5 Ways Stan Culture Is Growing Up, (And How To Tell You Are Too)
Because sometimes, being young, wild and free comes with a cut-off point.
It’s safe to say that stan culture is its own universe, and while it is currently at its peak, it has evolved immensely. It’s clear that stan culture just isn’t what it used to be, and quite frankly, neither are the people a part of it. Supporting your favourite artist never really stops; there are just a few different approaches to it now. Whether that means being less vocal online or simply enjoying things privately, there are several ways to tell you’ve “grown up” within stan culture, without necessarily leaving it behind.
You Don’t Plan On Attending As Many Concerts As You Used To
Unfortunately, the process of buying concert tickets just isn’t what it used to be anymore, and there’s a stark difference from then to now. What once felt exciting for fans– logging on Ticketmaster and succeeding in having low queue numbers, being lucky enough to score Ticketmaster presale codes, purchasing tickets smoothly- has now instead become a sudden catastrophe for many. Everything has changed (queue the Taylor Swift song)- now everyone has access to presales for tours (if they signed up), bots consistently take over Ticketmaster queues, ticket prices are at an all-time high, not only at resale but face value. Slowly but surely, it’s taken the joy of fans getting the chance to see their favourite artists live due to this unfortunate issue.
Fans who used to go to multiple shows now either go to one or none, simply because of the insane pricing, and also taking in the cost of travel, depending on the location of the concert.
Word on the street is that it used to cost less than $75 to see Harry Styles live on tour in 2018, and around $50 for floor catwalk seats to see Justin Bieber live in 2012. Unfortunately, now, it isn’t unusual to see ticket prices for only one ticket costing over $300–and that’s at face value. Alas, it’s become the new norm, and if you multiply one $300 ticket times three, suddenly you’re faced with a major financial decision instead of planning a fun night out with your pals. A thought I always have is, how are families supposed to attend family-friendly shows when four tickets in total cost roughly the same as a monthly rent payment?
Instead of travelling to shows nowadays, fans are watching livestreams on TikTok while simultaneously living vicariously through their mutuals on X (Twitter) who are at the show live-tweeting.
In a way, this shifts a broader perspective growing up alongside stan culture– when once upon a time, fans dropped a ton of money travelling and attending many shows, they’ve now become more aware of their financial limits. Just because you aren’t basically going on tour with your favourite artist does not mean you aren’t a stan anymore–you’re just stanning sustainably.
You Skip Out On Purchasing Every Vinyl Variant
Once upon a time, to feel like a true fan of an artist meant feeling the need to own every kind of physical media your favourite artists released. I’m talking about every single album version, every deluxe edition, and every single vinyl variant. From exclusive covers to limited edition pressings, each one felt like a must-have obligation to obtain. And missing out, in my personal experience, felt like I would be falling behind in the fandom, often questioning my loyalty to the artist.
Of course, I can only speak for myself here, but I’ve come to realise that while stan culture is evolving, and as we’re simultaneously growing up with stan culture, that means my mindset also has. I’ve realised that just because I don’t own every single variant of an album from my favourite artist does not mean my connection to them as a fan is any less.
In fact, it helps me become more conscious about finances and limited space. Do I really need different versions of an album simply because each album cover is different? Do I really need to spend money on the same album because one vinyl is pink and the other is red?
When I think about it, sure, it’s lovely to collect different vinyls like gems since they are aesthetically pleasing to look at, but they really aren’t necessary. In my opinion, they just take up loads of space that I could save for other forms of physical media.
At the end of the day, I know my support is not defined by how many vinyl variants of the same album sit on my shelf. Of course, the excitement over new releases is always there, but the urgency to buy every form of the same album fades. And honestly, shifting my perspective always helps. What matters most to me is simply connecting to the music, and of course connecting with the artist.
Realising Supporting Other Artists At The Same Time Is Not A Form Of Betrayal
As a youth, being a fan of an artist always felt like a major competition in comparison to other successful musicians. If one person was a stan of Justin Bieber and the other person was a stan of One Direction, it turned into the ultimate battle to determine which artist was better than the other. Whether it was fan wars, which song was ranked higher in chart placements, or simply trying to prove whose favourite artist was more successful than the other, stan culture seemed to have created the idea that being loyal to one artist could only happen once at a time, and it truly felt like a full-time job.
As I’ve grown up, I’ve realised that there was no point in competing to determine who was better. In fact, why couldn’t Justin Bieber and One Direction both equally be as great? Why couldn’t my fan page be dedicated to multiple artists rather than just one? Why did I feel so much pressure, feeling like I wasn’t committed enough because I liked one artist’s song or album over the other? Looking back, the pressure to be committed to only one artist was pointless and blatantly unnecessary, considering two artists (or multiple) can co-exist and thrive at the same time.
Today, I’ve noticed many fans allow themselves to freely support multiple artists at once. I’ve seen fan pages on X (Twitter) list their favourite artist’s names in their bios, which is something I don’t remember ever encountering during the early days of stan culture.
Instead of only limiting themselves to one fandom, they’re exploring different sounds, genres and communities whilst of course expanding their music taste. This definitely opens the door to having a wider appreciation for music, and it’s such an important way to form connections,with not only the artist and their music, but also to engage with other fans.
You Realise Celebrities Have Flaws, Too
Alexa, play Nobody’s Perfect by Hannah Montana. Yup, nobody, including your favourite celebrities.
In the early days of stan culture and glorifying celebrities, it was almost appalling if your favourite artist was criticised. Whether the criticism was from other fandoms, other celebrities or in the media, any form of critique seemed disguised as hate. Defending your faves quickly became second nature, almost as if you were protecting them at all costs. It wasn’t about simply liking their music, but preserving their image in the world.
Again, I can only speak for myself here, but I can admit that at some point in my youth, I’d place my favourite celebrities on a pedestal. Whether they were in a heated X (Twitter) feud with another artist or writing hit songs about public breakups, in my eyes, it felt that they could do or say no wrong. There was definitely a lot of sugar coating.
Over the course of time, though, I’ve grown up to realise that celebrities have flaws, too. I recognise that they make mistakes and sometimes say or do things I don’t necessarily agree with. I acknowledge that this does not make me a fake fan; in fact, I think it makes me more self-aware and makes me realise I’ve matured. Thanks to social media, I have the capability to speak up when it’s right to do so.
I do notice the same amongst other fans. Today, we are more willing to hold our faves accountable, especially when it comes down to social issues, politics and basic human rights. Fans are actively encouraging celebrities to use their platforms for good and to be a part of larger conversations that centre on issues that are affecting the world. Celebrating an artist’s work while also acknowledging their flaws can and should co-exist.
You Stop Obsessing Over Who They’re Romantically Linked To
Let’s face it– back then, when our celebrity crush was dating someone, fans became extremely jealous. Every rumoured relationship, every Instagram like, comment or follow, to every paparazzi photo or celebrity sighting, would have social media going insane. It was pretty much a huge emotional investment. In some unfortunate circumstances, fans would go as far as to send unfair hate to the person our celebrity crush was dating.
Now that fans are older and wiser, there’s been a noticeable shift in how people react to celebrity relationships. Most fans don’t really seem to be affected by who their celebrity crush is dating.
For example, Niall Horan’s upcoming new album, Dinner Party, is about his relationship with his girlfriend Amelia Woolley. Fans are actually very appreciative of this and really root for them to be together forever. In his One Direction days, this reaction would probably be the opposite. When Justin Bieber got married and announced he was having a baby with his wife, Hailey Bieber, fans took to social media, exploding with joy. They were truly happy for them and fangirled in the best way.
One of the most recent examples stems from viral photos of Harry Styles and Zoe Kravitz circulating all over the internet, including several tabloids, gossip social media accounts and viral TikTok videos of them seen out and about. I think many fans realised they’ve grown up and matured because they don’t really care about who Styles is dating or rumoured to be dating. Instead, fans just really want the best for him and hope for him to be happy. The main focus, instead, I think, is focusing on what Styles is up to career-wise, like streaming his newly released fourth studio album, Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally.
At the end of the day, stan culture is probably never going away, but we are definitely going to see major changes in it over time. It also doesn’t necessarily mean that the fans are leaving it all behind; it just means they’re growing up alongside it and changing their approach towards it.
Fans are simultaneously evolving with it and are finding the perfect, healthy balance in doing so, compared to what it once was.
