachment an individual feels to their favorite idol (Schroy et al.,2016) while fandom refers to these attachments to other fans with the same interest (Reysen & Branscombe, 2010). You may have personally noticed and felt this fanship with some of your favorite artists. Research has attributed such attachments to psychosocial factors like social identity, escapism (escaping reality through imagination and distraction), gender differences, social connection and sexual attraction. ( (Schroy et al., 2016; Reysen et al., 2015; Pentecost & Andrews, 2010; Wann, 1995) A study by Derek A. Lafan, using 1477 K-Pop fans from 92 predominantly Western countries investigated the characteristics of self-identified K-Pop fandoms that showed high levels of fandom involvement with positive psychosocial outcomes like increased happiness, self-esteem and social connectedness.
What is interesting to note is that K-Pop fans are more intense in their fandom involvement compared to other artist’s fans. Other qualitative research has also shown a pathological fan type called “Sasaengpaen” that shows excessive fanship and has stalker-like behavior(placing cameras on idol’s properties, sending notes written with blood etc.) (Williams, 2016) Although this type of fan is not representative of K-Pop fans generally, it is important to look at other less obvious reasons for this strong fanship.
The strategy that made BTS a ‘Big Hit’
The K-Pop industry was built on ‘Hallyu’, also known as the Korean Wave, a global phenomenon created to boost South Korean social prestige and economic growth. Of the many entertainment companies that capitalized on this growth was Big Hit Entertainment, the company that launched BTS in 2013. What can we learn from Big Hit about how they created a band that offers fans more than just good music?
What K-Pop is famous for is “World Building” where idol groups create more than just- an immersive audio-visual content package with webtoons, documentaries, reality shows, and games amongst other forms of entertainment. This fan-centric approach builds a ‘world’ surrounding their favorite artists, allowing them to feel more connected to the idols, forming a deep parasocial relationship (a kind of psychological relationship experienced by an audience with mediated encounters with artists through online platforms, performances, etc.). Big Hit has made BTS fans the ‘core value and goal’ of their business and views them as inspiration for innovation rather than just consumers. Seo Wooseok, the developer of Weverse, an app created by a Big Hit subsidiary as a fan artist community where fans post messages to artists and artists could reply to them directly said, “The secret is intimacy in communication between artists and fans that you could not experience anywhere else”. The app now hosts four groups including BTS, and has over 1.4 million active daily users.
Amid COVID lockdowns, when connection seemed scarce, Big Hit had the genius idea of bringing a BTS concert right to fans’ screens with Bang Bang Con: The Live. But this wasn’t just any livestream — it was a personalized journey. Fans got to choose their view, switch angles, and even sync their light sticks to sparkle in perfect harmony. It was like being at the concert, but from the comfort of home. They tackled another challenge head-on: long lines for merch. With a stroke of brilliance, they introduced a new purchasing system. Fans could now snag their favorite goodies online, right from the venue’s doorstep, and pick them up whenever suited their fancy. The result? A whopping 210% surge in merch sales. These thoughtful touches aren’t just about convenience — they’re about showing fans they matter, resulting in fierce loyalty to the company and the idols.
BTS Bang Bang Con. Source: Teen Vogue
Breaking Stereotypes: BTS’ journey to empowering feminism and challenging conventions
These marketing and growth strategies are what any artist this day would wish to have, but what is unique about what BTS’ idols offer that makes them loved so loyally by their fanbase? BTS for long have been a beacon for feminism- which explains their largely young female fanbase. Navigating the challenges of being young, female, and a person of color continues to be an uphill battle for dignity every day in a world still controlled by men. Unfair preconceptions that society imposes on girls, such being overly emotional, are frequently used as a weapon to mock and humiliate them, creating environments where even their own minds and bodies don’t feel like safe havens.
But in the realm of BTS, things are pleasantly different. Drawing inspiration from Big Hit’s motto of “Music and Artist for Healing,” the group’s sound focuses on providing solace and welcoming acceptance. Here, suffering is accepted, vulnerability is embraced, and the previously written-off underdog triumphs. They create an environment that gives girls a humanity that is much too frequently denied to them in the real world.
ARMY has been the inspiration for BTS’s journey from the start. When they started off in 2013, success felt like a far-off fantasy. However, supporters accepted their ‘outsider’ status as a badge of strength rather than viewing it as a setback. In the present day, BTS being comfortable with showing their feminine side, has assimilated this philosophy and is utilizing their influence to refute all preconceived notions about what idols ought to be like in terms of appearance, behavior, and voice. Yes, journalists frequently point to their socially conscious lyrics as a differentiator, but they frequently fail to understand why young women in particular have such a strong connection with these lyrics. BTS doesn’t simply make music; they pique their audience’s intellectual curiosity by boldly delving into difficult subjects like politics, literature, and psychology.
Consider “Map of the Soul: Persona,” which was released in 2019. Carl Jung’s idea of identity serves as the basis for RM’s “Intro,” which begins with the moving line, “‘Who am I?’ is the question I’ve had all my life / And I’ll probably never find the answer.” BTS invites us to join them on their journey towards self-understanding and embraces the uncertainties of the process while providing us with fresh perspectives to examine our own identities via their music.
Conclusion
It’s their ability to be vulnerable and transparent with their fans along with Big Hit’s ‘world-building’ strategy that allows BTS to have a special intimacy that other artists fail to have with their fanbase. Psychologists often see these parasocial relationships as ‘surrogate relationships’ that act as a substitute for a lack of healthy relationships with family and friends. Stephanie Choi, post-doctoral associate at the Asia Research institute however disagrees- “K-pop fandom is just another source of relationship, a different relationship that is not a surrogate for anything else. Further, the intimacy is just one part of what really makes K-pop so popular around the world.” The discussion for what level of depth to this relationship crosses the boundary from healthy to obsessive is beyond the scope of this article and calls for further research. However, it is important to understand that no relationship is flawless, and Choi acknowledges that both fans and idols experience disappointment and discontent. However, maybe this imperfection — along with the resiliency that serves to restore the ties of intimacy and community — contributes to what might be a potent attempt to preserve humanity in a world growing more digital and commercial.
References
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