While fans don’t always like to see it, some K-Pop groups go through changes–whether it be a member leaving the group for numerous reasons, adding members to the group, or even disbandments. Last year especially, we saw a lot of idols leave their groups for many reasons. This month’s Fan Advice is going to focus on how to deal with these changes.

When it comes to members leaving groups, reasons why they leave can vary based on circumstances for each idol. If they leave a group but remain in the industry in some way, the best thing about that is fans can still keep up with their activities and things they remain involved in. Many solo idols, if they don’t already have one, create their own social media pages for fans to follow and keep up with activities. Other idols may step away from the idol life but remain active on social media simply as content creators. Examples of these include NMIXX’s former member Jinni, MOMOLAND’s former member Daisy, and Secret Number’s former member Denise. Jinni created her Instagram account not long after she left NMIXX, and both Daisy and Denise are very active on TikTok (sometimes making videos together!). The best way to keep up with any idols who leave their groups is to keep an eye out for any social media they may create.

Adding members to a group is a little less common, but it still does happen (I’m looking at you, NCT). Some companies have trainees that they believe would do well in an already existing group and end up debuting them in the group once they’re ready. This is how Yeri joined Red Velvet in 2015, and numerous members of NCT ended up in the group throughout the years. These instances are usually met with mixed emotions from fans at first, but once they are used to seeing extra faces, they are met with more positivity after a while. More often nowadays it seems to be met with more enthusiasm, especially witnessing it almost consistently with NCT.

Disbandments are the hardest change to witness, especially when you’re a fan of the group. In some cases, groups will go on to also create their own social media pages and find other ways to remain in the industry, such as debuting in another group, acting, or modeling. Again, this is the most ideal for fans of the members to stay updated on their favorite members. This is especially common with temporary groups with members who go on to re-debut. Other instances, the members quietly slip away from idol life and the spotlight. For fans that still want to see content in those situations, it’s always good to remember the content that’s already out that they can rewatch almost as a form of comfort. Old content can be a way to cherish memories of former groups and remember their impact. It’s also always an option to continue streaming their music as well–disbanding doesn’t mean their music suddenly disappears. Between streaming music and content, there’s always ways to cherish a group no matter their status.

Change isn’t always easy to accept, especially when it comes to our favorite groups. But there’s always options for how to deal with them, and whether these changes make you become more invested or slowly lose interest in a group or idol, it’s okay to feel either way.