You Had To Be There: Fangirl Internet Moments That Truly Shaped Us
If you grew up on the internet, specifically the pop culture and fandom side of the internet, you could probably name a few iconic internet moments you’ve seen or experienced whilst doomscrolling on X (formerly known as Twitter), Tumblr and TikTok. From viral memes to your favs arguing online, let’s reminisce a little and go down memory lane, shall we?
1D Day
If you were a hardcore Directioner in the early 2010s, consider checking off “spending seven straight hours glued to my computer on a Saturday in November watching my favourite band host a livestream to promote their new upcoming album”, off your bucket list, because that is EXTREME dedication and honestly, you deserve an award for it.
The 1D Day interactive live stream featured the boys interacting with fans, playing chaotic games, performing their biggest hits, a few interviews to promote their third album, and including some famous guests making an appearance. This was all to promote their highly anticipated third album, Midnight Memories.
It was such an iconic cultural (internet) moment, you just had to be there.
Poot Lovato
Ten years ago, the internet met Poot Lovato, a meme character emerging from an unflattering, photoshopped photo of Demi Lovato. The internet went wild over this photo, sharing laughs and joking around. Although Lovato wasn’t too fond of this at first, earlier this year, she posted a TikTok video joking that she would think about letting Poot out of the basement.
Another time Lovato had a laugh was when she told a fan who had asked if she had any Poot theories, that Poot was locked up and allergic to sunlight.
Obviously, being the person that is created into a meme isn’t everyone’s idea of glamour, but it’s great to know that Lovato is now a good sport about it.
Zayn Malik Leaving One Direction
A headline that many One Direction fans never expected to see, especially during the peak of their career together as a band. On 25 March 2015, it was announced on One Direction’s Facebook page that Zayn had decided to leave the group, which then quickly circulated mainstream news, tabloids and of course, the internet.
The Facebook post reads that Zayn said, “My life with One Direction has been more than I could ever have imagined. But, after five years, I feel like it is now the right time for me to leave the band. I’d like to apologise to the fans if I’ve let anyone down, but I have to do what feels right in my heart. I am leaving because I want to be a normal 22-year-old who is able to relax and have some private time out of the spotlight. I know I have four friends for life in Louis, Liam, Harry and Niall. I know they will continue to be the best band in the world.”
It was tremendously heartbreaking for 1D fans all over the globe, whilst at the same time, it brought fans comfort knowing the group would continue to move on as a four-piece.
Justin Bieber and One Direction Both Dropping Albums on the Same Day
When One Direction and Justin Bieber both announced their albums were dropping the same day, 13 November 2015, all hell broke loose.
Made in the A.M vs. Purpose. Directioners vs. Beliebers. Twitter was a battlefield.
Fans from each fandom were trying to stream the albums as much as they could so that the albums of their respective favourites could land on top of the charts.
It’s been known in the pop culture and fandom world that Beliebers and Directioners would occasionally clash online due to their competitive nature. Whether they were trying to vote for their favs to win a music award, or reach the top of the charts, both Justin Bieber and One Direction, despite their difference in music styles, heavily took on teen culture and the music industry.
Wattpad Fanfictions
Before BookTok and Netflix teen dramas, there was the true star of them all, Wattpad, home to many of your favourite imaginary ships and celebrity-based fan-fiction stories. But most of all, it is home to the After franchise.
Written by Anna Todd, or as OG Directioners remember her as, imaginator1D, the After fan-fiction franchise explores Tessa Young, an 18-year-old college student with a simple life, excellent grades, and a sweet boyfriend. She always has things planned out ahead of time, until she meets a rude boy named Hardin, with too many tattoos and piercings, who shatters her plans.
Hardin is based on Harry Styles (his looks, not him as a person). The fan-fiction has garnered over 700 million views on Wattpad, and not only is it just a fan-fiction, but as the years have gone by, it has also become a book and film series.
The Wattpad to Hollywood pipeline is just iconic.
Taylor Swift Reclaiming Ownership of Her Masters
After years of public dispute with music executive Scooter Braun over ownership of her master recordings, Taylor Swift recently announced she has regained ownership of them– a massive win for both her and her fans.
The controversy began in 2019, when Braun acquired Swift’s former label, Big Machine Records, gaining control of her early albums.
According to an article from Billboard, Swift has publicly declared her displeasure with the shuffling around of her masters and, in 2019, began re-recording her earlier albums in order to restore control over her songs from a commercial standpoint.
Upset that she did not have the opportunity (at the time) to purchase her masters herself, Swift took a bold step: re-recording her old albums, which allowed her fans to have the chance to support the versions of the album she owns, hence why the new versions of old fan-favourite albums still hold the same title, but are just followed by (Taylor’s Version).
Of course, Swifties were ecstatic to hear this major news. For the fans, it wasn’t just about the music — it was about loyalty, justice, and watching their favourite artist take back what was hers all along. It also showed how women in the music industry are fierce and not to be played around with.
With the latter event happening earlier this year, and a new album from Swift on the way, there are sure to be many more iconic, and hopefully happy, fangirl internet moments that just haven’t happened yet and we can’t wait to be there when they go down.
