From September to November, comeback season is in full swing. With multiple groups releasing on multiple days, it's enough to make anyone’s head spin. Here's a few ways to keep yourself organized and prevent yourself from getting overwhelmed. 

Double Check The Release Time 

For veteren K-Pop fans, the fear of midnight releases is strong. However, gone are the days where every group released new music at midnight Korean standard time. Mid 2017, the charting rules changed so that music releases will only be counted on the real time charts between noon and 6pm on release day, and anything released after that would be counted at 1pm the next day. To complicate things even more, several groups are vying for spots on the Billboard charts which have their own criteria. All the different factors make it hard to predict when things are being released. To ensure you know when things are coming, check artists’ social media accounts regularly and set reminders in your phone so things don’t take you by surprise.  

Find Your Idol’s “Teams” 

Every idol has groups of dedicated fans who run streaming and voting teams. In some cases there are also fan unions that have been created to help fans organize for comebacks. These groups do everything from mass buy albums to helping international fans secure streaming passes. They are the heart and soul of comeback season. They can usually be found by searching “Idol group name/member name” union on Twitter. When comebacks are announced, they are the first place you should go to figure out streaming tactics, purchase schedules, and plans for fan support. 

Participate As Much (Or As Little) As You Can 

Everytime our favorite group makes a comeback, it feels like the pressure is on. Fans are being told to vote and stream from every corner of the internet. It’s important to remember that your value as a fan is not dependent on how much time you can spend voting or streaming. Real life should always come first. Any time you spend voting or streaming is plenty and your idol will be thankful no matter what. While yes, voting and streaming is important for the success of our idols, our idols would never ask us to sacrifice our time, money, energy, or mental health for their successes. Do as much as you can when you can. 

Final Thoughts 

Comebacks are crazy for both idols and fans, but at the end of it, all our favorite K-Pop groups give amazing performances they are proud of and they provide us with one more thing to watch and listen to. 

What's your favorite way to prepare for a comeback?