When fans get fans aka content is king
I saw my first content creator in the wild a few weeks ago. I was walking the dog when she ran past me with her phone held aloft, talking animatedly. She could’ve been face-timing a loved one I suppose, but I had this sense that she was performing. It was like looking through a window into the future. I’m insulated from the creator revolution in my suburban pocket of a small town at the bottom of the world, but I would love to visit New York, London or Seoul one day just to see TikTok dance videos being filmed in real life.
The burnout gateway to cosy content
It’s come to my attention that I’m burnt out, which is not a clinical diagnosis. If I went to a medical professional I’d probably be told I have mild depression and slightly less mild anxiety as a result of acute stress from my life choices. Also, the world is falling apart and everything is terrible and humanity is a disease. I’m not planning to go to a medical professional, though, because I’ve been here before and I know how to get out of it. Plus I’m foolhardy. In fact, I’m everything I accuse my parents of being. Or worse.
Part 2: 14* reasons why Arirang is my AOTY
From Swim to Into the Sun, what a run.
Part 1: 14* reasons why BTS’ Arirang is my AOTY
I told my work friends last week that my two favourite BTS genres were ‘obnoxious Korean hip hop’ and ‘introspective power ballads’ and that’s why Arirang is the best thing I’ve ever heard. Every song has multiple moments that scratch my brain just right. I’ve decided to timestamp them. Think of it as an interactive tour of the album. I read a Guardian review of Arirang which called it a ‘dumb fun pop album’ and the writer is not wrong but also not remotely right. Therin lies the genius of Arirang. If you only dip a toe in you can have a great time pretending it’s a silly, horny, fun hip hop / pop album. But if you dig deeper you realise that it’s still fun but also smart, clever, outrageous, ironic, angry, sad, hopeful, beautiful, replete with yearning. In short, a modern no-skip masterpiece.
Just thinking about j-hope going crazy
It must be weird to be married to me right now.
Part II: on the performance of fandom (belonging)
This is meant to be part 2 of a ‘performance of fandom’ double shot but as I was writing it I realised the ‘performance of belonging’ was a more apt name. The first part was about my most recent concert experiences and the give and take between artist and audience. When you tackle this idea with large global fanbases like Swifties or BTS ARMY, the performance becomes much more than one fleeting moment of connection. Each experience builds upon the next, creating an entire universe of narrative threads and emotions for millions of people around the world.
BTS, Arirang and emotional integrity in the mainstream
Following my holiday I felt the same way as Lorde. Sad news for her, the feeling only lasted about a week. Now I’ve fallen SO DEEP back into the inner kingdom that I can tell my husband is considering sending in a search party.
10-1: 40 things* I’ve loved in 40 years
We’ve made it. It’s taken me 3 days to write this because it’s December and I’m forty and I’m so. tired.
On human messiness / when the algorithm doesn’t understand me
I’ve had one of those weeks where Spotify just can’t get it right. Everything is off. My AI DJ sucks. My song radios are weak. My finger is tired from hitting the skip button and I’ve been thinking that either I’m in my luteal phase or the algorithm is dumber than I’ve been led to believe. Or both. I thought our digital overlords were supposed to be observing our every move and adapting in order to keep us plugged in?
Super Tuna: a fun Run Seokjin diversion
I have an intense and introspective post on the boil but I’ve been distracted by the most chaotic 72 hours of BTS content since I joined the fandom, so I’m going to talk about that first. Because I make the rules here. Kim Seokjin, everyone’s favourite hyung (older brother) of BTS, did two encore concerts in Incheon over the weekend.
Spaghetti, schadenfreude and ‘the smallest spark’: on brilliant readings of basic works
Today was my first new music release from a BTS member since I became a baby ARMY. Exciting. Even more exciting that it’s the one and the only J-Hope. Well technically it’s a Le Sserafim song with a J-Hope feature (they’re a K-pop girl group). In the past 2 months I’ve gone deep on BTS but not really broadened my cultural exploration to other K-pop artists. Maybe there’ll be time once I get through 13 years of BTS content…
Give ’em something personal: parasocial connection and the illusion of intimacy
I think my first parasocial relationship was with Lucy Pevensie when I was six. After finishing The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, I opened every cupboard in every building I visited, convinced if I just believed it enough I’d find Narnia on the other side. The focus on Lucy was simply because I recognised myself in her: the diligent, earnest sibling, easily hurt by less considerate brothers and sisters. The one who was so ready to believe in magic. If Lucy was real, I was convinced we’d be best friends.
Inside the Magic Shop – reciprocity, sincerity and emotional labour in the artist-fan relationship
RM from BTS did a WeVerse Live earlier this week. In true RM fashion he went deep, not just talking about his hair, training routines and what he had for dinner (the most common WeVerse conversation topics), but how he’s been struggling with insomnia, anxiety, self doubt, and loneliness since his discharge from the military. It was raw and heartfelt and has made me reflect on the social contract between artist and fan—the emotional labour expected and returned.
I tripped and fell into ARMY: how to become a BTS fan in 5 easy steps
Let me be clear that I entered this rabbit hole with a skeptical mindset. I wanted my hypothesis about manufactured pop music to be proven right. I did not get what I wanted. That’s because regardless of how the machine of K-pop makes me feel, there’s just something magical about BTS. They’re a moonshot.