Hot Take: We’re Losing the Heart of Fangirl Culture
- Rebecca McDevitt
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Article contributed by Rebecca McDevitt
If you’ve ever been a fangirl or fanboy, you know this feeling all too well.
Somehow, seeing your favorite band or musician has become a competition. People are fighting at the barricade, on the internet, and what was once an uplifting community and a safe space has turned into a place where adults in their 30s and 40s bully each other until someone is crying to the algorithm for help. And alas, the cycle continues.
But when does it end?
When do we start acting like a fan community again?
When does the music bring us together instead of tearing us apart?
We remember becoming fans back when MySpace and Xanga were still thriving. When you could sit and talk to your internet friends through AIM chats and late-night phone calls because the minutes were free after 9 pm.
Somewhere along the way, something shifted. It became a competition and more about clout chasing. Now it feels like it's only about who can get noticed by a band member the most or who can post an interaction and be the loudest online.
The authenticity and sense of community that fandoms once held have slowly died right in front of our eyes. And maybe that’s what we miss the most. The excitement of finally meeting your online friends. The comfort of a community you helped build.
The feeling of belonging somewhere, even if only for two hours with strangers.
The rush of live music through your veins. Seeing your favorite band for the first time, even if it was from the nosebleeds.
After all, SoundCheck was built by three strangers on the internet who shared nothing but a love for music. That community still exists, and we want to protect it.
But something has to change.
Stop chasing the interaction. Stop caring where you sit at a show.
Just exist. Music has always been there for us. It’s time we start showing up for it, too.