8 Things That Happen In K-Pop That Don’t Happen In Any Other Music Fandom

K-Pop might just be a different form of music for those who aren’t fans, but to all of us who love it, we know that it’s so much more. And once you’re a fan you’ll start to notice there are some very unique aspects to K-Pop. These things are absolutely unique to K-Pop and you won’t find them in any other type of music scene around the world.

1. Light sticks

If you were to go to any concert outside of K-Pop, the only lights you would see would be the ones on the stage and the ones from people’s cellphones. But if you go to a K-Pop concert you’ll see a sea of lights unique to each group.

Fans wait in anticipation to see the color and design of their official light stick and when new versions come out there’s a certain amount of excitement in the air. Plus if you find yourself at a festival, you can easily identify your fellow fandom members based on their light sticks.

At the other end of the spectrum are black oceans. Because lightsticks mean so much in K-Pop when people don’t support a group, they’ll turn them off to create a black ocean.

2. Color culture

In the same vein as light sticks, K-Pop groups also have their own official colors. So if you see pastel coral pink you know that it’s a ReVeluv, pearl aqua means they’re very likely a Shawol, and someone with green and what is probably an IGOT7!

This color concept is pretty unique to K-Pop and creates an absolutely beautiful effect at concerts!

3. Fan chants

Fan chants may not seem that unique if you’re new to K-Pop or haven’t really experienced them yet, but it’s quite a bit different from just singing along to the song like you would at any other concert.

Fan chants are almost like an art form. Each fan learns the precise timing of what to say when and will learn to shout the members’ names in a specific order. Nothing is quite as amazing as hearing thousands of fan voices unified as one.

4. Fan goods

Besides all the official merch that companies spoil us with, there is a whole culture of fan-made goods in K-Pop. You can easily find everything from the concept of slogans and season greetings to stationary and plush dolls! While some other fandoms might offer fan goods, they certainly aren’t on the same scale as K-Pop!

5. Dance covers

Dance covers aren’t really a new concept and many people will do them outside of K-Pop but to K-Pop stans, these dance moves are an important part of their identity. Every fan knows at least some of the moves to their favorite song even if they are the most uncoordinated person.

Then there are the fans who dedicate themselves to learning the entire dance step-by-step. Plus no other fandom has so many online tutorials for these dances!

And of course, who could forget the flashmobs, groups that exclusively cover dances, or groups that put a little bit of their own twist them!

6. Photo cards

Some fans might buy 10 CDs to boost charts but in K-Pop it isn’t just about that. Instead, each copy of music contains a unique photo card. So if you want a certain photo card of your bias, you might have to buy multiple albums.

7. Company love

An odd aspect of being a K-Pop fan is loving and supporting certain companies.

This may be because a lot of the entertainment companies have a specific sound and image that appeals to fans. This, in turn, makes fans support multiple groups under one company and falling for the companies themselves!

8. Giant fan projects

Billboards in Times Square, subway lines dedicated to artists, and huge charity programs are just a few ways that fans have taken things to the next level.