2023: A Year in Review

This year seemed to simultaneously go by slowly and in the blink of an eye. So many things have happened within the world of K-Pop and we have talked about a lot of things here in Fan Advice. Here’s a review of some of the main points throughout the year!

First things first, we all know there are a lot of ups and downs when it comes to being involved in K-Pop between the fanwars and arguments versus the ability to meet people and the memories you make. The biggest thing to take away from being in K-Pop is that you make your experience your own. Whether it’s going to numerous concerts a year, making friends either out and about or online, or creating content, don’t let anyone else tell you how you can enjoy the world of K-Pop. It’s meant to be a fun environment, so enjoy it the way you want to.

Secondly, for all my adult fans out there, keep enjoying yourself! There is no age limit to K-Pop, and the teen fangirl/fanboy to adult fan pipeline is super real. We also have the upper hand of being able to spend money on whatever merchandise and albums we want. But don’t feel bad if you get behind on consuming content or can’t buy an album right away either. It will still be there when you’re ready for it. Between maintaining jobs, social lives, and other things in between, take time to yourself too—K-Pop isn’t going anywhere.

Thirdly, group changes and those dreaded enlistments are unfortunately things we have to go through when it comes to supporting our favorite idols. As the second generation is finishing up enlistment, a lot of us will have to experience it as more and more third generation idols begin to head off themselves. We also have to witness some of the more recent temporary groups go through their own changes whether it’s older ones disbanding, or newer ones debuting. The one plus side to this is being able to see what members do with their careers and if they go on to redebut, go into acting or modeling, or anything else. Change can be a good thing, even if we don’t always like to accept it in the moment. 

2023 has been a crazy year of K-Pop, and we’re certainly looking forward to what’s coming in 2024!