Fans will be fans: redefining what it means to be in a music fandom

I started planning on writing this article while listening to Lana Del Rey and I would consider myself a big fan of her music. I love discussing Del Rey’s intricate lyrics and I could quite easily (albeit badly) sing all the words to ‘Mariner’s Apartment Complex’. However, I haven’t listened to all the songs on Honeymoon. I haven’t bought her poetry anthology and I only just learnt that she once recorded under the name of Lizzy Grant. Could I be considered part of the Lana Del Rey fandom? 

The difference between being an avid listener and part of a fandom is really difficult to define. For me, being a member of a music fandom is presented as having a greater level of commitment to an artist, a desire to form a social identity around a music taste, and belonging to a larger community of like-minded fans. There is the expectation of fan dedication also, but what this consists of is varied and difficult to measure. 

Being a member of a fandom can seem to require a level of dedication

Fandoms can be exceptionally welcoming places for music consumers. Being able to have in-depth discussions with others who are equally as passionate about an artist can be immensely valuable. The ability to connect with other fans around the world through social media also adds to the sense of community and belonging. Fandoms, however, are not a new phenomenon. Looking back to the punk movement, the influence of the Sex Pistols on street fashion, the legacy of Beatlemania, and the beginnings of Antmania, shows how the 1970s had their own iterations of the modern fandom, giving those with specific and alternative music tastes a sense of belonging to a greater group of fans. This is what I love about fandoms; they give people a space where being nerdy about a niche interest is celebrated. 

But fandoms can also be exclusive and feel alienating. Being a member of a fandom can seem to require a level of dedication, whether that be spending time streaming their songs, or spending money on exclusive merchandise and live events. For me, intense fandoms can be driven by money and commercial success for artists, which aren’t necessarily negative things to want your favourite artist to achieve, but this ideology can alienate fans who do not have the disposable income to participate. Fandom culture can even become a lifestyle or aesthetic, which can mean that listeners feel a need to shape their personalities and appearance around their music taste, to be able to fit in with the other members of the group. 

I think it is time that we redefine what it means to be in a fandom

Artist trivia and specific discussions can also impact feelings of isolation for potential new fans. Before I plummeted into the Taylor Swift rabbit hole, I remember being flummoxed by the concept of her ‘secret sessions’ and her re-recording project. Even more recently, I see Swifties voicing strong opinions and meticulously analysing Swift’s love life and their loud (even if not explicitly malicious) discussions can make the fandom seem quite a heated space. Furthermore, the passionate defense of an artist’s every move, in groups such as the BTS ARMY and Beyonce’s Beyhive, can make fandoms seem as if they elevate their artist to an almost saint-like level. This parasocial relationship can lead to fandoms labelling those who fail to forge this one-sided connection and wealth of knowledge of an artist as ‘fake fans’. 

However, the concept of the ‘fake fan’ seems paradoxical. Who are we to say that someone doesn’t really like someone’s music? What is wrong with only enjoying a few of an artist’s songs, and still choosing to identify as a member of the fandom, and be a smaller part of a wider movement? 

I think it is time that we redefine what it means to be in a fandom. Making music an accessible and welcoming space for everyone is so important, as every listener can bring something new to discussions or communities surrounding music artists. Implicitly gatekeeping or obscuring access into a fandom and raising the level of dedication required to be considered a member of the group of fans can lead to the more negative sides of fan culture. Everyone enjoys art in different ways, so I think that we should view music fandoms as a space where everyone is welcome, with no unspoken criteria to abide by. Everyone who wants to be in a fandom can, and should, be considered a member of a fandom.