F ZINE People Cam: Celebrity Stan Culture Edition

How far would you go for your favourite artist? Stan culture goes one step above being a regular fan. The word “stan” is a portmanteau of “stalker” and “fan” – initially started as an insult for overly obsessed fans. However, the word has since evolved into a proud term to describe fan communities’ strong devotion. Now, stanning someone can mean purchasing items endorsed by them, going to your favourite artiste’s concert multiple times, and even travelling overseas to chase their promotional activities, just because you love them so much.

Being a stan is also very much about finding comfort in your idol’s music, creating handmade personalised gifts to show your appreciation for them, and making meaningful connections with them at events – that’s what makes stans give their unconditional support. Then there are the friendships formed from being in the same fan community, where a shared love of supporting the same artiste bonds people together.

With the month of November 2026 packed full of concerts, we hit the streets to find out more about how young people in Singapore feel about stan culture, who their biases are, and the most unhinged things they’ve done for a celebrity.

GEN Z IN SINGAPORE ON CELEBRITY IDOL STAN CULTURE

Name: Raven
Age: 23
Occupation: Full-time illustrator/creator

Who do you stan and how did you get into them? “I stan this band called Curb, part of the indie underground scene in Singapore. I got into the scene through my brother because friends of friends were inviting us to gigs, and from there, I started getting into a lot of local music, and that’s how I got into Curb.”

What’s the most unhinged thing you’ve done for a celebrity? “I wouldn’t say it is unhinged, but I recently made a few handmade gifts for them, and passed it to them at a gig. They loved it. It was meant to be a very meaningful gift because I was going through a hard time and their music helped me.”

What’s one thing about stan culture that you love or hate? “I do like that stan culture shows the love and appreciation for their artistes because sometimes artistes don’t feel very appreciated. But, stan culture can get a little bit too much sometimes, with the creepy stalking and stuff.”

Being part of a fan community feels… “Very lovely and welcoming. It also inspires me to make more art, and to keep experimenting and pushing myself more.”

Give us a pitch about why we should also stan your idol celebrity! “I feel like Curb’s lyrics are really relatable, especially when you’re going through a very tough time. When you’re listening to very strongly written lyrics, it does help in feeling less alone.”

Name: Hannah
Age: 22
Occupation: Student 

Who do you stan and how did you get into them? “Taylor Swift. My favourite Taylor Swift song is All Too Well, but the 10-minute version.”

What’s one thing about stan culture that you love or hate? “One thing I love is during Taylor Swift’s concert, there were people making and exchanging bracelets which was cute. One thing I hate is when people can’t get tickets and they start bashing on everyone online, and there are all the scalpers scamming fans which is quite bad.”

Have you made any real-life friends through your fan community? “I recently went to the Lana Del Rey concert at F1, and because I was queuing for very long, I naturally kind of made friends with the people around me.”

Being part of a fan community feels… “Amazing, because I think Taylor Swift’s songs are very relatable. When you’re part of the fandom and going through something, you can talk about it with your friends. It’s nice.”

What’s the most amount of money you’ve spent on your favourite celebrity? “Probably $1,500, on three days of Taylor Swift concerts.”

Give us a pitch about why we should also stan your idol celebrity! “Because she is Mother.”

Name: Alyssa
Age: 22
Occupation: Student

Who do you stan and how did you get into them? “I like Jennie. I started liking her since I was in secondary school, because I like Blackpink. My favourite songs are Seoul City, Heaven and Fallen Angel.”

See also: The Viet Fashion Label That Dressed Blackpink Opens Its First Singapore Store

The most unhinged thing she’s done for a celebrity: “I went to all of Blackpink’s concerts in Singapore, and for the 2019 one I queued from 3am to get to the front of the barricade.”

What’s one thing about stan culture that you love or hate? “One thing I like about stan culture is that it brings people together. Fans are able to form a sort of community among themselves. One thing I hate is that sometimes people take it a bit too far, and they don’t really know their boundaries, for example the obsessive stalking fans.”

Have you made any real-life friends through your fan community? “Yes, whether it’s at concerts, or when you meet [someone new], you can bond over a shared interest for the same artist.”

What’s the most amount of money you’ve spent on your favourite celebrity? “$2,000.”

Have you ever bought something because you were influenced by your celebrity idol? “I like the brands that Jennie endorses, like Chanel.”

Name: Sydney
Age: 24
Occupation: Teacher

Who do you stan and how did you get into them? “I stan a lot of people actually. Currently, I’m obsessed with this artist called Underscores, a hyperpop artist. I also like Alien Stage and Chappell Roan.”

Have you made any real-life friends through your fan community? “Definitely. I was in an Alien Stage comment section for a fan cafe, and I actually met someone there who became my current bestie. We hung out a bunch of times at other fan events, and I invited her to a fancafe I organised as well. It’s cute.” 

Being part of a fan community feels… “Amazing. Being an Alien Stage fan is kind of niche in Singapore, especially. There aren’t a lot of Alien Stage fans, so when you meet one, it’s an instant bond. It’s always nice to meet someone who loves the same artiste as you do.”

What’s the most amount of money you’ve spent on your favourite celebrity? “This is gonna hurt my heart. Recently, I spent at least $100 on this new pop-up. I know, impulsive purchases, it’s really bad.”

Name: Klara
Age: 24
Occupation: Fresh graduate

Who do you stan and how did you get into them? “I mostly stan female pop artists, like Gracie Abrams, Sabrina Carpenter, Olivia Rodrigo and Taylor Swift.”

Have you made any real-life friends through your fan community? “I have. One that comes to mind is when I was working at a part-time job. I made friends with this one girl because we both really like Gracie Abrams, and I think that did bond us quite a bit. She invited me to this Gracie Abrams fan event too. It was quite nice.”

Being part of a fan community feels… “I think you meet like-minded people for sure, especially with Gracie Abrams’ sort of music, you meet people who kind of have been through similar experiences. It makes the experience of being part of a fan community feel quite personal and vulnerable, being around people you can emotionally connect with. That’s something I quite enjoy, especially with other girls around my age who share similar interests.”

What’s the most amount of money you’ve spent on your favourite celebrity? “For me, it would mostly be on concerts for sure. For Taylor Swift, her concert was $400. I don’t buy a lot of merchandise but when I do, it’s usually CDs which can go up to $50.” 

Name: Ingo
Age: 17
Occupation: Student

Who do you stan and how did you get into them? “I listen to all types of music, like Drake, Malcolm Todd. I like Beethoven as well because I play the violin. I don’t really go to concerts that much, but I went to The Weeknd’s concert, which was pretty nice.”

What’s the most amount you’ve spent on your favourite celebrity? “I spent $276 on The Weeknd’s concert.”

Name: Chloe
Age: 20
Occupation: Student 

Who do you stan and how did you get into them? “I like BTS, and I got into them when I was in secondary school.”

See also: A ‘BTS The City Arirang’ Fan Experience Is Coming To Singapore This December 2026

What’s one thing about stan culture that you love or hate? “One thing I love about stan culture is that I can get to know people and connect with them through a common interest.” 

Have you made any real-life friends through your fan community? “Yes. When I was in polytechnic, I got to know this person, and we connected on an even deeper level because she also likes BTS.”

Being part of a fan community is… “Fun, because I get to take part in fan community challenges, like those photography ones. I get to connect with fans from overseas too, when I go for concerts.”

What’s the most amount you’ve spent on your favourite celebrity? “About $2,000, when I was a new fan of BTS. I spent a lot on photocards and albums. Now, I spend more on concert tickets.”

Name: Kirby
Age: 18
Occupation: Student

Who do you stan and how did you get into them? “I like this Chinese singer called Zhou Shen, and I got into him through social media.”

What’s the most you’ve spent on your favourite celebrity? “I don’t buy a lot of merchandise. I splurge on concerts, including going to Kuala Lumpur to watch them.”

Have you ever bought something because you were influenced by your celebrity idol? “Zhou Shen had a collaboration with Pop Mart, and I bought his little figurines.”

Give us a pitch about why we should also stan your idol celebrity! “He’s very humble and doesn’t let the popularity get to him. It’s quite nice that he still tries to have genuine interactions with his fans.”