Fangirlies really had the best 2023. Between dressing on theme for events,<\/a> learning fan chants and catchphrases, and reading into Easter eggs at concerts, fandoms took their obsession off social media and into the real world \u2014 and built a stronger community as a result. Whether you exchanged friendship bracelets at Taylor Swift\u2019s Eras Tour<\/a> or joined moviegoers wearing hot pink to see Barbie <\/a><\/em>in theaters<\/a>, it\u2019s suddenly become cool to unapologetically embrace what you love. <\/p>\n Before 2023, fangirls (myself included) used niche areas of social media as a safe space to share TikToks and threads of inside jokes on X (formerly Twitter) and nerd out over fan theories. Being a Swiftie, BTS ARMY, and Disney adult over the years has become part of my identity, and I\u2019ve made real friendships through these communities \u2014 despite internet bullies who don\u2019t understand these fandoms. <\/p>\n People were more openly expressive with their love of fandoms this year.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n This year, though, the massive crowds, ticket sales, and box office numbers at 2023\u2019s biggest fan events <\/em>demonstrated that being a fan is not only more popular than you think, but it\u2019s now arguably mainstream. Case in point: Swift was named Spotify\u2019s Global Top Artist<\/a> of 2023 with more than 26.1 billion streams since New Year\u2019s Day. That\u2019s like if all 7.8 billion people in the world listened to three Swift songs this year alone. <\/p>\n \u201cPeople were more openly expressive with their love of fandoms this year,\u201d says Austin Ashburn, a 22-year-old fan of Swift, Lorde, and reality TV, <\/strong>who believes the stigma of being a fangirl is deteriorating, especially as musicians and artists make an effort to reciprocate fan love with shoutouts and personal details. <\/p>\n As stans left their computer screens behind and celebrated their pop culture faves with each other IRL, public opinion changed \u2014 and thank goodness, because I love being a fan.<\/p>\n \u201cI think 2023 was definitely the year of fangirls, and [arguably] <\/strong>the best year to be a Taylor Swift fan,\u201d Gabriela Bravo, a 21-year-old senior at Arizona State University, tells Elite Daily. Bravo, who saw Swift for the first time at the Eras Tour in Los Angeles, is a longtime Swiftie who used to watch the \u201cBlank Space\u201d singer\u2019s music videos on MTV and write down lyrics on napkins to memorize them. <\/p>\n While seeing the singer live was a first for Bravo, she also believes the tour was unlike anything Swift has done before. \u201cThe energy in that stadium was something I\u2019d never experienced, and the kindness and support amongst the fans was even more incredible to bear witness to,\u201d she says. I\u2019ve attended Swift\u2019s 1989 World Tour and Reputation Stadium Tour, and I agree. The Eras Tour felt a major, cinematic experience, like going to see the midnight screening of Avengers: Endgame, <\/em>but even more epic. <\/p>\n Swift also dropped a ton of content (and Easter eggs) for fans to speculate on this year. Potential Taylor\u2019s Version<\/em> theories<\/a> spanning Swift\u2019s music videos and her outfits were covered by every major outlet, from Vulture<\/a> <\/em>and Time Magazine<\/a> <\/em>to brands on X<\/a>. <\/strong>As these niche topics were brought into mainstream media and public discourse, Bravo says she\u2019s felt more confident discussing re-recording theories and openly fangirling.<\/p>\n When Swift invites her most loyal Swifties to premieres, BTS does hours-long livestreams, or Harry Styles takes a moment to sing \u201cHappy Birthday\u201d to fans in the middle of his concert, it feels like the love is reciprocated. <\/p>\n Even during their packed events, musicians found a way to personally connect with their fans. Swift\u2019s Eras Tour had a surprise song set<\/a> where she would sing two tracks not on the original setlist. These special songs were specifically chosen for the city she was in or the date of the concert, which made the experience unique and more intimate \u2014 despite being in sold-out stadiums. <\/p>\n Even artists have been able to fangirl back. Case in point: Swift, who\u2019s a fan of The Summer I Turned Pretty <\/em>and featured on the show\u2019s soundtrack, appeared to give a shoutout to Lola Tung and Jenny Han at the Eras Tour<\/a> show they were both attending. The 1989 <\/em>singer chose to sing \u201cFalse God\u201d from Lover, <\/em>which was used during a Belly and Conrad moment in TSITP <\/em>Season 1. <\/p>\n Social media has created a community for people to talk about their faves online, but it was 2023\u2019s roster of concerts and movies that brought fans together in a big way and showed them that their community is bigger than they realize. Sometimes, it\u2019s good to get off X or Instagram \u2014 especially when being chronically online can lead to some fandom fights, like Swifties going against Ariana Grande\u2019s Arianators<\/a> over who is better. <\/strong>Instead of having to defend our faves all year behind a screen, we got to celebrate them and make new friends in the process. <\/p>\n These events also had camaraderie and traditions that made it easy to connect with fellow fans. This year, I befriended Thaddeus Yan, a 22-year-old content creator in Los Angeles, at the Eras Tour <\/em>movie premiere after taking each other\u2019s pictures under the marquee. <\/p>\n Making IRL connections also strengthens the Swiftie fandom. Yan says, \u201cIt’s one thing to vibe out together to the music, but it’s so much fun deep diving into every little thing Taylor does.\u201d<\/p>\n While Swifties had friendship bracelets, every major fan event of 2023 had different traditions, like shouting out \u201cHey Barbie\u201d at the movie theater and wearing silver and giving compliments to the best \u201cAlien Superstar\u201d outfits at the Renaissance <\/em>Tour. These simple and positive acts brought people together, and fostered feelings of community \u2014 which isn\u2019t going anywhere. <\/p>\n Now that being a stan is something to celebrate (and good for the economy), more artists and musicians will want to create opportunities for fans to come together in the new year. There are already more Swift albums and music from Billie Eilish and Ariana Grande rumored to be coming in 2024, so it\u2019s safe to say fans will be fed. <\/p>\nFandoms Are (Finally) Feeling The Love<\/h2>\n
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