This topic has been the cause of many a Twitter debate…

Album batch buying, expensive merchandise, and constant streaming may be popular ways of supporting K-pop groups. But are they necessary to call yourself a fan? Or could accusations of being a ‘fake fan’ simply be excluding those who don’t have the privilege of time or money?

K-Pop fans can be found almost anywhere thanks to the huge surge in popularity surrounding K-entertainment and Korean culture. With that, comes a fan culture of expressing love for groups through a variety of ways, from placing merchandise stickers on laptops to going to concerts,

However, with money tight for a lot of fans and the cost of K-Pop albums and tickets increasingly rising, some are struggling to find financially accessible ways to express support for idols. The issue is particularly prevalent when there are examples of some fans going to extreme lengths to guarantee the success of their biases, spending shockingly large amounts of money on them in the process. The expensive efforts of these fans have stoked accusations of others being fake fans within the community for a variety of reasons.

But, what makes a true K-Pop fan? And does it really depend on how much merchandise someone can afford? Or how many times do they listen to an album?

Album batch buying and costly concerts

There’s no doubt that K-Pop culture comes with a certain level of consumerism. The industry has perfected drumming up interest in buying albums (sometimes in excess) within fandoms. Randomised photocards and exclusive editions can often see fans buying albums in batches to get the photocard they want. Some even go as far as buying hundreds of albums at once for the chance to win fan calls with their idols.

For most fans, buying album batches is completely unattainable, with the majority of fans being priced out of these experiences. The pricing of concert tickets is also shockingly high, despite companies understanding that their main fan demographics are teenagers and young adults.

Therefore it’s not unusual for fans to be unable to spend money on their idols, but that arguably doesn’t make them any less a fan. Financial stability may be an important part of keeping a K-Pop group going, but streaming their music is enough to claim to be a fan of a group. Whether you have shelves-upon-shelves of merchandise and albums or not, you have the right to call yourself a fan. 

The big streaming issue

Streaming pressure is a huge topic of discussion among fans, especially on Twitter. Awards that are reliant on streams are often plastered across Twitter by fans reposting and asking others to stream as much as possible in order to ensure the success of their favourite group.

While many may be able to spend a lot of time rewatching music videos and streaming on Spotify, others can struggle to find the time in their schedules to do the same. Some have to prioritise working or studying and don’t have the luxury of dedicating time to long streaming sessions.

As a result, Twitter arguments regularly break out with accusations that those that don’t stream are not true fans. In reality, those that choose not to stream should be respected just as much as those that do choose to stream music videos. At the end of the day, it’s a personal choice, music is about enjoyment not stress, and fans can choose to support artists however they like.

Preventing financial exclusions of fans

Many fans who find buying costly merchandise difficult have tried to create low-cost ways around this. In some cities, K-Pop fans organise their own photocard trading events. While meeting and getting to know other fans, you can trade photocards that you don’t need for your bias! No matter whether you have a hundred photocards or just ten, everyone is welcome at trading events and you might just bag a new favourite photocard.

Another option if you can’t afford to buy an entire album is to just shop for the accompanying photocard. Sites like eBay and Vinted are littered with photocards that you can buy and haggle for. These will often end up cheaper than buying the whole album. This way you’re guaranteed to get the photocard of your desired member and not waste paper or albums in the process.

However, if you’re desperate to get hold of a few physical album, it may be worth taking some time to carefully decide which albums to prioritise. Before splashing the cash, take a moment to ask yourself a few questions. Do you like all of the songs on the album? Is it for a group that you love a lot or can you see yourself losing interest in a few months? Do you like the album's concept? If you’re not 100% sure about the album, hold off buying!

Liking K-pop is enough to be a fan

This is your reminder: constant streaming and shelves filled with K-Pop albums don’t make someone a better fan than you. Just simply supporting and wanting the best for your favourite groups is enough to call yourself a true fan.

It’s a personal choice whether a fan decides to spend time streaming music videos or voting for their favourite groups for award shows. As K-Pop fans, we should welcome everyone that loves the same groups as us because it allows you to create bonds with new people over something positive, rather than tearing others down.

It’s important to remember that a lot of fans have used their favourite K-Pop groups as a way to escape with difficulties in their everyday life and find comfort in their music. For some, K-pop is a coping mechanism. Therefore, it’s important that we maintain these safe fandom spaces and stop ranking each other by streams or money spent.

Edited by: Molly Raycraft