Fan friendships usually start the same way. You like the same artist or show, you become mutuals, maybe you meet at a show once. And then for most people… that’s kind of it.

Outside of concerts or fan conventions, there aren’t really many places for those connections to keep going. Everyone goes back to their own lives, and the community mostly lives online again.

Alesia and Selin — two best friends who connected through fandom — noticed that and built around it. Through irl. fans for friends, they host monthly in-person events across New York and London, from album release parties to casual meetups like picnics and vision boarding sessions.

The point isn’t to sit around talking about an artist all night. It’s to actually get to know each other, and give those connections somewhere to go beyond fandom conversations.

Below, they talk about what gets lost between online and offline fandom, what it takes to actually bring people together in person, and how those connections can turn into real-life friendships.

When you think about fandom spaces more broadly, what do you feel like they’re missing right now when it comes to real connection and how did that lead you to creating irl. fans for friends?

Selin: I think sometimes, especially in spaces like stan Twitter, people can kind of hide behind a screen and just say whatever they want. And the community you build online is really special, but you only really see it come together in real life when it’s something like a concert. And if there aren’t concerts happening in your area — especially if you’re from a place where artists don’t really tour — it’s very hard to bring that community into a real-life space.

You can feel really connected to someone online, especially when you share interests that your friends in real life might not have. So I think it’s really important to bring that in-person. We wanted to create something where that could exist more consistently.

Alesia: I was thinking the exact same thing. The reality is, the only time a bunch of fans come together if it’s music related is usually at a concert. So being able to take that same community and bring it into other spaces, whether that’s karaoke, dance parties, Pilates, a hot girl walk, whatever it is — it’s about translating that connection into other aspects of our lives.

You’re doing something different — bringing people together in real life, but not centering the event around fandom itself. How did you land on that model specifically?

Selin: I think like with friendships, it’s important to keep that retention. If you’re going to stay friends with someone, you need different things you can talk about — it can’t just be the fandom. We’ve only done one event in London so far, but in New York there’s been two, and I know Alesia is still connected to people from the first event. That’s because you end up bonding over other things happening in your lives. I think that’s really important.

Alesia: Yeah, I completely agree. If you have one thing in common, you probably have a bunch of other things in common too. And you can’t just always talk about Harry Styles or Olivia Dean or Taylor Swift — eventually that’s going to get old.

Being able to have activities is how real friendships form. I think about Selin — the first time we really hung out, we were doing all sorts of things. I only knew her because she was a fan of Harry, but after that we were going to pubs, thrifting, just doing normal things that weren’t about Harry. So it’s about taking that and bringing it into other spaces.

Selin: Yeah, and when we first met, I followed Alesia on Instagram, but we didn’t interact that much online. She was coming to London for a holiday, and I just DMed her like, stay at mine.

There was that sudden level of trust — you like this person, I like this person, there’s already a community in place. And Alesia was so down, she stayed for like 10 days. There was never a dull moment because we were just discovering all these other things we had in common and there’s suddenly a flourishment of a friendship. And now we speak every day. I think I speak to Alesia more than I speak to my parents.

What has been your favorite event so far?

Selin: We’ve only done three, but probably the second New York one.

Alesia: Yeah, I really liked that one. It was a little chaotic for me personally because I had a lot going on, but everyone else was awesome and great. I think Harries are some of the best people, everyone was just really gracious.

Selin: I think that was the first time we saw a proper community come together in real life that we were hosting. The first event in New York was about 20 people, and the London one was about 20 also. Then suddenly there were hundreds of people in the room, all with this excitement because the album had just dropped that day.

I was actually on the way to Marrakesh and Alesia FaceTimed me from the event to show me what it looked like. I was in the taxi to the airport just feeling overwhelmed with joy.

It was like, wow — I can’t believe we’ve brought all these people together and they’re all just dancing, singing, having the best time.

You see things like album listening parties happen online all the time, but seeing that happen in person felt really special. And I saw so many people tweeting about it, people I’ve followed for years but never actually seen, and suddenly I was like, oh my God, you’re there. That’s so cool.

The fan conversations and industry decisions shaping how entertainment is experienced right now.

Another year of Coachella is now in the books, and there was no shortage of massive fan moments — from Billie Eilish living out all of our fangirl dreams as “One Less Lonely Girl” during weekend two, to a stacked lineup of onstage team-ups: Sabrina Carpenter x Madonna, Olivia Rodrigo x Addison Rae, Sexyy Red x Lizzo, Zara Larsson x PinkPantheress, and so many more. One interesting bit of commentary among fans over both weekends, though, was how differently the two shows felt. Many headliners historically play nearly identical sets both weekends, but in 2026, weekend 2 was notably stacked with surprise guests and special moments. Worth watching whether this becomes the new normal.

Justin Bieber's headlining set also had the internet split, but either way, it got people talking. He leaned into the stripped-down, lo-fi world of SWAG and SWAG II, delivering something closer to an intimate late-night session than a big festival spectacle. Some fans loved it. Others called it lazy — a $10 million YouTube viewing party. But Justin was literally discovered on YouTube at 12, posting covers from his couch. Coming back to that platform and playing deep cuts from his past on the biggest festival stage in the world probably wasn't random. Some artists you just grow up with, and when they acknowledge that, even a little, it can truly hit different for their fans. Simplistic artistry vs. spectacle. Nostalgia and connection vs. heavy production. A lot of fans are debating it, but there really may not be a right answer.

It was a big month for ticket pricing accountability. Last week, federal jury ruled that Live Nation and Ticketmaster illegally maintained a monopoly over the live events market and overcharged concertgoers by $1.72 per ticket on average. On top of that, Live Nation settled a separate case with Washington D.C. for $9.9 million over Ticketmaster hiding fees until checkout and using fake countdown clocks to pressure fans into buying. StubHub got hit with the same thing — $10 million to the FTC for the exact same practice.

Three separate cases, with the same core complaint of fans feeling misled about what they'd actually pay. The monopoly verdict still has a long road ahead, as a judge has to determine final damages and remedies, which could include a forced breakup and additional payouts. But altogether, this week signaled that the era of junk fees and hidden costs in ticketing is getting harder to defend, and the fans who have been saying something was wrong all along are being proven right.

“Manufactured fandom” is a conversation fans are having right now, and it’s worth paying attention to. A Substack piece and a Billboard interview with marketing agency Chaotic Good pulled back the curtain on how some campaigns build online momentum, from seeding songs into content, partnering with influencers, and scaling comments to, in some cases, running actual fan accounts and participating inside fan communities while operating as a campaign. The reporting connected these tactics to emerging acts like Geese and major pop campaigns. Fans and industry observers online had mixed reactions — not to the marketing itself, but to the line between viral amplification and “manufactured fandom” (posting as fans, without disclosure).

Fan communities are built on trust, and the feeling that the people in them are actually there. When campaign strategy starts operating inside those spaces, it changes what the community actually is, and whether the enthusiasm you're seeing is real or directed. The industry has always worked to build hype, and the fan account strategy is not new. But as fans start to realize what’s happening behind the scenes, the question is whether this version crosses a line from smart marketing into something that undermines the spaces fans built themselves.

At GRAMMYS on the Hill, three AI bills are moving through Congress that would give artists rights over their voice, image, and likeness in AI-generated content, let creators find out if their work was used in AI training, and require disclosure of copyrighted training data. The more artists can protect their work and identity, the more the music and art you love actually belongs to them. If you want to make your voice heard, the Recording Academy has ways to support creators here.

Ticketmaster and Seated announced a partnership that turns sold-out waitlists into a verified ticket distribution channel, with the goal being to get released tickets to real fans instead of scalpers. Fans sign up, verify their identity, and can either get notified when tickets drop or enable an AutoBuy feature, with fulfillment handled by Ticketmaster.

Spotify and NIVA announced a year-long partnership to boost independent venue visibility inside Spotify’s Live Events Feed, making it a little easier for fans to find and show up for the shows that keep local scenes alive.

Thanks for reading Fangirl Forward — where we push fandom forward by connecting fan skills to career pathways, centering fan perspectives in industry conversations, and building more informed, intentional fan communities.

Beyond the newsletter, we publish cultural analysis (Forward Focus), fan-led live event reporting (From the Crowd), and industry explainers (FANFAQ).

Fangirl Forward is part of Fan Fave Media, a creative studio focused on entertainment storytelling, live experiences, and cultural strategy that amplifies emerging voices.

Want to be part of the conversation?

➡️ Get in touch to for a feature interview

➡️ Send in a FANFAQ

➡️ Follow @fangirlforwardhq and @fanfavemedia for updates

New editions publish every other Wednesday.

Outside of concerts or fan conventions, there aren’t really many places for those connections to keep going. Everyone goes back to their own lives, and the community mostly lives online again.

Alesia and Selin — two best friends who connected through fandom — noticed that and built around it. Through irl. fans for friends, they host monthly in-person events across New York and London, from album release parties to casual meetups like picnics and vision boarding sessions.

The point isn’t to sit around talking about an artist all night. It’s to actually get to know each other, and give those connections somewhere to go beyond fandom conversations.

Below, they talk about what gets lost between online and offline fandom, what it takes to actually bring people together in person, and how those connections can grow into something more.

You both met through fandom. What was it about that connection that made you want to keep it going beyond just being fans?

Alesia: I think there’s a lot of intersection. It might start with, oh, we both have this one thing in common, but the idea is that you might have that one thing in common, and then realize you actually have 15 or 20 other things in common as well. So while it started with Harry Styles, we have so many other things in common far beyond that. That’s why we were like, this is a friendship that’s kind of destined for greatness.

Selin: Yeah, and I think also the fact that we became friends through Harry, he’s the kind of artist that’s been in our lives for so many years. Both of us kind of grew up with him, from when he was in a band to his solo career. So even though we only met a few years ago, our upbringing and our interests from childhood to now have been quite similar, because we’ve been in those same spaces — even though we’re from completely different sides of the world. There’s so much you can connect with someone on that level when there’s something you relate to for so many years.

When you think about fandom spaces more broadly, what do you feel like they’re missing right now when it comes to real connection and how did that lead you to creating irl. fans for friends?

Selin: I think sometimes, especially in spaces like stan Twitter, people can kind of hide behind a screen and just say whatever they want. And the community you build online is really special, but you only really see it come together in real life when it’s something like a concert. And if there aren’t concerts happening in your area — especially if you’re from a place where artists don’t really tour — it’s very hard to bring that community into a real-life space.

You can feel really connected to someone online, especially when you share interests that your friends in real life might not have. So I think it’s really important to bring that in person. And like I said, you usually only get that at a tour or a pop-up, so we wanted to create something where that could exist more consistently.

Alesia: Honestly, I was thinking the exact same thing. The reality is, the only time a bunch of fans come together if it’s music related is usually at a concert. So being able to take that same community and bring it into other spaces, whether that’s karaoke, dance parties, Pilates, a hot girl walk, whatever it is — it’s about translating that connection into other aspects of our lives.

You’re doing something different — bringing people together in real life, but not centering the event around fandom itself. How did you land on that model specifically?

Selin: I think like with friendships, it’s important to keep that retention. If you’re going to stay friends with someone, you need different things you can talk about — it can’t just be the fandom. We’ve only done one event in London so far, but in New York there’s been two, and I know Alesia is still connected to people from the first event. That’s because you end up bonding over other things happening in your lives. I think that’s really important.

Alesia: Yeah, I completely agree. If you have one thing in common, you probably have a bunch of other things in common too. And you can’t just always talk about Harry Styles or Olivia Dean or Taylor Swift — eventually that’s going to get old.

Being able to have activities is how real friendships form. I think about Selin — the first time we really hung out, we were doing all sorts of things. I only knew her because she was a fan of Harry, but after that we were going to pubs, thrifting, just doing normal things that weren’t about Harry Styles. So it’s about taking that and bringing it into other spaces.

Selin: Yeah, and when we first met, I followed Alesia on Instagram, but we didn’t interact that much online. She was coming to London for a holiday, and I just DMed her like, stay at mine.

There was that sudden level of trust — you like this person, I like this person, there’s already a community in place. And Alesia was so down, she stayed for like 10 days. There was never a dull moment because we were just discovering all these other things we had in common and there’s suddenly a flourishment of a friendship. And now we speak every day. I think I speak to Alesia more than I speak to my parents.

Alesia: Oh yeah. I speak to Selin more than I speak to pretty much anyone. She’s the first text I see when I open my phone every day.

Selin: And we’ve only seen each other in person, what, three times? But we still have such a strong friendship built from that.

Bringing people together in real life isn’t always as simple as it sounds. Even with a built-in community, there’s still a gap between connection online and showing up in person. What has surprised you or been your biggest lesson amid actually bringing people together in real life?

Alesia: For me, I would never consider myself an organized person. I’m very type B, so having to plan and organize events has definitely been a learning curve. But I think if I’m passionate enough about something, I’ll just figure it out as I go, and I am really passionate about this. So that’s been the biggest lesson for me, just learning how to be more organized and kind of growing with it. Because as it gets bigger, you’re only going to have to take on more responsibility.

Selin: I think one of the hardest parts, especially from our London event in January, is that it can take people a while to come out of their shell. A lot of fandom lives online, so when you bring it into real life, it’s not always easy right away. Especially if you’re coming solo, it can be hard to introduce yourself and build those connections in person, and that’s for any situation. If you go to a networking event, it’s sometimes hard to put yourself out there.

I think it’s sometimes scary to make friends. And when you’re so used to making those communities online, having to translate it in real life can be quite hard, I think.

Alesia: I almost had the opposite experience. At our New York event, I felt like everybody was so outgoing that I was the one trying to keep up. It might just be an American vs UK thing, or a different personality thing. But I think because everyone knew they were there to meet people and knew they all liked Harry, there was this immediate openness. And if you have a few really outgoing people in the group, everyone else just kind of follows along.

I was pleasantly surprised, because I didn’t feel like I had to be the one pulling people into conversation.

I also just think it probably depends on the group. It could be completely different at the next event I have. And for me personally, I lean more introverted, so it’s definitely pushed me to be more open in those spaces.

Selin: Yeah, I think the audiences can be really different depending on the timing sometimes. Like for the New York event, the Harry Styles album had just come out that night, so there was a lot of energy and excitement, and everyone wanted to be involved.

Whereas in London, it was a bit quieter, there wasn’t as much happening yet, so people were slightly shy almost. I think as we get into the summer and tour starts, people here will probably be more in the same kind of spirits.

What has been your favorite event so far?

Selin: We’ve only done three, but probably the second New York one — our Harry Styles album release party.

Alesia: Yeah, I really liked that one. It was a little chaotic for me personally because I had a lot going on, but everyone else was awesome and great. I think Harries are some of the best people, everyone was just really gracious.

Selin: I think that was the first time we saw a proper community come together in real life that we were hosting.

The first event in New York was about 20 people, and the London one was about 20 also. Then suddenly there were hundreds of people in the room, all with this excitement because the album had just dropped that day.

I was actually on the way to Marrakesh and Alesia FaceTimed me from the event to show me what it looked like. I was in the taxi to the airport just feeling overwhelmed with joy.

It was like, wow — I can’t believe we’ve brought all these people together and they’re all just dancing, singing, having the best time.

You see things like album listening parties happen online all the time, but seeing that happen in person felt really special. And I saw so many people tweeting about it, people I’ve followed for years but never actually seen, and suddenly I was like, oh my God, you’re there. That’s so cool.

What are you both fans of right now?

Alesia: I think the new RAYE album is great. The title, This Music May Contain Hope, really feels accurate to me. It’s such a hopeful album. It’s not even just the gospel references, the album itself is the gospel. It just radiates so much joy and hope. So that would be my recommendation.

Selin:
I’m obsessed with it right now. I really appreciate how adventurous the production is — you never really know where each track is going to go next, which makes it such an interesting listen. I’ve also been going back to this Spotify podcast called Dissect, where they break down albums and go into meanings you’d never think about. It’s been really interesting to revisit music with that kind of deeper perspective.

And I’m really excited for the new Olivia Rodrigo album.

Alesia: I’m excited for Beyoncé’s album — you can’t see it, but I’m repping Beyoncé.

Selin: As you should be.

Alesia: It hasn’t been announced yet, but we all know it’s coming.

Selin: I’m also excited for the Met Gala, we might get a lead single that day.

Fandom has long been framed as a space of belonging, and particularly, a place where fans can connect, create, and feel seen through the artists and communities they love. But for some, especially disabled fans, that sense of inclusion doesn’t always extend beyond the surface.

Despite growing conversations around accessibility, much of the music industry still operates at the level of compliance rather than experience, meeting basic requirements without fully considering what it actually means for fans to participate in real time.

Carly Webster has been working to change that — both as a fan and as an emerging professional across the music industry, with experience spanning organizations like HeadCount and Wasserman Music.

At 15, she founded Disabled Music Fans Collective after noticing a lack of representation for disabled fans across music spaces. What began as a fan-led effort has since evolved into advocacy work, alongside her growing experience across the music industry and live events.

Below, Carly shares where the industry is improving, where it continues to fall short, and how fans can play a role in creating more accessible, intentional communities.

You started Disabled Music Fans Collective when you were just 15. What were you noticing in fandom spaces at that time that others seemed to overlook, and what made you decide to actually build something instead of just talk about it?

At that time, I would say it was the peak of my fandom activity, and I was noticing a lot of fan projects and initiatives popping up for LGBTQ+ fans, fans of the global majority and things like that. I thought that was great, but when I really dug in, I didn’t see anything for disabled fans.

My mindset was, yes, we have some regulations that make venues more accessible — but what about fans who, for medical, geographical, or financial reasons, might never be able to make it to a gig?

Especially after the pandemic, there was a bigger opportunity for artists to engage with fans in ways that were not only virtual, but actually accessible. And we’re still seeing artists miss the mark in terms of not using captions on videos and not including image descriptions. Now that we’re out of COVID restrictions in a lot of places, we of course also no longer really have virtual concerts.

So I kept coming back to the idea that we need more representation and a spotlight on this. I had spoken up about it before, but I realized we needed a bigger foundation behind it. I started doing more unofficial fan initiatives, and then once I graduated high school and started doing stuff in the industry, I saw that while people would support the idea, there wasn’t a real path for action or funding unless we had the nonprofit status, so that’s what I did in 2024.

It’s been kind of hard to play that role as a college student as well, but at least I overcame that hurdle. Post-grad I want to put more time and energy into it, because it is something the industry is still really missing.

From what you’ve seen, where is the industry genuinely improving when it comes to accessibility, and where is there still work to be done?

I think the industry is doing really well at recognizing the philanthropic and social impact side of things, whether that’s through tours, merch campaigns, or other initiatives. I love that there’s more of that happening.

But at the same time, we’re kind of missing the point — we’re missing the human experience. I love working with social impact partnerships where I can, but there’s still so much to be done in understanding that accessibility is more than just boxes to check. It has to be a holistic commitment and support for people who are giving their time, money, and energy to these artists.

I would say there’s always a dynamic where bigger companies are going to have more resources to put into accessibility than a really small venue, and that’s totally understandable. I try to hold space for that.

But there’s a difference between using the resources you have to do the best you can in that moment and just completely not doing anything. And I’m not saying that’s the case for every venue, but when larger companies oversee a lot of venues, it can end up being applied inconsistently — which is something I think is trying to be worked on more.

For fans who care about accessibility but don’t know where to start, what’s a small but meaningful action they can take?

Really follow and pay attention to disabled creators and disabled fans. Even if they’re not talking about concert-specific things every day, there’s still so much to learn from their lived experiences.

Also, I think a great way to educate yourself is to look at accessibility standards — not only digitally, but also in your local community. Look at venues there and see if they meet basic requirements. When you go to a show, go with a friend and kind of audit it — take a look at things, write down what you notice, text a friend. Just keep an eye on things.

You don’t necessarily have to do what I do and call everything out, but that sharing of information is such a key part of fandom, and we should use that to our advantage in holding venues and the industry accountable.

There’s always going to be younger fans coming up who are still engaging with fandom, and I don’t want them to feel unseen or excluded because things aren’t accessible.

We’ve had so much time, and accessibility was never meant to be the ceiling. As fans, we really have to take charge of that — because we deserve better for our time, our money, and our energy, and we contribute so much to this industry.

What are you a fan of right now?

I’m really loving the revival of certain styles of music and seeing artists come back in new ways. Like, Hilary Duff is about to go on tour — I wasn’t really old enough to grow up with her music, but I’m like, okay, cool. Good for the millennials.

And then Zayn going on his solo tour. One of my first fandoms was One Direction, so seeing him get to a place where he can say, like, ‘I’m ready to do this,’ that takes a lot of guts. Especially considering everything he’s been through. I’m very proud to see him doing that, and I can only wish him nothing but the best.

I also really love seeing artists speak up about things they care about, especially right now. I started a playlist called ‘Revolution’ because a lot of recent songs feel like they’re about holding people accountable and pushing for a better world.

Career moves, opportunities, and next steps for fans building in media.

Love content creating? Respective Collective, the agency producing fan-driven content at major pop culture events, is hiring for their summer internship program. Apply here.

AEG Presents is hiring summer interns across partnerships, marketing, social media, sustainability, and more. Apply here.

If you’re interested in working behind the scenes in theater and arts marketing, the Public Theater is hiring a Marketing & Communications Associate to support campaigns across digital, PR, email, and live events. This role offers hands-on experience in audience engagement, ticketing strategy, and cultural marketing at one of NYC’s leading arts institutions. Apply here.

Netflix is hiring a Documentary Awards & Publicity Intern to support press strategy, campaign planning, and industry events. The role offers hands-on experience in how films move through awards season and build cultural impact. Apply here.

Thanks for reading Fangirl Forward — where we push fandom forward by connecting fan skills to career pathways, centering fan perspectives in industry conversations, and building more informed, intentional fan communities.

Beyond the newsletter, we publish cultural analysis (Forward Focus), fan-led live event reporting (From the Crowd), and industry explainers (FANFAQ).

Fangirl Forward is part of Fan Fave Media, a creative studio focused on entertainment storytelling, live experiences, and cultural strategy that amplifies emerging voices.

Want to be part of the conversation?

➡️ Pitch a story

➡️ Send in a FANFAQ

➡️ Follow @fangirlforwardhq and @fanfavemedia for updates

New editions publish every other Wednesday.

Despite growing conversations around accessibility, much of the music industry still operates at the level of compliance rather than experience, meeting basic requirements without fully considering what it actually means for fans to participate in real time.

Carly Webster has been working to change that — both as a fan and as an emerging professional across the music industry, with experience spanning organizations like HeadCount and Wasserman Music.

At 15, she founded Disabled Music Fans Collective after noticing a lack of representation for disabled fans across music spaces. What began as a fan-led effort has since evolved into advocacy work, alongside her growing experience across the music industry and live events.

Below, Carly reflects on where the industry is making progress, where it continues to fall short, and how fans themselves can play a role in building more accessible, intentional communities.

You started Disabled Music Fans Collective when you were just 15. What were you noticing in fandom spaces at that time that others seemed to overlook, and what made you decide to actually build something instead of just talk about it?

At that time, I would say it was the peak of my fandom activity, and I was noticing a lot of fan projects and initiatives popping up for LGBTQ+ fans, fans of the global majority and things like that. I thought that was great, but when I really dug in, I didn’t see anything for disabled fans.

My mindset was, yes, we have some regulations that make venues more accessible — but what about fans who, for medical, geographical, or financial reasons, might never be able to make it to a gig?

Especially after the pandemic, there was a bigger opportunity for artists to engage with fans in ways that were not only virtual, but actually accessible. And we’re still seeing artists miss the mark in terms of not using captions on videos, not including image descriptions, and now that we're out of COVID restrictions in a lot of places, we of course no longer really have virtual concerts.

So I kept coming back to the idea that we need more representation and a spotlight on this. I had spoken up about it before, but I realized we needed a bigger foundation behind it. I started doing more unofficial fan initiatives, and then once I graduated high school and started doing stuff in the industry, I saw that while people would support the idea, there wasn’t a real path for action or funding unless we had the nonprofit status, so that’s what I did in 2024.

It’s kind of been hard to play that role as a college student as well, but at least I overcame that hurdle, and post-grad I want to put more time and energy into it, because it is something the industry is still really missing.

At what point did you realize it wasn’t just a fan project, and what did that moment teach you about what fans are capable of building?

I think one of the biggest turning points for me was doing a TED Talk in 2023 about fandom. The mentors and folks helping me prepare it really encouraged me to explain everything in very simple, ‘non-fan’ terms — no jargon, because nobody was going to understand it.

That experience gave me a chance to talk about fandom in a way that wasn’t immediately dismissed. Growing up, I talked about it all the time and wore merch and was always kind of the butt of the joke, because female fans aren’t taken seriously. So being able to say, ‘Hey, this is more than just people tweeting all day, we’re literally able to do so much,” I think I really appreciated that. We're not just hysterics here, we're we're trying to do something.

Especially during the pandemic, we saw that even more clearly. Fans were coming together to raise money, share resources, and support each other in real ways. It showed me that fandom has real power and impact.

Since I’ve graduated high school and done stuff in the industry, I’ve reconnected with a lot of the people that I was in those fan communities with, and there’s more of us trying to do this industry stuff than I ever could have imagined. Now years later, I really root for those peers so much because I know they're trying to accomplish similar things and make sure that fandom stays alive. And that's really all I could ask for.

Fan spaces — both online and offline — often describe themselves as inclusive, and venues often meet the legal minimum. But from your experience, what’s the gap between good intention and actually creating spaces that feel accessible?

I think, and a lot of disabled folks might echo this, spaces are focused on checking boxes rather than humanizing the experience.

It’s very much like, okay, we have to meet these requirements — doorways have to be a certain size, things like that — and that’s all good and great if we can get in the place. But what is the experience we’re walking away with once we’re done with the show?

I had an experience recently where I was attending a show. I hadn’t been to this venue in years and had always had a really great experience. This time, I decided to request the ADA platform because I wasn’t really feeling the pit.

It’s a completely flat platform, slightly raised above the crowd, with chairs. A staff member told me to sit down because I was blocking people behind me, even though no one had actually said anything. After the staff member left, I asked the people behind me if everything was okay, and they said I was fine.

But I was still told that if I wanted to stand, I needed to go to the back, and in a sold-out show, there really wasn’t anywhere to go. That left a sour taste, because it’s one thing to adjust things so everyone can have a good experience, and another to tell a disabled person what they should or shouldn’t do with their body.

And that’s just one experience — most of mine have been really good. But when we focus on checking boxes instead of looking at the guest as a whole person, we miss a lot. Disabled fans are putting in time, money, and energy to be there — sometimes bringing additional support with them — and that’s not going to be one-size-fits-all.

I also saw a different approach when I worked a festival this past summer with an accessibility team that focused on finding the best possible solution in the moment. They emphasized things like harm reduction and being sensory-friendly, and actually having conversations with people instead of shutting things down.

So it’s less about checking boxes and more about asking, what can we do as a team, as a staff, as a community, to make this the best possible experience for everyone?

From what you’ve seen, where is the industry genuinely improving when it comes to accessibility, and where is there still work to be done?

I think the industry is doing really well at recognizing the philanthropic and social impact side of things, whether that’s through tours, merch campaigns, or other initiatives. I love that there’s more of that happening.

But at the same time, we’re kind of missing the point, we’re missing the human experience. I love working with social impact partnerships where I can, but there’s still so much to be done in understanding that accessibility is more than just boxes to check. It has to be a holistic commitment and support for people who are giving their time, money, and energy to these artists.

I would say there’s always a dynamic where bigger companies are going to have a more resources to put into accessibility than a really small venue, and that’s totally understandable. I try to hold space for that.

But there’s a difference between using the resources you have to do the best you can in that moment and just completely not doing anything. And I’m not saying that’s the case for every venue, but when larger companies oversee a lot of venues, it can end up being applied inconsistently — which is something I think is trying to be worked on more.

Advocacy often means educating people repeatedly. What has building and sustaining this work required from you, and how have you learned to protect your energy in the process?

It’s still something that I’m working on, especially as a young professional and someone early in my career. I’ve had to learn to kind of toe the line between, like, okay — can I tell them the cold, hard facts they’re going to understand, or am I bringing too much emotion into it?

And I never want to police how people react, but sometimes I’m like, girl… you should not be yelling and screaming. Not that I’ve done that, but I’ve definitely sent emails where I felt like I came across a little harsh. But at the same time, I’m constantly having to educate people and say the same things, and it’s very tiring.

It requires — and I hate to say it — bureaucracy. Working with red tape is sometimes just part of it. But I’ve also learned how to request meetings and have conversations that don’t feel one-sided.

And a big part of it is picking and choosing my battles. There have been opportunities that were completely inaccessible to me — like not being able to relocate for an internship because of accessible housing, or not knowing if a workspace would actually meet my needs.

There’s also this general rule is to not disclose until you have an offer, but if you disclose after accepting and it doesn’t work out, you’ve kind of lost the chance either way. So it becomes personal advocacy too.

And sometimes, it’s just not worth it. I’ve had several situations where I bring up the same issues to the same people and nothing changes year to year. At that point, I’m like — you know what, not my problem. I’m doing my part by educating and putting in emotional labor that I shouldn’t have to, and what they do with that is up to them.

So especially post-grad, I’m trying to focus on what feels good and protect my mental health, because if I don’t, I can’t keep doing this work. And no one else can be me for me.

I never want to represent the entire disability community, but I also know there are very few people doing this kind of work in the fan space. There are organizations on the artist and industry side, but where is the support for people in the audience So it’s a balance. Sometimes I’m afraid to speak out, and sometimes I’m mad at myself if I don’t. But I’ve had to internalize that if someone responds poorly to a genuine issue, that’s probably not a space I want to be in.

I want to be somewhere that recognizes my work while also supporting what I need to succeed.

For fans who care about accessibility but don’t know where to start, what’s a small but meaningful action they can take?

I would say really follow and pay attention to disabled creators and disabled fans. Even if they’re not talking about concert-specific things every day, there’s still so much to learn from their lived experiences.

Also I think a great way to educate yourself is to look at accessibility standards — not only digitally, but also in your local community. If you live somewhere like Atlanta, look at venues there and see if they meet basic requirements. When you go to a show, go with a friend and kind of audit it — take a look at things, write down what you notice, text a friend. Just keep an eye on things.

You don’t necessarily have to do what I do and call everything out, but that sharing of information is such a key part of fandom, and we should use that to our advantage in holding venues and the industry accountable.

Because there are always going to be younger fans coming up who are still engaging with fandom, and I don’t want them to feel unseen or excluded because things aren’t accessible.

We’ve had so much time, and accessibility was never meant to be the ceiling. As fans, we really have to take charge of that — because we deserve better for our time, our money, and our energy, and we contribute so much to this industry.

What are you a fan of right now?

I’m really loving the revival of certain styles of music and seeing artists come back in new ways. Like, Hilary Duff is about to go on tour — I wasn’t really old enough to grow up with her music, but I’m like, okay, cool. Good for the millennials.

And then Zayn going on his solo tour. One of my first fandoms was One Direction, so seeing him get to a place where he can say, like, ‘I’m ready to do this,’ that takes a lot of guts. Especially considering everything he’s been through. I’m very proud to see him doing that, and I can only wish him nothing but the best.

I also really love seeing artists speak up about things they care about, especially right now. I started a playlist called ‘Revolution’ because a lot of recent songs feel like they’re about holding people accountable and pushing for a better world.

One of the clearest ways fans show love for the artists they care about is by making something of their own. From edits and fan fiction to custom merch, fandom has always been a space where creativity thrives. But when those creations clash with copyright and licensing rules, things can get complicated.

Platforms like Softside are now exploring what it looks like when fan creativity is officially brought inside the system.

Founded by former touring and A&R professional Erin Singleton, Softside is a creator platform that enables fans to collaborate directly with music artists on officially licensed merchandise. Working with artists including Geese, Black Country, New Road, and August Ponthier, the platform supports the full process, including design collaboration, licensing approvals, production, fulfillment, e-commerce management, and revenue sharing.

Below, Erin reflects on what fans understand about creative collaboration, what fairness could look like in fan-artist partnerships, and why stepping outside your comfort zone can be an important part of turning your passion into opportunity.

When you were digging into fan art and merch during the pandemic, what was the moment you realized this was an ongoing problem in the industry that needed a real solution?

I think it was when I started seeing our own clients’ work. It’s one thing to notice it as an outsider fan who just likes fan art in general. But once I actually started seeing fan art and fan merch directly related to some of the artists that I was working with at the talent agency, it was really an eye opener.

We were working on the live tours of maybe 75+ artists, and I was seeing their fans on TikTok, Etsy, and other social media marketplaces making merch for them — especially with the rise of print-on-demand technology. That was the moment I realized there was so much out there directly impacting my clients’ IP and their merch businesses.

And once you start digging and go down that rabbit hole, the floodgates open. You realize how much this impacts other artists as well.

Having spent so much time in fandom spaces, what did you want to make sure wasn’t lost when you turned that experience into a business?

I think it was trying to meet fans where they already were in terms of how they create. For example, when I was first figuring out what Softside would look like — and it was a very rudimentary platform on Shopify with no real tech behind it — something I was reading a lot and hearing from fans was that they already had these beautiful works and portfolios ready for potential collaboration.

Not every fan wants to participate in a design contest, because that requires creating something from scratch. That can take hours or even days, and then it might not get selected.

So to meet fans where they were, we recognized that they had already created really beautiful work, and that should be enough to be considered for collaboration with music artists. If they’re approved, they can then start creating something in a similar style to their portfolio but aligned with the specific project the artist has coming up.

That was really important to us early on — making sure fans felt respected in the creative process, because they’re creatives in addition to being fans.

What do you hope changes about how the industry works with fans over the next few years?

I think just fairness in general. We try really hard to find every possible angle to make a collaboration feel like a true, fair partnership between both the music artists and the creator. For example, we have a royalty system where fans participate in the royalties of each sale.

Some music artists have also paid flat fees on top of that, but at a minimum, we try really hard to make sure that’s maintained in every partnership, with a few exceptions. My goal would be for that to become more of a norm. I think music artists are perhaps more used to just paying a $500 flat fee to a fan. They take the design on the road and can see thousands of units sold without any royalty participation for the designer.

So I think that basic level of fairness will ultimately create a more positive, creative collaboration process for both the music artists and the fan.

For fans who want to turn their passion into something real, what’s one thing you wish you’d understood earlier?

My advice would be to be more comfortable with discomfort when putting yourself out there, because you never know who’s watching. Doing something even if it doesn’t get likes or sales — setting a personal challenge to post new fan art every day on Instagram, even without a following. However that looks for you, even beyond fan art, I think challenging yourself to do something a little uncomfortable and being confident about it is really important for growing your skills, networking, and finding your audience.

The fan conversations and industry decisions shaping how entertainment is experienced right now.

Disney Channel fandom is cyclical. Everyone is talking about the return of Hannah Montana and all of the celebrations centered on its 20th anniversary. But did you also catch the announcement of the Descendants/Zombies/Camp Rock 3 Worlds Collide arena tour? While one generation is celebrating fandom through nostalgia, another generation is experiencing Disney Channel fandom in real time.

The early 2000s were certainly a peak era for Disney, and the stories and fandom experiences from then influenced an entire generation that’s now adults. But while one generation assumes Disney fell off after that time, the reality is the network’s fandom is actively being rebuilt for a new era of young audiences.

As anniversary specials and throwback-driven tours ramp up alongside new franchises and live experiences, it’s worth paying attention to how entertainment companies are learning to monetize memory while cultivating the next generation of fans at the same time.

BTS return brings both massive demand and cultural debate. The group’s first full comeback since military service is drawing global attention, but an animated teaser referencing Howard University has also sparked criticism from some fans who say the depiction didn’t reflect the school’s historical Black identity. For global artists and teams, moments like this highlight the importance of cultural accuracy when storytelling intersects with real institutions and the communities, including fans, who feel connected to them.

Influencers vs. journalists on the red carpet? It’s a question people are asking following the Oscars. It might sound like a general media debate, but it directly shapes how fans experience celebrity culture. Influencer-hosts often bring a more casual, personality-driven interview style — one that can feel fun and relatable, but sometimes lighter on substance and more parasocial-driven. As entertainment coverage evolves, fans are left asking, do we want access and entertainment, or context and real conversation? Ideally, the future of red carpets finds a balance between both.

Fan usage of artificial intelligence is getting…even more strange. AI-generated photos of Zendaya and Tom Holland’s “wedding” recently went viral — convincing enough that Zendaya had to clarify on Jimmy Kimmel Live! that the images weren’t real. As AI tools become harder to detect, moments like this raise bigger questions about consent and how far fans should be able to go in digitally imagining celebrity lives.

Apple Music is centering the concert-going experience. Thanks to a new collaboration with Ticketmaster, fans using the streaming service can now see in the app when an artist is touring near them.

The WNBA’s next chapter is taking shape.The WNBA has officially ratified a new collective bargaining agreement, locking in changes that could reshape player pay, league growth, and long-term fan investment. Read our latest FANFAQ to understand what it means and why it’s a pivotal moment for women’s sports.

Is signed merch losing its meaning? Fans are increasingly questioning the value of signed albums and memorabilia as autopen signatures become more common. At the same time, chasing real-life autographs can create uncomfortable encounters and fuel intense resale markets. So where does that leave fans who want a tangible connection to the artists they support? If a signature isn’t truly personal, does it still hold emotional or financial value?

Career moves, opportunities, and next steps for fans building in media.

Interested in getting hands-on experience at a music festival this summer? Bonnaroo is hiring paid externs in various departments, including Festival Administration, Sustainability Operations, Media Operations, and VIP Operations. Learn more and apply here. C3 Presents, the producer behind music festivals like Governor’s Ball, Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits is hiring for various Premium Staff Opportunities. Learn more and apply here.

Magnolia Pictures is hiring a marketing intern based in NYC to support the studio’s social media campaigns. Apply here.

Live Nation is hiring summer interns across booking, marketing, production, and more. Apply here, applications close April 24.

Vaulted Digital is hiring contractors who are passionate about music and internet culture to help run fan pages and create content across TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram for artists and creators. To apply, email sara@vaulted-digital.net.

Thanks for reading Fangirl Forward — where we push fandom forward by connecting fan skills to career pathways, centering fan perspectives in industry conversations, and building more informed, intentional fan communities.

Beyond the newsletter, we publish cultural analysis (Forward Focus), fan-led live event reporting (From the Crowd), and industry explainers (FANFAQ).

Fangirl Forward is part of Fan Fave Media, a creative studio focused on entertainment storytelling, live experiences, and cultural strategy that amplifies emerging voices.

Want to be part of the conversation?

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New editions publish every other Wednesday.

For years, fan-made merch has existed in a cultural gray area — celebrated within fan communities while raising questions about intellectual property, artist control, and how creators should be compensated.

Platforms like Softside are now exploring what it looks like when fan creativity is officially brought inside the system.

Founded by former touring and A&R professional Erin Singleton, Softside is a creator platform that enables fans to collaborate directly with music artists on officially licensed merchandise. Working with artists including Geese, Black Country, New Road, and August Ponthier, the platform supports the full process, including design collaboration, licensing approvals, production, fulfillment, e-commerce management, and revenue sharing.

Below, Erin reflects on building business models rooted in fandom, how fan creativity is reshaping traditional merch pipelines, and how co-creation may define the next phase of audience engagement in music.

For anyone new to your work, how would you describe Softside and what you’re building?

Softside is a creator platform for licensed, fan-designed merch. Everything we do is fan-designed and artist approved. Artists work with their fans on merchandise, and then we take care of all of the logistics on the back end. We handle the production, fulfillment, licensing, revenue sharing, and the overall co-creation process.

When you were digging into fan art and merch during the pandemic, what was the moment you realized this wasn’t just a messy gray area — but an ongoing problem in the industry that needed a real solution?

I think it was when I started seeing our own clients’ work. It's one thing to notice it as an outsider fan who just likes fan art in general. But once I actually started seeing fan art and fan merch directly related to some of the artists that I was working with at the talent agency, it was really an eye opener.

We were working on the live tours of maybe 75+ artists, and I was seeing their fans on TikTok, Etsy, and other social media marketplaces making merch for them — especially with the rise of print-on-demand technology. That was the moment I realized there was so much out there directly impacting my clients’ IP and their merch businesses.

And once you start digging and go down that rabbit hole, the floodgates open. You realize how much this impacts other artists as well.

You started as a fan, then worked inside touring and talent agencies, and now you’re building Softside. Looking back, what do you think fans actually understand better about the industry than people give them credit for?

I think fans are just way deeper in the weeds. There’s obviously a lot of really great technologies and platforms out there now that are trying to go deeper and understand things at a more incremental level. But fans are already there. They’re in the different subchannels and Discords and Reddit threads, talking to each other. They have their own inside jokes and their own fan theories about new music hints. They’re living that community rather than observing it.

So for those reasons, I think they understand — beyond merch — the types of experiences and fan-to-fan and fan-to-artist relationships they want to be having, or are already having but maybe aren’t being noticed enough. There’s a lot to learn from fans because they’re doing what they do best. They’re listening, hanging out together, and building community in a very organic sense.

Having spent so much time in fandom spaces, what did you want to make sure wasn’t lost when you turned that experience into a business?

I think it was trying to meet fans where they already were in terms of how they create. For example, when I was first figuring out what Softside would look like — and it was a very rudimentary platform on Shopify with no real tech behind it — something I was reading a lot and hearing from fans was that they already had these beautiful works and portfolios ready for potential collaboration.

Not every fan wants to participate in a design contest, because that requires creating something from scratch. That can take hours or even days, and then it might not get selected.

So to meet fans where they already were, we recognized that they had already created really beautiful work, and that should be enough to be considered for collaboration with music artists. If they’re approved, they can then start creating something in a similar style to their portfolio but aligned with the specific project the artist has coming up.

That was really important to us early on — making sure fans felt respected in the creative process, because they’re creatives in addition to being fans.

Softside might sound like an open marketplace from the outside, but in practice it’s clearly curated and structured. How did you think about designing a system that allows fans to participate meaningfully — while still respecting IP, artist control, and why not everything can be approved?

I think when you’re trying to build any two-sided marketplace, you need to think about what factors are most important to those two parties. For fans, it was having collaboration options — either being able to submit a portfolio or create original ideas if they do have original designs ready.

For music artists, it was about being able to control what designs are actually going out, because it’s a reflection of their name, likeness, and their business. They didn’t want anything listed in a free-for-all marketplace. They want to be able to curate themselves.

This is a system that works for us right now, but we do see a lot of potential in that evolving — whether fan attitudes shift or music artists become more open to having anything go, as long as the content is appropriate.

There are different ways I can see this developing as our technology improves and as more people adopt the system and understand what it’s about.

What’s been the biggest lesson from building Softside so far?

I think fans are capable of way more than some music artists might initially expect. It’s not that artists look down on their fans or don’t have confidence in them. It’s just such a new way of creating merch designs that sometimes artists go into it pretty blind, not knowing what’s actually going to come out of the process.

As a result, we’ve moved forward with some designs that look very different from the merch they’ve done in the past. It might be a hand-drawn or hand-painted illustration that looks totally different from a more cookie-cutter design or simple logo they’ve used before.

The biggest lesson has really been to trust that process. We’ve seen some of the most experimental designs receive the most positive reactions from fans, and sales have been strong. It’s about trusting the different creative visions people bring. It can really surprise you.

What do you hope changes about how the industry works with fans over the next few years?

I think just fairness in general. We try really hard to find every possible angle to make a collaboration feel like a true, fair partnership between both the music artists and the creator. For example, we have a royalty system where fans participate in the royalties of each sale.

Some music artists have also paid flat fees on top of that, but at a minimum, we try really hard to make sure that’s maintained in every partnership, with a few exceptions. My goal would be for that to become more of a norm. I think music artists are perhaps more used to just paying a $500 flat fee to a fan. They take the design on the road and can see thousands of units sold without any royalty participation for the designer.

So I think that basic level of fairness will ultimately create a more positive, creative collaboration process for both the music artists and the fan.

For fans who want to turn their passion into something real — whether that’s a business or a career — what’s one thing you wish you’d understood earlier?

I think a lot of the concept of the word Softside came from inviting fans to tap into their soft side — their vulnerable side. Creating art in general is a very personal experience, and some people are not used to putting it out there, let alone maybe having it transform into merchandise. I think it’s a new process for both fans and music artists.

So my advice would be to be more comfortable with discomfort when putting yourself out there, because you never know who’s watching. Doing something even if it doesn’t get likes or sales — setting a personal challenge to post new fan art every day on Instagram, even without a following. However that looks for you, even beyond fan art, I think challenging yourself to do something a little uncomfortable and being confident about it is really important for growing your skills, networking, and finding your audience.

What are you a fan of right now? Any campaigns, shows, moments, or trends that have been living in your head lately?

In terms of music, I’ve been listening to Not for Radio’s new album a lot. It’s a solo project from Maria of The Marías, and the album is beautiful. I’ve been loving it. I’ve also been listening to one of our new artist partners, Racing Mount Pleasant. They opened for Geese this past fall, and I’ve been listening to their album a ton lately. I think it’s awesome and really well done.

In terms of TV, I don’t watch a ton. Lately I’ve been getting into longer documentaries. I like shows that feel contained, like a docuseries with a clear timeline that I can watch and move on from. If something has too many seasons, I probably won’t stick with it.

The new deal comes at a time of rapid growth for the WNBA, with rising attendance, viewership and sponsorship investment. Players have pushed for compensation and benefits that better reflect the league’s expanding popularity and business success.

The seven-year agreement will begin with the 2026 season and run through 2032, introducing major changes to salaries, benefits, roster rules and the overall player experience.

Here’s what fans should know.

What actually is a CBA, and why should fans care?

A collective bargaining agreement, or CBA, is essentially the rulebook for how a league operates. It governs salaries, benefits, travel, roster rules and overall working conditions.

League and union leaders say the agreement signals a new era in which players have more financial upside and improved workplace standards.

How will player salaries change?

One of the biggest elements of the new agreement is money…and the salary jump is huge.

Under the previous agreement, the league’s highest-paid players earned just over $240,000 per season, while minimum salaries could fall below $70,000 depending on experience. Many stars had to supplement their income by playing overseas in the offseason.

Starting in 2026, maximum salaries are projected to reach about $1.4 million, with the potential to exceed $2.4 million by 2032. Average salaries could rise to roughly $583,000 in the first year of the deal and eventually pass $1 million. Even minimum salaries are expected to climb into the $270,000 to $300,000 range.

Top draft picks will also see a major financial boost. The projected salary for the No. 1 overall pick in 2026 is around $500,000, a massive increase from past rookie deals that often paid under $80,000.

In addition to those increases, the WNBA plans to implement a first-of-its-kind comprehensive revenue-sharing model, meaning player compensation can grow alongside the league’s business success.

What changes are coming beyond salaries?

The agreement also addresses long-standing quality-of-life issues for players.

League-wide charter travel will now be fully provided, replacing a system that largely relied on commercial flights. Housing will also be provided for all players.

The deal also includes upgraded facility standards, expanded mental health coverage, stronger retirement contributions and better benefits for players who are planning families.

Roster sizes will increase, and new developmental spots will be introduced, creating more opportunities for players trying to break into the league.

The new agreement also allows the regular season schedule to expand to as many as 50 games by 2027 and up to 52 games by the end of the deal.

Why are players calling the deal “life-changing”?

In an interview with USA Today, former Phoenix Mercury star Diana Taurasi referred to the new deal as “life-changing.” Meanwhile, the WNBA referred to it as “one of the most transformational labor agreements ever reached in major professional sports.”

Structural changes, such as revenue sharing and improved workplace standards, could influence future negotiations across women’s sports.

For fans, the new agreement signals that the WNBA’s recent surge in visibility is translating into real change behind the scenes. Higher salaries, better travel conditions and expanded schedules all point to a league that is investing in long-term growth. As the new season approaches, supporters should expect a product that feels bigger, more stable and increasingly central to the sports conversation.

With the new season set to begin on time, fans now have a chance to show just how much the WNBA moment has grown. And buying tickets, tuning in and showing up online will continue to shape what the future of the league looks like.

In many ways, this deal reflects what sustained fan attention can help make possible.

In today’s edition, we’re looking at the growing role of fan creators in the music ecosystem. As social platforms reshape how fans interact with artists, some fan-run accounts are evolving beyond updates and concert clips into real-time information hubs during major pop culture moments.

Haley Hart is part of that shift. She co-runs @theconcertbesties, a fast-growing concert culture account that connects fans around the world through tour updates, concert footage, and community conversation.

Earlier this year, when Harry Styles announced his return and upcoming tour, the platform quickly became a gathering point for fans following the rollout in real time. As ticket demand surged, she helped launch a fan-led global ticket matchmaking system designed to connect fans buying and selling tickets across the tour.

Below, she shares how fan-run platforms build community, her journey building on social media and launching her matchmaking system, and what it looks like when fans start shaping the music industry from within.

Your platform sits at the intersection of fan, media outlet, and community organizer. How do you describe what you actually do?

I think the best way to describe it is that it’s by fans, for fans. I think it’s so important to not only have a platform where you post fun content and engaging things, but to really build community. As a fan myself, experiencing the same things that I’m pushing out to my followers firsthand is really important, so I always want to keep that fan-first perspective as the focus of the account.

I think it’s a special community-building space where we literally have fans from all over the world. A couple weeks ago I did a livestream and people were joining from the Netherlands, Portugal, and so many fun and cool locations. It made me realize that the community is not just something you can get at concerts or events. It’s something that’s digital, and it spans across the globe, which I think is so special.

When Harry Styles announced his tour, your account essentially became an information hub in real time. What were you seeing that made you realize fans needed structure along with their excitement?

I’ve been a Harry Styles fan for about 10 years, so I am very involved in his fandom. During the Love on Tour era a few years ago, I relied on so many update accounts so I honestly have learned so much seeing how those fun and also practical resources impact fans and the whole rollout period.

For me, I just started posting stories saying things like, “Oh my gosh, this is cryptic. I don’t know what this means.” But then it turned into more of a conversation. People were messaging me in DMs, commenting, and I started going live to talk through all these things that were happening.

It shifted from just posting updates to saying, “Let’s go through this together.” Like, “Oh my gosh, Harry has the clock moving to 9 p.m.—what does that mean? What is happening?”

I’ve also connected with a lot of larger accounts directly affiliated with his team on Twitter, so I was able to take information and directly push it out to my followers too.

That created a special connection between me and the people who were also hyped about everything happening, and it also became a resource where people trusted what I was saying. A lot of things were correct because of how the rollout was happening, and I had the resources to push that information out to other fans.

I was once relying on big accounts like HSD and HarryFlorals to push out information that I was sitting there waiting for. Seeing those resources made me say, “I want to be that for other fans too.”

You launched a global ticket matchmaking system within hours. What did building that reveal to you about the gaps fans experience — and what fan-led solutions can do differently?

Fans are ultimately the music industry. The music industry is genuinely made up of fans, and really the product of any artist—promotion, music, touring—is for the fans themselves.

So I think fans saw that there was a problem, and I saw that too. You’re saying this tour is coded with the word “together,” and you want fans to come together and have a special experience. But I saw that wasn’t accessible right now, and that’s really hard—not just in Harry’s fandom, but across fandoms. There are so many tours where music is becoming inaccessible. It’s stepping away from people and becoming more about profit, which is a bummer.

So I said, you know what, I’m going to step up. I connected with Ticketmaster, SeatGeek, StubHub, and Live Nation and asked, “How can we work together to get real fans tickets and make this more accessible again?”

But when those conversations kind of fell through, I said, well, let me take it into my own hands. I asked some friends, “Would this be crazy if I did this?” And they were like, “How can we help you?” It wasn’t, “No.” It was, “Let’s do it together.”

I have six of my amazing friends—many of them college students from all over the country—who came together to say: we’re the fans taking this into our own hands. We’re saying we want this, not just for ourselves. For me, I also wanted tickets to Harry’s tour, but I said honestly I care about so many other people getting tickets and being able to experience the music that was created for the fans.

Harry especially has talked about how he wants his album and his tour to feel like fans are all together in a concert pit, and I thought, well, let’s make that happen.

The ticket box has been such a cool community starter. Not only have my friends and I been on FaceTime for like six hours every night, going through and manually doing all these things, but it’s also become a community-building moment.

I get so many messages, and so many people have connected with me about how even just the effort and initiative has been really inspiring. It’s encouraged them to see how fans can take initiative to make change. I feel like that’s an incredible end goal for me, and I love it. It’s just been such a privilege to do it.

You’ve said fans understand the industry deeply. What role do you think fan creators are going to play in shaping the music industry over the next few years?

I think a lot of fans want to follow accounts they feel the most connected to. You can follow an HQ account, an artist account, or the big-name labels and larger accounts, but at the end of the day those don’t always feel as personal.

I think fans are much more focused on connection. It’s not just, “I’m following this to get information or be sold something.” It’s, “I want to connect. I want to build community. I want to see people in this space who care about the things I care about.”

I also think it’s a great perspective to bring into the industry. When you’re making those connections and working with brands and labels, you can bring that ideation and that flair into those spaces and say, “Hey, this is what works to directly reach fans. This is how you connect with fans.”

Honestly, it makes such a difference, because there are a lot of bigger labels that do care about fan focus and are moving more in that direction. You even see big artists at concerts bringing in fans to do interviews or bringing in fans to showcase the experience, and I think that’s such a cool perspective.

We need more of that. There are so many fans out there who bring really cool ideas to the table and are creative in so many different ways.

I think intertwining that with the professional industry is something I’m really hoping to see more of in the future. I’m really excited to see how things grow and change.

What are you a fan of right now?

Okay, I’m going to be very relevant to the last week. I’m a fan of Charli XCX’s Wuthering Heights album. I think it’s so well done. I’m a Brat truther until the day I die. But I think this new era of Charli stepping into this new musical genre—and the soundtrack—is just so beautiful. I think it’s one of her best eras. I know that’s a hot take, but I’m just so impressed by it, so that’s been on the aux recently. We’re about two weeks away from Harry’s album, so obviously I’m a fan of that too.

Editor’s note: This interview was conducted prior to the release of Harry Styles’ new album.

In the full conversation, Haley also talks about balancing fan advocacy with industry partnerships, why authenticity drives growth in fan spaces, and what running a platform has taught her about the future of fan culture. Read it here.

You can follow @theconcertbesties on Instagram here. Haley also recently launched a new fan-focused account, @fangirl.allthetime, celebrating everyday fandom moments, which you can explore here.

Fan Talk

What fans are saying, questioning, and celebrating across pop culture – and what the industry should be paying attention to.

Do people still care about ballet and opera? Fans say yes. A clip of Timothée Chalamet suggesting in a recent conversation that “no one cares” about ballet or opera anymore has gone viral. That comment quickly circulated across social media, prompting responses from ballet companies, opera houses, performers, and fans defending the art forms. Some organizations responded playfully — even inviting Chalamet to attend performances or offering discount codes in his name — while many fans used the moment to highlight the communities that still show up for these traditions and keep them alive, pushing back on the idea that audiences for the performing arts are disappearing.

Fans are revisiting conversations about celebrity boundaries. The topic resurfaced this week after Chappell Roan shared a video from Paris showing paparazzi and onlookers outside a restaurant as she filmed them and asked to be left alone, saying the group was “disregarding all of my boundaries.” The moment quickly circulated online, with some fans pointing to Roan’s past comments about the pressures of constant public access and how artists advocating for themselves can shift industry behavior. Around the same time, several stars of the wildly popular series Heated Rivalry shared a joint statement condemning hateful comments directed at cast members online, writing that people sharing racist, homophobic, or abusive messages shouldn’t call themselves fans. Together, the moments have sparked wider fan conversations about boundaries, especially as internet culture leans to a more toxic side of fandom, and how closely audiences are watching the way artists are treated both online and in public.

Broadway fans are debating stunt casting, again. The conversation reignited after Megan Thee Stallion was announced to appear as Harold Zidler in Moulin Rouge! The Musical. Celebrity casting has long been part of Broadway’s business model, often bringing new audiences into theatres while generating buzz around established shows. As news of Megan’s run spread, theatre fans once again debated how pop stars and public figures fit into Broadway productions. This time, early fan reaction online has leaned more positive than in some past stunt casting cycles, with many fans expressing curiosity about how the performance will land, and pointing out that casting choices that feel intentional or exciting can help shows reach new audiences as the industry continues to evolve.

Harry Styles’ latest concert is reviving the “phones vs. living in the moment” conversation. Fans attending his “One Night Only” show in Manchester, which was taped for Netflix, were required to place their phones in locked pouches during the performance. Instead, attendees were given disposable cameras to document the night, a creative twist that quickly caught fans’ attention online and led to some pretty cool photos circulating afterward. The move sparked familiar conversation among fans about recording concerts versus experiencing them in the moment. While phone restrictions at shows often divide audiences, many fans said the disposable cameras felt like a thoughtful compromise, letting people capture memories without turning the entire show into a sea of screens.

Industry Moves

From awards to new releases and announcements, these are the entertainment world’s biggest updates fans should know about.

The Live Nation antitrust case is still unfolding. Even after the U.S. Department of Justice reached a tentative settlement with Live Nation earlier this week, more than two dozen states are continuing to pursue their claims that the company has too much control over the live events industry. The proposed agreement would require Live Nation to sell several amphitheaters, cap certain ticketing fees, and allow more tickets to be sold through competing platforms. A federal judge has now ordered both sides to spend the week negotiating a potential deal. If no agreement is reached, the trial is expected to resume next week. If you’re trying to understand why this trial matters for concert fans and ticketing, you can read our full breakdown here.

Paramount wins the Warner Bros. bidding war. Paramount Skydance has reached a deal to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery after Netflix stepped away from negotiations. The proposed merger, worth about $77 billion, would bring together major brands and franchises across both companies — including Warner Bros., HBO Max, Paramount Pictures, and Paramount+. Paramount has already hinted at one major change fans may notice down the line — plans to combine Paramount+ and HBO Max into a single streaming platform, while keeping HBO’s programming team operating independently. The deal still needs regulatory approval before it’s official.

The WNBA’s labor negotiations stretch past the league’s target deadline. The league and players’ union did not reach a new collective bargaining agreement during an overnight bargaining session that stretched into early Wednesday morning. The March 10 target date the league had set for reaching a preliminary agreement — which officials said would help keep the 2026 season on schedule — has now passed, though negotiations are ongoing. Both sides described the talks as productive but acknowledged major issues remain, including revenue sharing and salary structure. With training camps, the draft, and expansion logistics all scheduled in the coming weeks, the timing of a final deal could determine whether the league’s May 8 season opener stays on track. As interest in the WNBA reaches new highs, sports fans should be closely watching how the league balances its rapid growth with players’ push for long-term financial change.

A new awards show is putting the Broadway ensemble in the spotlight. Nominations have been announced for the inaugural Broadway Ensemble Awards, a new initiative created to recognize the chorus performers who help power Broadway musicals but rarely receive individual recognition during awards season. The first ceremony will take place April 6 in New York, honoring standout ensemble performers from the 2025–2026 Broadway season. For fans who know the magic of a musical often comes from the full company onstage, the awards aim to finally give those performers their moment.

The Oscars are this weekend. The 98th annual Academy Awards will air Sunday, March 15 at 7 p.m. ET live on ABC and Hulu, with Conan O’Brien set to host the ceremony. As awards season wraps up, fans will finally see which films and performances take home Hollywood’s biggest honors. If you’re wondering how the Oscars voting process actually works — from nominations to how Best Picture is decided — you can read our breakdown here before tuning in.

Forward Motion

Keep your pop culture career momentum moving forward with jobs, opportunities, events, and practical tips.

📱PEOPLE is hiring an Associate Social Media Editor to help build and grow a new social-first product. The role involves pitching, scripting, filming, and editing short-form video for Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook while tracking platform trends, engaging with audiences, and helping shape the brand’s social strategy. For fans who instinctively understand what makes a pop culture moment go viral, or who are already creating content breaking down celebrity news and internet trends, this kind of role turns that digital intuition into work inside a major entertainment newsroom. Apply here.

🎶 Rolling Stone is hiring a Social Video Producer/Editor to create short-form content across Instagram, TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and more. The role involves shooting, editing, and producing videos translating Rolling Stone’s music and culture reporting for social audiences. Apply here.

🎭 Playbill is hiring a Spring Editorial Intern for journalism students interested in covering Broadway and the theatre industry. The hybrid role includes reporting, writing, research, fact-checking, copy editing, assisting on video shoots and photoshoots, and contributing to social media as the newsroom covers one of Broadway’s busiest seasons. If you’ve ever scrolled through reviews before buying tickets or walked out of a show immediately wanting to talk about it, this is the kind of role where that fandom curiosity can turn into real reporting. Apply here.

🎬 Disney Branded Television is hiring for a Creative Marketing Internship supporting campaigns for Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD, and Disney+. Interns help edit marketing assets and assist creative teams developing trailers, promos, and social content. Apply here.

Thanks for reading Fangirl Forward, your inside look at the cultural currents connecting fans and the entertainment industry. New editions publish every other Wednesday.

Fangirl Forward pushes fandom forward by connecting fan skills to career pathways, centering fan perspectives in industry conversations, and building more informed, intentional fan communities.

Our ecosystem goes beyond just this newsletter. We also publish essays, interviews and explainers that dig deeper into how fans shape pop culture, navigate the systems behind it, and build influence across three core verticals:

• From the Crowd – first-person fan perspectives

• Forward Focus – cultural analysis and expert interviews

• FANFAQ – a Q&A series demystifying the entertainment industry through fan curiosity

Fangirl Forward is part of Fan Fave Media, a creative studio amplifying emerging voices and entertainment storytelling through original content, live events, and creative strategy.

Want to collaborate, contribute or join our community? We love spotlighting the people and perspectives moving pop culture and fandom forward.

➡️ Pitch a story

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These accounts do more than post concert videos or artist updates. They organize communities, track tour information, interpret announcements, and help fans navigate the increasingly complex world of live music. In many ways, they function as informal media outlets built from within fandom itself.

Haley Hart is part of that growing ecosystem. She co-runs @theconcertbesties, a music and concert culture account that has rapidly grown into a global fan community with more than 22,500 followers across Instagram and TikTok spanning multiple artist fandoms. Over the past year, the platform has reached millions of viewers by sharing concert videos, tour updates, and fan-focused content.

When Harry Styles announced his 2026 return and upcoming tour, Hart’s account quickly became a gathering point for fans following the rollout in real time. The moment also led her to help launch a fan-led global ticket matchmaking initiative, connecting fans buying and selling tickets across the tour. For Hart, the experience reflects her belief that the music industry runs on the communities fans build around artists.

Below, she discusses building fan-first media spaces, navigating the responsibilities of running a fast-growing platform, and why fan communities are increasingly shaping the music industry.

Your platform sits at the intersection of fan, media outlet, and community organizer. How would you describe what you actually do?

I think the best way to describe it is that it’s by fans, for fans, which has always been the perspective I’ve wanted the account to have. I feel like there are so many people in our generation who want to be influencers and content creators, especially within the music industry. It’s almost become a cliché thing that a lot of girls in their twenties are trying to do. But I think it’s so important to not only have a platform where you post fun content and engaging things, but to really build community. As a fan myself, experiencing the same things that I’m pushing out to my followers firsthand is really important, and it honestly makes it so easy to do what I do, so I always want to keep that fan-first perspective as the focus of the account.

I think it’s a special community-building space where we literally have fans from all over the world. It’s not just based in the United States. A couple weeks ago I did a livestream and people were joining from the Netherlands, Portugal, and so many fun and cool locations. It made me realize that the community is not just something you can get at concerts or events. It's something that's digital, and it spans across the globe, which I think is so special.

When Harry Styles announced his tour, your account essentially became an information hub in real time. What were you seeing that made you realize fans needed structure along with their excitement?

I’ve been a Harry Styles fan for about 10 years, so I am very involved in his fandom. During the Love on Tour era a few years ago, I relied on so many update accounts, so I honestly have learned so much seeing how those fun and practical resources impact fans and the whole rollout period.

For me, I just started posting stories saying things like, “Oh my gosh, this is cryptic. I don’t know what this means.” But then it turned into more of a conversation. People were messaging me in DMs, commenting, and I started going live to talk through all these things that were happening.

It shifted from just posting updates to saying, “Let’s go through this together.” I think it’s so cool that Harry’s whole slogan this era is “together, together,” because I feel like that’s what my account has turned into—a “together, together” moment where I’ve seen fans come together from all over the world to talk about these cryptic things. Like, “Oh my gosh, Harry has the clock moving to 9 p.m.—what does that mean? What is happening?”

I've also connected with a lot of larger accounts directly affiliated with his team on Twitter, so I was able to take information and directly push it out to my followers too. So it wasn’t just all these cryptic things. I can go back now and say, “Wow, I was right about a lot of these things,” or things that I predicted, which is so cool.

It created a special connection between me and the people who were also hyped about everything happening, and it also became a resource where people trusted what I was saying. A lot of things were correct because of how the rollout was happening, and I had the resources to push that information out to other fans.

I also think it’s beautiful to see the connection I’ve had with other accounts doing this, because I was once in their place. I was relying on big accounts like HSD and HarryFlorals to push out information that I was sitting there waiting for. Seeing those resources made me say, “I want to be that for other fans too.” I think it turned out really cool, and I loved it.

You launched a global ticket matchmaking system within hours. What did building that reveal to you about the gaps fans experience — and what fan-led solutions can do differently?

Fans are ultimately the music industry. The music industry is genuinely made up of fans, and really the product of any artist—promotion, music, touring—is for the fans themselves.

So I think fans saw that there was a problem, and I saw that too. You’re saying this tour is coded with the word “together,” and you want fans to come together and have a special experience between your favorite artist and the fans who love the music. But I saw that wasn’t accessible right now, and that’s really hard—not just in Harry’s fandom, but across fandoms. There are so many tours where music is becoming inaccessible, which isn’t the point of what music is supposed to be. It’s stepping away from people and becoming more about profit, which is a bummer.

So I said, you know what, I’m going to step up and say, if bigger organizations aren’t going to do something about this, then let’s try to. I connected with Ticketmaster, SeatGeek, StubHub, and Live Nation and asked, “How can we work together to get real fans tickets and make this more accessible again?”

But when those conversations kind of fell through, I said, well, let me take it into my own hands. I asked some friends, “Would this be crazy if I did this?” And they were like, “How can we help you?” It wasn’t, “No.” It was, “Let’s do it together.”

I have six of my amazing friends—many of them college students from all over the country—who came together to say: we’re the fans taking this into our own hands. We’re saying, we want this not just for ourselves. For me, I also wanted tickets to Harry’s tour, but I said honestly I care about so many other people getting tickets and being able to experience the music that was created for the fans.

Harry especially has talked about how he wants his album and his tour to feel like fans are all together in a concert pit, and I thought, well, let’s make that happen.

The ticket box has been such a cool community starter. Not only have my friends and I been on FaceTime for like six hours every night, going through and manually doing all these things, but it’s also become a community-building moment.

I get so many messages, and so many people have connected with me about how even just the effort and initiative has been really inspiring. It’s encouraged them to see how fans can take initiative to make change. I feel like that’s an incredible end goal for me, and I love it. It’s just been such a privilege to do it.

You’ve worked with brands like Ticketmaster and SeatGeek, but you’ve also stepped in where fans felt unsupported. How do you navigate being both a brand partner and a fan advocate?

I think the first thing is that a lot of these ticket platforms have reached out to me after seeing what I’m doing, because they recognize that I’m trying to be a resource. They’ll say, “Hey, let’s work together in this way,” and I really appreciate that.

I honestly don’t want to despise those relationships because, at the end of the day, it’s a systemic problem — not a people problem. The people who work at Ticketmaster and these large organizations are not really the problem. If I can connect with them to make things happen and be a resource to help people, I want to build those relationships.

It’s about being able to go to them and say, “Hey, listen, here’s a problem that my followers are talking about. How can I work with you on a bigger scale to address it?” I’m in conversations with Ticketmaster and SeatGeek a lot about those ticket questions currently.

For me, I want to have those relationships, but at the same time, keep it at a point where it’s like, “Hey, you guys also have an opportunity here.” You have more power in your hands than I have in mine. I can do a little bit, and I can do the work myself to manually make a small impact. But building together with those brands—even though they are at the root of the problem—means you can turn those systemic problems around.

They have stepped up to be in contact, and they’re encouraged by the initiatives I’ve been doing, as well as trying to help in the best way they can. I know they also have a lot of limitations, but working with them has been a privilege.

I’m hoping that on a bigger scale, through these conversations, we can make things happen so there isn’t as much of a discrepancy between ticket organizations and fans. Even them wanting to connect, be resources, and do what they can through creators is really encouraging about where we’re headed down the line.

You’ve grown quickly during major pop culture moments. How do you make sure growth doesn’t come at the expense of the fun and relational energy that made it grow in the first place?

I think the growth honestly comes so quickly, to the point where I’m like, oh my gosh, this is just insane. Even from the beginning of December to now, we have almost 10,000 followers on Instagram alone.

I think it’s honestly just the genuine, authentic content. I never want to step away from that. You can have all this polished, brand-focused content where brands are saying, “Hey, can you make this video? Do this video.” But at the heart of it, I always want to stay true to my vision of making it a fan-first, UGC-type account.

I don’t want to sacrifice that by becoming an influencer or becoming this person who cares so much about the growth and impressions. I mean, I do care about those things, but ultimately my followers are at the center of everything I do. I’m not creating for myself. I’m not creating to get noticed by brands or to have all these artist partnerships. I’m creating for the people first.

For me, I was just in a conversation with someone pretty prominent in the industry yesterday about this, and I said that’s where my heart is, and I don’t ever want that to shift. Everyone can promote themselves, everyone can promote and ask for tickets, but at the end of the day, your growth is going to be determined by your purpose. People see the authenticity of your account, and they’re going to want to follow along with that.

We need more of that today, especially in the fan space. I think it’s beautiful to see that fans who don’t have hundreds of thousands or millions of followers still have a voice. They still have an opportunity to do things and make an impact. I think it’s such a special place to be, for sure.

You work in social media professionally during the day and build fan infrastructure at night. What’s one lesson from running your own platform that you couldn’t have learned inside a corporate role?

I think it’s about realizing how much creativity can dictate your success. A lot of times in corporate jobs—especially in social media—things are so tightly controlled that you almost can’t be creative if other people don’t understand it or if it doesn’t fit within the company’s approval process.

A lot of executives are in their 40s or 50s and don’t always understand the things that 20- or 30-year-old fans might understand, so you lose a little bit of that creativity. That said, there are a lot of major music companies that allow creators and social media people to go fully rogue and do amazing things.

But for me, this experience showed that I have the power to make an impact through the content that I create. I don’t feel like I’m in a box. I don’t feel like I have a checklist of things I have to do. If I see something other fans like or something that matters to people, I’m going to hop on that and do it without restraint.

I think it’s beautiful because I’ve never had that before. I’ve never had a platform where I’m genuinely running it and making all the decisions, so that’s the biggest difference I’ve seen.

It’s also very different seeing how a corporate music industry role compares to something that’s fan-focused. You can be more fun. You can be more off the rails. Some of the content I post is very niche, and I’m like, “The girlies might get this. The girlies might not get it.” That’s the kind of thing you can’t always do in a professional setting.

But I think it’s beautiful because now I see the impact I can make as someone who isn’t doing this professionally. It makes me feel like if I go into a professional role, I can say, “Hey, I think we should switch this up,” or change the system a little bit so we bring in a fan-first, authentic perspective.

Ultimately, with social media in the professional industry, everything is for the fans. You can market, make money, and do the sales, but at the end of the day, who is the audience? Who are you doing it for? It’s the fans. I think that’s what I’ve learned the most.

You’ve said fans understand the industry deeply. What role do you think fan creators are going to play in shaping the music industry over the next few years?

I think a lot of fans want to follow accounts they feel the most connected to. You can follow an HQ account, an artist account, or the big-name labels and larger accounts, but at the end of the day those don’t always feel as personal. Not saying all of them don’t, but a lot of the time they’re focused more on a specific goal or reach. They’re trying to market or promote something.

I think fans are much more focused on connection. It’s not just, “I’m following this to get information or be sold something.” It’s, “I want to connect. I want to build community. I want to see people in this space who care about the things I care about.”

Even recently, I’ve been trying to expand beyond music into film, television, books, and other things. I want to show that I’m not just in one niche. I want to show that I care about the things people on the internet also care about.

It’s kind of beautiful to be in your twenties and feel like you’re chronically online and connecting with people that way. I also think it’s a great perspective to bring into the industry. When you’re making those connections and working with brands and labels, you can bring that ideation and that flair into those spaces and say, “Hey, this is what works to directly reach fans. This is how you connect with fans.”

Honestly, it makes such a difference, because there are a lot of bigger labels that do care about fan focus and are moving more in that direction. You even see big artists at concerts bringing in fans to do interviews or bringing in fans to showcase the experience, and I think that’s such a cool perspective.

We need more of that—not just through me and not just because I want to do it, but because there are so many fans out there who bring really cool ideas to the table and are creative in so many different ways.

I think intertwining that with the professional industry is something I’m really hoping to see more of in the future. I definitely think we will, because it’s becoming more and more apparent that fans are very involved in the industry. I’m really excited to see how things grow and change.

What are you a fan of right now?

Okay, I’m going to be very relevant to the last week. I’m a fan of Charli XCX’s Wuthering Heights album. I think it’s so well done. I’m a Brat truther until the day I die. But I think this new era of Charli stepping into this new musical genre—and the soundtrack—is just so beautiful. I think it’s one of her best eras. I know that’s a hot take, but I’m just so impressed by it, so that’s been on the aux recently. We’re about two weeks away from Harry’s album, so obviously I’m a fan of that too.

But I would say most recently it’s been Charli’s Wuthering Heights album and the movie. It flowed so beautifully. It just really made sense. I really appreciate her and her artistry and everything she’s doing within the music industry. I love it.

Editor’s note: This interview was conducted prior to the release of Harry Styles’ new album.

When tickets for Taylor Swift’s record-breaking Eras Tour went on sale in 2022, many fans spent hours in agonizing queues, watched Ticketmaster crash, and then faced prices far higher than expected once they finally reached checkout.

For many fans, that experience wasn’t just frustrating, it led to continued bigger questions about how the entire ticketing system works. Why does one company seem to control so much of the concert experience? Why are ticket onsales so challenging, and why do they often lead to tickets in the hands of scalpers and not fans? Why does buying tickets often feel like navigating the same platform with very few alternatives?

While the frustrating process to get tickets has been documented by fans all over the internet, it also sparked congressional hearings, fan-led lawsuits, and renewed scrutiny of the company at the center of the modern ticketing system: Live Nation.

Now, years later, that scrutiny has turned into one of the biggest legal battles the live music industry has ever seen. This week, a federal antitrust trial began in New York that could potentially break up Live Nation and its ticketing arm, Ticketmaster.

Here’s what fans should know.

Why is the government suing Live Nation?

The U.S. Department of Justice, along with attorneys general from 39 states and Washington, D.C., is accusing Live Nation of illegally dominating the live music industry.

Essentially, the government argues that Live Nation controls too many parts of the concert business at once — including promoting tours, managing artists, operating venues, and selling tickets through Ticketmaster.

According to the lawsuit, that level of control allows the company to push artists, venues, and promoters into using its services even when competitors exist.

Ticketmaster already handles around 80% of primary ticket sales in the U.S., while Live Nation promotes many of the country’s biggest tours and owns or controls hundreds of venues across North America. Prosecutors say those overlapping roles make it extremely difficult for competitors to gain a foothold in the market.

Live Nation denies those monopoly claims and says the live events business is actually more competitive than critics suggest.

How are Live Nation and Ticketmaster connected in the first place?

Live Nation and Ticketmaster were originally separate companies. Ticketmaster dominated ticket sales, while Live Nation focused on promoting concerts and operating venues.

In 2010, the two companies merged in a move that immediately raised alarms from artists and lawmakers who worried it would give one company too much power over live entertainment.

The Justice Department ultimately approved the merger, but only under certain conditions meant to prevent the new company from using its influence unfairly.

Now, prosecutors say Live Nation didn’t follow those conditions and used its position to squeeze out competitors.

Ironically, that means the government now has to argue in court that approving the merger in the first place may have been a mistake.

What exactly is Live Nation accused of doing?

The case centers on a few key claims about how Live Nation operates across the concert ecosystem.

One allegation is that Live Nation pressures artists to use its promotion services if they want access to its large network of amphitheaters and major venues. In legal terms, that’s called “tying,” when a company forces customers to buy one service in order to get another.

Another claim focuses on Ticketmaster’s contracts with venues. Prosecutors argue that Live Nation pushes venues into signing exclusive ticketing deals, limiting their ability to work with competing ticket platforms like SeatGeek.

According to the lawsuit, venues that choose competitors risk losing access to major tours promoted by Live Nation.

In one example expected to come up during the trial, Brooklyn’s Barclays Center switched its ticketing partner from Ticketmaster to competitor SeatGeek. After the change, the arena reportedly lost access to some concerts promoted by Live Nation before eventually returning to Ticketmaster.

Prosecutors say situations like that demonstrate how Live Nation can use its control over tours and venues to discourage companies from working with rival ticketing platforms.

Live Nation disputes these claims and says venues often prefer exclusive ticketing deals for practical business reasons, not because they’re being forced.

Could Live Nation and Ticketmaster actually be broken up?

It’s possible. If the government wins the case, the judge could order what’s known as a structural remedy, basically forcing the company to change how it operates. That could mean separating Ticketmaster from Live Nation entirely.

Breaking up the companies would dramatically reshape the live music industry, potentially allowing more ticketing companies and promoters to compete for tours and venue contracts.

However, that outcome is far from guaranteed. The judge could also decide to simply restrict certain business practices instead of splitting the companies apart.

And even if Live Nation loses, the company could still appeal the decision.

What does all of this mean for fans?

Contrary to popular belief, the lawsuit itself does not directly focus on ticket prices. In fact, earlier this year a judge dismissed claims that Live Nation’s conduct directly caused higher ticket prices for fans.

But the case still has major implications for how fans experience concert onsales.

If you’ve ever wondered why so many major tours seem to go through Ticketmaster — or why some venues suddenly switch ticketing platforms — those questions are part of what this trial is trying to answer.

Supporters of the lawsuit argue that if Ticketmaster faced more competition from other ticketing companies, it could lead to lower fees, better technology, and more transparent ticketing systems.

Critics, Live Nation included, say breaking up the company wouldn’t actually solve the problems fans care about most, like high ticket prices or limited supply for massively popular tours.

Either way, the trial has the potential to reshape the infrastructure behind the entire concert industry.

For fans who spend hours in queues, refresh presales, or navigate resale markets just to see their favorite artist live, the outcome could eventually change how tickets are sold, as well as who controls that process.

For now, the case is expected to last about five to six weeks, with executives, industry leaders, and possibly musicians themselves taking the stand. Depending on what happens in that courtroom, the future of how concert tickets are sold could look very different.

In today’s edition, we’re examining what it actually means to be a “professional fan” in the journalism industry. As fan culture becomes more visible across media spaces, there’s an ongoing tension between enthusiasm and expertise. But loving music doesn’t get in the way of good journalism. In many cases, it can make your work even better.

J’na Jefferson is a multidisciplinary writer and producer with more than a decade of experience in music journalism. Her work has appeared in Rolling Stone, Billboard, USA Today, and Harper’s Bazaar, and she has interviewed artists ranging from Ciara and John Legend to Doechii and Tate McRae. She has also taught music reporting at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, bringing her industry experience into the classroom to help others grow too.

Below, she shares how she balances admiration with professionalism, approaches sensitive topics with care, and keeps cultural context at the center of her reporting.

You’ve been described as a “professional fan” before. When you hear that, what does it mean to you, and do you think there’s any misconceptions about that?

I love being a professional fan because, above all, what I care about is music. I love being able to call myself a journalist, and I love the doors journalism has opened. But before any of that, I was someone who just loved music. I don’t think I’ve ever run into misconceptions, but there’s definitely a time and place to flaunt excitement. So it’s about peppering in bits of information about the things I’ve learned and the things I know when I can in certain settings, but for the most part, just letting people learn on their own and putting them on if they ask.

When you’re interviewing artists you genuinely admire, what helps you stay present and intentional in the moment?

I just have to tell myself, this is just a regular person with a cool job. My first big kid interview was in 2016 with JoJo. I remember thinking, okay, this is going to be cool. Who doesn’t love JoJo? She’s such an inspiration. But she is just a regular person with a cool job. From that moment on, I was like, I will probably never feel starstruck again, because I know what I have to do. In the moment, you just talk to them like a normal person.

There’s often an expectation in music journalism to “dig deep” and get something revealing, especially in a landscape where fans feel very connected to artists. How do you balance that with respect?

I think it’s because I know what kind of journalist I am. I’m trying to get better about being the one who gets it rather than being the one who puts it out. I don’t want to be the one who puts it out.

For instance, say you’re interviewing someone like Harry Styles. Liam Payne passed away almost a year and a half ago now, and that was a big topic among One Direction fans. So I think if I were to ask a question about Liam, I would have to be very, very careful about being like, “Oh, Harry Styles talks about Liam,” as opposed to being like, maybe he had a comment on it. I think people want to get the scoop. They want to be the first. But when it comes to certain topics, I wouldn’t be in a rush to ask about certain things, because when he goes on his press tour, he’s not going to answer questions about what’s going on with One Direction. He’s going to answer questions about his music.

Same thing with Ciara. I interviewed Ciara a couple of months ago, and I had seen a tweet where someone was just like, “See, this is actual journalism. You guys probably would have asked her about being a WAG.” And it’s like, that’s the last thing I think about when I think about Ciara, because she has this huge, long career. Let’s focus on what’s actually happening.

You just have to recognize what is going to be worth it in the end. And you also want to make sure that your guest feels comfortable, because this is their whole career. So I think that would probably be my advice: focus on the craft, and everything else — just leave that to the people who want that tea.

You also write about music in the context of race, gender, sexuality, and identity. How does that shape the way you report?

I think before anything, obviously, I am a Black woman. We’re taught from a very young age, this is you, this is the world. You might not get everything that you want, but that doesn’t mean you stop being who you are.

When I first started in journalism, I definitely just wanted to talk to the cool people. But I think it was honestly the election of 2016 that made me recognize I could do more with the gift I have as a writer, and with my experiences growing up, to make a difference.

I don’t want it to just be, “Oh, I wrote this thing.” I want it to be, I wrote this because I felt this. I wrote this because I heard this song and it made me think about the larger picture that’s going on.

From there, that changed how I approach writing about everything. I don’t think I can write about just any old thing. I really have to think about the intricacies of the music, the culture, the societal implications. There are so many layers that need to be explored, because music is really a snapshot of the times that we’re living in. And if I can help one person contextualize the thing they love in a way that’s approachable and understandable, but still keeps my voice and opinion intact — that makes me feel good.

What are you a fan of right now?

I like Zara Larsson a lot. She’s such a star. I first heard her in 2016 with “Never Forget You,” and I’m glad she’s having a renaissance right now. I’ve been going to the gym a lot, so I’ve been in my female empowerment baddies era — Victoria Monét, Megan Thee Stallion. They make me want to go harder for myself and just be the best version of who I am. I just listened to Monaleo for the first time — she’s a female rapper, she’s pretty good. Sault just came out with a new project. They’re like a funk/jazz, mysterious group, super cool. I really like Jacob Banks. UK musicians have been taking me there lately — I’ve been listening to Sasha Keable a lot. Bruno Mars is coming out with his album, so I’m mentally preparing. I got tickets to the tour, and Raye is the featured guest, so I’m really excited. Also Alemeda, she’s pop-rock and angsty. Very cool vibes.

In the full conversation, J’na also talks about tracking music trends, red carpet professionalism, and why music journalism is far more rigorous than people think. Read it here.

Explore more of J’na’s work: She’s interviewed artists like Doechii, Ayra Starr and Tate McRae, and written cultural deep-dives for MTV, Billboard, and Miami New Times. You can browse her portfolio here and Substack here.

Heated Rivalry: A Fandom Love Story in Five Acts

Every love story has a beginning. A spark, or a meet cute moment where something goes from casual interest or attraction to full commitment and true love.

This one started with a hockey romance, and grew into sold-out club nights, viral lookalike contests, podcasts, fan edits, and even career breakthroughs. This Forward Focus explores how the Heated Rivalry fandom moved from screen to real life — from sold-out Club 90s DJ nights to viral NYC fan events — speaking with the creators, organizers, and fans turning the show’s energy into something tangible. Read here.

Fan Talk

What fans are saying, questioning, and celebrating across pop culture – and what the industry should be paying attention to.

Disney Channel nostalgia is continuing to have a moment. Disney+ just announced a Hannah Montana 20th anniversary special, featuring a live studio audience interview with Miley Cyrus and recreated sets from the original show. At the same time, Hilary Duff is fully back in her music era, selling out shows in cities across the country, including NYC’s Madison Square Garden where she had to add a second date after tour queues reportedly hit over 100,000 people. Between half a billion hours streamed for Hannah Montana on Disney+ and fans showing up hard for Duff, it’s clear millennial and Gen Z fans are still deeply invested in the stars who raised them.

America’s Next Top Model is back in the conversation, and so is audience accountability. Netflix’s Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model has become a major talker, revisiting some of the show’s most controversial moments. While former models opening up have been widely praised, Tyra Banks’ comment that escalating drama happened because “viewers wanted more” has sparked a bigger debate online. When reality TV pushes ethical boundaries, are audiences just watching, or are fans part of what keeps those moments profitable?

Fans are connecting Manon’s hiatus to a bigger pattern. After KATSEYE announced that Manon would be taking a hiatus to focus on her health, online reaction escalated quickly. Fans have flooded the group’s comments with boycott threats, questioning the label’s statement and pointing to differences between Manon’s message and the company’s wording. While no additional details have been confirmed about Manon’s situation, the moment has clearly tapped into something deeper. Manon has previously spoken about facing racism-fueled hate, and fans have begun drawing parallels between her experience and those of other Black women in girl groups, including Normani (Fifth Harmony) and Leigh-Anne Pinnock (Little Mix). In recent days, Black artists have also publicly shown support, amplifying online conversations that have resurfaced long-standing discussions about stereotypes, visibility, and how the only Black member in a group is often portrayed and protected — or not — by both labels and fandoms. Whether or not this situation turns out to be what fans fear, the intensity of the reaction shows how protective fans feel, and how closely they’re watching how artists are treated.

Industry Moves

From awards to new releases and announcements, these are the entertainment world’s biggest updates fans should know about.

Agency shakeup continues. You may have seen an artist you follow post about leaving or denouncing Wasserman in recent weeks. Several major artists, including Chappell Roan and Laufey, have formally left the agency as it moves toward a sale and expected rebrand amid leadership controversy. While representation changes don’t immediately affect tours or releases, they can shape long-term strategy and partnerships — so this is something to keep watching.

Apple Music and TikTok are testing new features that would let users stream full songs directly inside TikTok and join group “Listening Parties” within the app. If it rolls out widely, it could make music discovery even more social, and keep fans inside the platforms they’re already using.

ESPN is launching “Women’s Sports Sundays” this summer, dedicating primetime coverage to WNBA and NWSL matchups in one of its biggest investments yet to women’s sports. At the same time, the WNBA has told players a new collective bargaining agreement must be reached by March 10 to avoid impacting the 2026 season — a reminder that as women’s sports gain more fans and visibility, the fight over how players are paid and supported is still very real.

Localized ticketing is still on the table. For the first two hours of ticket sales in Fayetteville, J. Cole limited purchases to billing addresses within a 30-mile radius of the city. It’s not something we see often, but it gave fans in the rapper’s hometown a head start, and shows to fans everywhere how targeted ticketing options can exist. With ongoing frustration around ticketing, it’ll be interesting to see whether more artists experiment with this approach in the future.

Fandom Spark

Featuring the standout fan projects and industry tactics igniting connection right now.

Artists are hitting the road to promote their new albums in some pretty cool ways right now. To promote his new project The Fall Off, J. Cole has been pulling up to cities in his old Honda Civic, selling physical copies out of the trunk like he did before the fame. And in Silver Spring, he took it a step further, picking a few fans up and driving around playing the album for them.

Meanwhile, Megan Moroney is in the middle of her “9 Cities. 9 Days.” run for Cloud 9, playing her album from top-to-bottom and selling tickets to fans for only $9 (purchases limited to mostly in-person). Fans have been lining up early just to be part of it.

Both approaches feel different from the usual polished press tour. They’re smaller, more personal, and built around fans actually being part of the moment instead of just consuming it. And they require something from the artist, too. Driving fans around in your car isn’t exactly low-effort. Playing nine cities in nine days for $9 tickets is exhausting. But that’s kind of the point. They’re leaning in and meeting fans where they are in order to create experiences people can share, talk about, and remember — whether they were there in person or watching it unfold in real time.

Forward Motion

Keep your pop culture career momentum moving forward with jobs, opportunities, events, and practical tips.

🎵HeadCount is hiring paid NYC-based interns across Music & Politics, Brand Partnerships, Digital & Communications, Artist Relations, Graphic Design, and Voter Engagement — with opportunities that put you at concerts, festivals, and cultural campaigns bridging pop culture and civic action. If you’ve ever felt the power of a live show and wondered how that energy could shape something bigger, this is how you can turn fandom into direct impact. Apply here.

🎥 Warner Bros. Discovery is still accepting applications for select summer internships in graphic design, creative affairs, marketing and social media. If you’re looking to get inside how major franchises and campaigns are built, this is where that work starts. Apply here.

📺 Versant — the parent company behind brands like E!, SYFY, USA Network, Fandango and Rotten Tomatoes — is hiring summer interns in marketing and program strategy, offering hands-on experience in how film and TV campaigns reach audiences. If you’ve ever live-tweeted a premiere, tracked box office numbers, or scrolled timelines and Letterboxd for reviews before buying a ticket, this is the side of the industry that shapes those fan moments. Apply here.

🎭 New York Theatre Workshop’s paid 2050 Administrative Fellowship is now open for the 2026–27 season, offering underrepresented early-career creatives hands-on experience in Artistic, Development, Education & Engagement, or Marketing within one of NYC’s most respected nonprofit theatres. If you’ve ever left a show wondering who makes the magic happen behind the scenes, this is a direct path from audience member to industry insider. Apply here.

More from Fangirl Forward

Recently published or currently relevant stories from our site.

FANFAQ: What Does It Take for Broadway to Cancel Performances? — A blizzard in New York City this weekend caused Broadway to shut down. Learn how it happened. Read here.

Lauryn Love on How Pop Culture Stories Are Shaped Behind the Scenes — The publicist shares what makes campaigns resonate and how early-career creatives can better understand the industry they’re trying to enter. Read here.

Thanks for reading Fangirl Forward, your inside look at the cultural currents connecting fans and the entertainment industry. New editions publish every other Wednesday.

Fangirl Forward pushes fandom forward by connecting fan skills to career pathways, centering fan perspectives in industry conversations, and building more informed, intentional fan communities.

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In an era where fandom is increasingly visible across media — from viral red carpet clips to personality-driven interviews — the expectations placed on music journalists are shifting. Yes, there’s a high focus emphasis on virality and enthusiasm. But the craft does still matter.

With more than a decade in music journalism, J’na Jefferson has built her career balancing cultural awareness with a deep respect for the artists she covers. Her work has appeared in Rolling Stone, Billboard, USA Today, MTV, and Harper’s Bazaar, and she has interviewed artists ranging from Ciara and Sting to Doechii and Tate McRae. Her reporting frequently situates music within larger conversations about race, gender, and identity. She has covered red carpets, contributed commentary to BBC platforms, and taught music reporting to students at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism.

Described as a “professional fan,” Jefferson sees no contradiction between loving music deeply and reporting on it seriously. For her, admiration is a starting point, not a substitute for discipline.

Below, she reflects on interviewing artists she admires, navigating gossip and virality culture, tracking cultural trends, and why keeping the craft first continues to define her work.

You’ve been described as a “professional fan” before. When you hear that, what does it mean to you, and do you think there’s any misconceptions about that?

I love being a professional fan because, above all, what I care about is music. I love being able to call myself a journalist, and I love the doors journalism has opened. But before any of that, I was someone who just loved music.

I don’t think I’ve ever run into misconceptions, but there’s definitely a time and place to flaunt excitement. Of course, not everyone is that deep in the weeds. So it’s about peppering in bits of information about the things I’ve learned and the things I know when I can in certain settings, but for the most part, just letting people learn on their own and putting them on if they ask. I guess the misconception would be that everyone who has a very strong interest in something could always be perceived as “holier than thou” when it comes to their interests. So definitely knowing when and where to flaunt it would probably be one of the things that we have to learn as people who are in our profession.

When you’re interviewing artists you genuinely admire, what helps you stay present and intentional in the moment?

I just have to tell myself, this is just a regular person with a cool job. I’ve been telling myself that since I first started.

I started at Vibe magazine, and my first big kid interview was 10 years ago this month, in 2016, with JoJo. I remember thinking, okay, this is going to be cool. Who doesn’t love JoJo? She’s such an inspiration. But she is just a regular person with a cool job. From that moment on, I was like, I will probably never feel starstruck again, because I know what I have to do. After all is said and done, I can be like, okay, I did it. But in the moment, you just talk to them like a normal person.

How would you say deep familiarity with an artist’s work and their world changes the kinds of questions you’re able to ask compared to someone coming in with less context?

I think it really all comes down to the research. I could have an interest in somebody, and then when I get deep in the weeds, realize I know a little bit more than I knew previously. And that can open up another group of questions that I might already have. Now that I know a little bit more, it's like, okay, this can lead me into other questions that I might be able to lead with or segue into.

I feel like a lot of people who may not have the acumen to be interviewing people with in-depth care and analysis might ask very surface-level questions. But I think that people who have a genuine interest in something, rather than someone who is just like, “I want to interview this person because they’re this person,” it opens up a very large portal to being like, okay, there are so many things that can be asked instead of just, “What inspired you for this?”

I encourage everyone who wants to go deeper with their interviewing skills or their journalism skills to really immerse themselves in an artist’s work. Go deeper than that. If there’s a question that you’re like, okay, I want to ask it, Google it. Has this question been asked before? If you can’t find it, I think that gives you pretty good leverage to really go deeper with these questions and just see how far you can take it — of course being really cognizant of certain topics or conversations or moments in their career and in their life that they might not want to tap into.

There’s often an expectation in music journalism to “dig deep” and get something revealing, especially in a landscape where fans feel very connected to artists. How do you balance respect for artists with the responsibility to still push for honesty and insight?

I think it’s because I know what kind of journalist I am, and I know what kind of journalist I’ve built myself up to be. Don’t get me wrong, I do love gossip. I’m trying to get better about being the one who gets it rather than being the one who puts it out. I don’t want to be the one who puts it out.

For instance, say you’re interviewing someone like Harry Styles. Liam Payne passed away almost a year and a half ago now, and that was a big topic among One Direction fans. So I think if I were to ask a question about Liam, I would have to be very, very careful about being like, “Oh, Harry Styles talks about Liam,” as opposed to being like, maybe he had a comment on it. I think people want to get the scoop. They want to be the first. But when it comes to certain topics, I wouldn’t be in a rush to ask about certain things, because when he goes on his press tour, he’s not going to answer questions about what’s going on with One Direction. He’s going to answer questions about his music.

Same thing with Ciara. I interviewed Ciara a couple of months ago, and I had seen a tweet where someone was just like, “See, this is actual journalism. You guys probably would have asked her about being a WAG.” And it’s like, that’s the last thing I think about when I think about Ciara, because she has this huge, long career. She just had an album that came out. She has all these songs coming out. Let’s focus on what’s actually happening.

You just have to recognize what is going to be worth it in the end. And you also want to make sure that your guest feels comfortable, because this is their whole career. They don’t want to talk about the things that are making headlines if it’s something that has nothing to do with the work that they’ve worked so hard to perfect and strengthen and grow and mold.

So I think that would probably be my advice: focus on the craft, and everything else — just leave that to the people who want that tea.

We’ve been seeing more virality-driven moments on red carpets—people chasing a clip, or letting personal fandom take over. What do you think professionalism should look like in those spaces, and what do these changes reveal about the culture right now?

I totally understand the changing landscape, because obviously if you have a following and brands are converting to TikTok, social media, television — these quick hits — they’re going to want someone who has personality.

Not a lot of people who are trained in journalism are going to be willing to be on TikTok or television. That’s just not what we were trained to do. So I understand the push for people who are a little bit more, I guess, palatable — people who already have a following and have people who are interested in what they have to say. But that does not translate into the actual craft of journalism. It takes time. There are people who fall into it and they're good at it, but then you see people who’ve practiced and studied — they are journalists down. You can tell the difference in the questions. They're a little bit more thorough. They're more thoughtful.

Seeing levels of unprofessionalism from certain influencers who have this kind of access does strike a sour chord, because there are people who do this really well and aren’t being given the chance.

I think it was last year or two years ago — there was a red carpet reporter interviewing Megan Thee Stallion and she said, “Every time I hear your music, I just want to beat someone up and fight.” Megan’s whole brand is empowerment, strength, sexuality, being proud of the skin you’re in. She’s never had a song about wanting to beat women up and fight, especially as an abuse victim. That’s the kind of nuance that’s not being captured that makes it all the more obvious. And that’s why a push for having real journalists back in these spaces is imperative.

We’re in a time where a lot of things get misconstrued. Someone can say one thing and it can start a complete firestorm. So being able to recognize nuance and remembering that we are literally on the carpet to do our job — of course it’s a fun job, but it’s still a job — matters.

That’s also what being a professional fangirl is about. I wouldn’t say I get starstruck, but there is a certain level of respect I have for every person I’ve interviewed. I’m not going to say, “Can I take a picture with you?” Unless I cannot pass up this opportunity. But that is after I do the interview, I'm like, okay, I've interviewed this person. They have a little time left in their schedule. Can we take a cute pic? And that's it.

I’m not going to ask them to sign something. For me, the souvenir is the fact that I got to interview someone whose work has touched me and other people. That’s my souvenir. I don’t need a memento. My memento is the work I’ve produced. The fluttery feeling in my heart that I’m still doing something I really like to do. That I got to speak to Ciara. I got to speak to Chance the Rapper. Like there are these people who I'm like, I've been looking up to for so long. I love what they do. I respect their craft, and I can speak to them. That’s enough for me.

You’ve interviewed artists at different stages of their careers. What practices or habits keep you plugged into trends in a way that helps you recognize when an artist, sound, or moment is on the verge of breaking?

I think just being such a consumer of music for all of this time, I’ve seen how things ebb and flow.

Right now, the Y2K trend is really big. Someone told me a long time ago, every 20 years, it all comes back around. So we’re in that moment now. 2006 was 20 years ago. I wouldn’t be surprised if some sort of snap sound came back — not “lean wit it, rock wit it,” but that kind of vibe bubbling back up. The need for nostalgia is so strong.

At the same time, we’re getting people trying to reinvent their own wheel, taking what they’ve done and amplifying it. This is why I really wish MTV and VH1 were still a thing. The pop culture education has kind of been wiped out, but there are so many moments where someone does something and I’m like, that’s a direct callback to this. A couple years ago at the VMAs, Tate McRae wore this very lacy number, and I was like, that’s Britney Spears at the VMAs. And people were like, what? And I’m like, everything old is new again.

If we keep that mindset — that everything is a reinvention of the wheel — it helps you figure out what trends are going on.

The last two or three years, pop is having its moment. I think R&B has always had a moment, but people overlook it because it’s not as energetic as pop or not as bold as hip-hop. It’s always just been in its lane. Hip-hop is going to fall back and then come back again. I just don’t think it’s right now. I also think people are yearning for what feels real. What’s going on in the country doesn’t always reflect what hip-hop is trying to promote — money, cars, all of that — and that’s not necessarily what people are soaking in right now. So things are going to change again. There’s going to be a lot of breaking down and building back up.

History definitely kind of repeats itself.

You also write about music in the context of race, gender, sexuality, and identity. How does paying attention to those bigger cultural conversations shape the way you report and tell stories?

I think before anything, obviously, I am a Black woman. We are taught from a very, very young age, this is you, this is the world. You might not get everything that you want, but that doesn’t mean you stop being who you are.

My mom was very big on making sure my sister and I were deep in our communities and educated about what’s going on in the world — and what’s going on in our own communities, whether that’s within our demographic, people our age, within our race and our background.

So I don’t know what other way I would write if I wasn’t writing about what’s actually happening.

When I first started in journalism — and I’ve grown a lot — I definitely just wanted to talk to the cool people. I was like, I want to talk to this person because they’re big. I want to talk to that person because they’re trending. But I think it was honestly the election of 2016 that made me recognize I could do more with the gift I have as a writer, and with my experiences growing up, to make a difference.

I don’t want it to just be, “Oh, I wrote this thing.” I want it to be, I wrote this because I felt this. I wrote this because I heard this song and it made me think about the larger picture that’s going on.

From there, that changed how I approach writing about everything. I don’t think I can write about just any old thing. I really have to think about the intricacies of the music, the culture, the societal implications. There are so many layers that need to be explored, because music is really a snapshot of the times that we’re living in.

So when Harry Styles came out with “As It Was,” why did he write that? When Kehlani came out with “Folded,” what did we need? Why did she do that? What is that signaling? What conversation is that opening up?

It’s important to contextualize all of it, because music contextualizes so much for us. And if I can help one person contextualize the thing they love in a way that’s approachable, understandable, easy to decipher, but still keeps my voice and my opinion intact — that makes me feel good, because I can help one person today by thinking about the thing I can’t stop thinking about, which is music.

You’ve taught music reporting and mentored early-career journalists. What’s one misconception you see people have about professionalism — especially when they come into the field with a lot of passion for their beat?

I feel like people think music journalism, in the larger scope of journalism, isn’t as serious. Especially since I’ve been searching for a new full-time job for the longest, I think people are just like, “Oh, she’s a music journalist,” and that’s just it. Like it’s fluffy and fun. But there’s actually a lot that goes into doing what we do.

It’s the same journalism. I didn’t go to school for music journalism — I went to school for hard news journalism. Then I found that my particular beat was music and culture. And instead of just being like, “This song’s good, this song’s bad,” it’s a lot more rigorous than I think people expect.

When I first started teaching, some students — not all — thought it would be an easy A. And I’m like, actually, no. I’m going to have you guys working.

I had them go to events. They lived in the city, so it was easier. I told them, go on Bandsintown, find a cheap or free show, go review it. Reach out to publicists. Try to get a quote or an interview. And I think they were like, whoa. I thought we were just going to listen to music the whole time. But no — you’re learning everything.

My first internship at Vibe magazine was literally just, “Alright, you’re on assignment. Here you go.” So I had to learn a lot on the job. I’m taking what I learned without being taught and teaching people so they don’t have to be in that same circumstance. But it’s definitely a lot more work than people give it credit for. And it opens up a lot. It starts as a beat, and then it can snowball into so many other things. I’ve worked in tech. I’ve worked in higher education. I’ve worked at a streaming network. I’ve worked at a hard news organization.

Music journalism is far more impactful and serious than I think a lot of people want to say.

What are you a fan of right now? Any music, pop culture, or artists you’re loving or recommending?

I like Zara Larsson a lot. She’s such a star. I first heard her in 2016 with “Never Forget You,” and I’m glad she’s having a renaissance right now. I’ve been going to the gym a lot, so I’ve been in my female empowerment baddies era — Victoria Monét, Megan Thee Stallion. They make me want to go harder for myself and just be the best version of who I am.

I just listened to Monaleo for the first time — she’s a female rapper, she’s pretty good. Sault just came out with a new project. They’re like a funk/jazz, mysterious group, super cool. I really like Jacob Banks. UK musicians have been taking me there lately — I’ve been listening to Sasha Keable a lot.

Bruno Mars is coming out with his album, so I’m mentally preparing. I got tickets to the tour, and Raye is the featured guest, so I’m really excited. Also Alemeda, she’s pop-rock and angsty. Very cool vibes.

I’m no stranger to a nostalgic moment either. I’ve been listening to a lot of early 2000s music. One of my favorite bands ever is Gnarls Barkley, and I’ve been listening to them a ton.

Podcast-wise, I’ve been trying to listen to things that make me feel like I’m growing. I’ve been listening to Mess — it’s two comedian friends talking, and it’s really fun. I’ve also been listening to Fresh Air with Terry Gross. A friend compared me to her after watching one of my interviews, and I was like, maybe I should start listening. I’ve really been enjoying it. Another one I like is She’s So Lucky. It’s entrepreneurs talking about how they got where they are. I’m like, this is where I need to be.

I’ve also been doing more reading and audiobooks. I just started Buy Yourself the Damn Flowers. It’s one of those books that reminds you that you are that girl. Don’t let anyone dim your light. It’s easy to get wrapped up in comparison, but we're not seeing the full story. It’s a very, very helpful book.

This one started with a hockey romance.

When Heated Rivalry premiered in November, it arrived with a built-in audience from a book series by Rachel Reid and a premise that felt almost engineered for obsession. It came with the enemies to lovers trope, a passionate queer love story and…professional male athletes? Mainstream television rarely places a same-sex romance inside the hyper-visible world of men’s professional sports, if ever. With a compelling concept, along with it being a genuinely great, well-paced show, it’s honestly not that surprising how quickly viewers latched on.

By the time the finale aired, the conversation had moved far beyond TikTok edits and conversations online. The fandom only seemed to grow larger and larger, becoming more and more prominent by the week. And then, in a rarer turn for a television series, fans began showing up for it in real life as well.

On Valentine’s Day, it feels fitting to tell this story the way it unfolded, as a relationship. This Forward Focus examines the relationship between a fandom and the thing it chose to love loudly.

The Meet Cute

Sometimes a meet cute is subtle, and this one kinda was.

Heated Rivalry premiered in late November as an adaptation of Reid’s Game Changers romance novels, which follow several professional hockey players navigating love in one of the most public arenas imaginable. This installment focuses on Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, longtime rivals whose public feud on the ice masks a private, ongoing relationship.

The books, which were known for their emotional depth and sexually explicit intimacy, already had a pretty loyal following of primarily women and queer romance readers. Still, the show did not arrive as a guaranteed event.

The series was developed by Canadian producers Accent Aigu Entertainment and premiered on Bell Media’s Crave before making its way to U.S. audiences.

In Canada, the series’ premiere date was moved up repeatedly as executives recognized what they had. In the United States, HBO Max acquired it only weeks before its debut in a “very reasonable acquisition,” according to HBO’s content chief Casey Bloys, who later admitted he initially assumed it might appeal to a much more narrow audience than it did.

On November 28, it arrived quietly on the streaming platforms of fans. There were no billboards, no months-long teaser campaigns, and no carefully orchestrated press tour — that came later. Just an introduction to the story of two hockey rookies on rival teams who could not seem to stay away from each other. That was the meet cute.

Love at First Sight

It was the kind of love that moves too fast to contain. The show premiered, and the obsession followed almost immediately.

Within weeks, Heated Rivalry had accumulated more than 600 million streaming minutes. In the United States alone, it reached an average of 10.6 million viewers per episode, with the finale audience increasing more than 300% from its premiere week. More than a month after the season ended, viewership continued climbing. Warner Bros. Discovery later confirmed it had become the most-watched scripted title ever acquired by HBO Max.

Fans did what fans do when they fall hard. They ran it back, rewatching the show over and over and created their own terminology for doing so (hello, reheating). They bought the source material. They pulled everyone they knew into it. Hockey diehards (shoutout to The Empty Netters podcast), romance readers, queer Tumblr veterans, BookTok creators, and casual viewers all collectively latched onto this show. It became a shared language between communities that rarely overlap, feeling reminiscent of 2000s fandom, with franchises like Twilight or the Hunger Games taking off.

Colleen, who describes herself as “100% a straight woman” who had never attended a hockey game before, found herself bingeing all five episodes in under 48 hours after a TikTok edit appeared on her For You Page.

“I’ve watched and I’ve re-watched — or reheated as most people say.”

HarperCollins executives cited “stunning sales” of Heated Rivalry on an earnings call as the book series surged alongside the show’s popularity. In the five weeks ending Jan. 10, LGBTQ+ romance sales rose more than 100 percent year over year, with Heated Rivalry leading the growth. Libraries reported waitlists for the book stretching into the hundreds. In San Diego County alone, 783 readers lined up for the digital edition. During a January snowstorm, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani urged residents to stay home and read the novel. Over 5,000 downloads followed within hours.

And of course, with the show about hockey, fans became more curious about that world too.

SeatGeek reported a 24% increase in NHL ticket sales during the week of the finale, while StubHub tracked a 40% spike in interest. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman admitted he binge-watched all six episodes in one night. The league later called the show “a phenomenon that is bringing new fans to our great sport.”

Colleen told me she’d never considered going to a hockey game before. But after watching? “Yes.”

In Russia, where LGBTQ+ content is banned and homosexuality is illegal, fans still found ways to watch, swapping encrypted links and using VPNs.

For some members of the LGBTQ community, the impact was profound. It was about seeing tenderness exist in a space that had historically denied it. It was about watching two men love each other without tragedy being the moral of the story.

One former hockey player, Jesse Kortuem, publicly came out after the show’s success, crediting Heated Rivalry for helping him find the courage to tell his story. He described seeing something “so positive and loving” emerge from such a traditionally masculine sport as something he never thought he would witness in his lifetime.

Meanwhile, the stars, Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams, went from relative unknowns to cultural fixtures. They appeared at the Golden Globes, walked Milan runways and carried the torch for the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. Crowds lined sidewalks outside late-night appearances, as fans waited hours for a glimpse.

At that point, it became clear that things were a bit more serious than the usual hit television series. This was a global fixation.

Making It Official

A relationship is working when both sides are putting in the effort. Heated Rivalry absolutely did its part in being a product that resonated with fans all over the globe. But what made the Hollanov moment different was what the fans did next.

The enthusiasm moved outward, into podcasts, dance floors, city parks and professional pipelines. Fandom has always been creative. Edits, fanfiction, podcasts, events, memes — those ecosystems exist around nearly every beloved show. But with Heated Rivalry, the scale and speed felt intense. What also felt unique here was how many people wanted to participate, even causals outside of the more niche fandom communities, and how visible that participation became.

One of the clearest examples of that expansion came in the form of a fan-made podcast.

The Believe in Anything Podcast was created by fans who wanted to talk not just about the show, but about what it was doing to people. Instead of recapping episodes or debating plot twists, the hosts chose to center conversations with other fans about impact, lived experience and why this particular story hit the way it did.

“There wasn’t one specific moment,” co-host Emily Potashnick said. “There are so many great podcasts about the show already, but my co-hosts and I could not stop thinking about it. In the same way other fans were inspired to create art or write fanfic, we wanted to create something too. For us, that meant building a space where we could channel all that passionate energy into conversations with other fans. What’s better than talking about your favorite show and series with people who love it just as much as you do?”

After the premiere, she noticed people trying to explain the scale of the reaction in real time.

“There were a lot of big questions floating around about why it resonated so widely and why it blew up the way it did,” Potashnick said. “But instead of guessing or theorizing, we kept thinking, why not just ask the fans?”

For one fan, fandom became a resume boost.

A fan editor who posts under the name Mellie had already been active in fandom spaces for years, but Heated Rivalry hit differently. She had read the books first and already had songs picked out in her head before the series even premiered.

“I read the books and absolutely fell in love with them,” she said. “I had an idea as to which songs I wanted to edit before the show came out, but I got countless new ideas as the show itself aired. Shane and Ilya in particular are a really fun couple to edit because they’re so complex, their story is so unique, and the message is so important. I’ve made so much of my proudest work with this show.”

One edit in particular changed everything.

“I had some edits do really well before that one, but my ‘Sweet Dreams’ edit in particular really took off,” she said. “I’ve never had an edit do that well before, and I was completely taken aback by the response to it. People were so incredibly kind and excited about that edit.”

Not long after, she accepted a job at HBO as an editor making trailers and promos.

“It was absolutely surreal,” she said. “This was a hobby of mine for so long, but it had also been a dream of mine for years to work in this industry. I never expected to get discovered through social media. It very very full-circle to get discovered through the place I grew up and found my start. I’ve been part of fan spaces since I was 12, and I turn 26 soon. I’ve absolutely loved my time in fan spaces and I will forever be so grateful for what it’s done for me.”

The fandom also moved off screens and into rooms.

Across the country, Club 90s began hosting Heated Rivalry nights in venues holding hundreds, sometimes thousands, of fans. The tour even made stops in Canada and the U.K.

Mikey Luján, a DJ for Club 90s, said this one felt different from the start.

“What felt immediately different about the Heated Rivalry Rave was that it’s an event I hosted around a show that was blowing up in real time,” he said. “A lot of the events I hosted that sold out in the past are based around nostalgia, like 2000s Night or Disney Channel Nights with Bop To The Top Tour. Those are both so fun, but it’s cool to be apart of a cultural moment that’s defining the current decade we’re living in.”

On tour stops across the country, the show stopped being something people watched alone in their bedrooms and became something energetic and community-centered.

“From behind the booth, the crowd energy is insane! I think what really leaves a lasting impression on me is the genuine smiles. Not only is everyone showing their joy through dancing, but they’re also making it clear on their faces which is really fulfilling to see.”

Music was always part of the show’s emotional language, so it made sense that it would become the bridge between screen and dance floor.

Songs like t.A.T.u.’s “All the Things She Said” and Wolf Parade’s “I’ll Believe in Anything” saw renewed popularity as fans associated them with pivotal moments, like a messy club scene and a long-awaited kiss on the ice. At club nights, it can feel like stepping directly into the world on the screen. Fans anticipate hearing the songs so they can scream the lyrics back at each other, recreating or revisiting the moments from the show in real time.

“The moments that get the biggest reactions from the crowd are the very pivotal moments in the show, like the shower scene with Shane and Ilya, as well as the kissing scene on the rink between Scott and Kip,” he said.

He also noticed who was showing up.

“Something I’ve noticed about the fans in the room is that it’s people from all different walks of life. Even though Heated Rivalry is a gay love story, I’ve seen straight men, lesbian women and everyone else in between come to these events. Everyone is super supportive of each other when people are dancing on stage, and I think it goes to show that even if you can’t relate to a show, as long as it has a good story, that’s all that matters at the end of the day to keep people interested.”

If fandom had once been confined to screens, these nights made it impossible to ignore.

For some, the appeal was more casual. Violet, a college lacrosse player who attended one of the Club 90s tour stops, hadn’t even been the one to discover the show first — her roommate had. But the two showed up early, waiting in freezing weather to grab a good spot inside. When she found herself onstage after screaming for a chance to participate, it felt like “a nice little side quest. Better than rotting in bed.”

“It seems to be a nice space for them to express themselves in whatever that context means to them,” another fan, Kennedy, said. “And I love the club nights. It gets people outside. It gets people to do something surrounded by something that they like.”

Offline gatherings extended beyond dance floors.

On February 1, hundreds gathered in Greenwich Village for a Heated Rivalry lookalike contest organized by Katherine Gehring and Charlotte Steinblatt, with nearly 5,000 RSVPs. The crowd was so large that police shut down the original Washington Square Park location, forcing a relocation to Mercer Playground in 20-degree weather.

Contestants arrived in hockey jerseys, reenacted scenes and leaned fully into the theatrics as the crowd chanted for their Shanes and Ilyas to kiss.

For Steinblatt, the experience felt familiar in an unexpected way.

“I love live music, and attend many concerts, and it was similar to that feeling — so many people showing up to experience something meaningful to them with strangers,” she said. “It was jarring and so beautiful. It made me want to keep creating moments that bring people together en masse.”

Despite the crowd size and freezing temperatures, what she remembers most isn’t the chaos — it’s how kind everyone was.

“I was impressed by how kind and cooperative everyone was, even at the most hectic moments,” she said. “It made me emotional how many people genuinely wanted the event to go smoothly and wanted everyone around them to simply have fun.”

The show had done its part. Now the fans were doing theirs.

It’s Complicated

But it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. Every relationship has its…not so great moments, and fandom is no exception.

As Heated Rivalry grew, so did the intensity around it. For many fans, the closeness of the show — the intimacy, the vulnerability, the feeling of being let in on something private — translated into a sense of personal attachment to the actors themselves.

The show’s sexual content fueled an extreme level of online sexualization of the two male leads. That reaction was kind of unsurprising given the tone of the series and the intensity of the fandom. Less expected was how quickly speculation about their real lives took hold, with fans debating who they were dating, whether they might secretly be together, and who was worthy of them in the first place.

Both Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams have remained visible in the press while keeping their personal lives largely private. That boundary did not stop some fans from trying to cross it. People posted TikTok videos filled with theories, dissecting everything from Letterboxd accounts to airport photos. A kind of “protect him” entitlement surfaced, as if the actors were fictional extensions of the characters they played.

When both were announced as new clients of CAA, one of Hollywood’s most powerful agencies that has represented big name celebrities for over 50 years, fans flooded the agency’s posts urging them not to “mess up his career.” It was protective in wanting to see success for the actors they admired, yes. It was also telling.

The boundary crossing did not stop with the cast. As interest in hockey surged, some fans brought the fictional dynamic into real arenas. At games, a handful of attendees held sexually suggestive signs directed at real-life players or shouted for them to kiss, projecting a storyline onto athletes who had never signed up to participate in it. On social media, some began referring to live games as the “boy aquarium,” a tongue-in-cheek label that framed professional athletes as objects of visual consumption.

Actor François Arnaud, who plays Scott Hunter, addressed the darker side more directly. In an interview with the Toronto Star, he revealed he had received death threats amid online rumors about his relationship with Storrie. He noted that while most viewers had been positive and respectful, some appeared unable to separate fiction from reality. “I honestly wish they would just rewatch the show,” he said. “It doesn’t seem like they got its message. Pay attention more closely. Did we watch the same show?”

The irony is hard to miss. Heated Rivalry is built on the idea that love should exist without shame, fear or ownership. But some of the backlash and speculation replicated the very pressures the show critiques.

Part of what seems to be fueling this dynamic is the way the series centers its queer romance fully. Shane and Ilya’s relationship is the story, with their fear of exposure and their secrecy, all vulnerability played out on screen for us. The emotional stakes are intimate, and intimacy can create the illusion of proximity.

Then, add in the “overnight” stardom narrative, where two relatively unknown actors were suddenly thrust into global attention. That kind of trajectory can feel like something fans discovered first, and it can produce a subtle “one of us” attachment — because, just a few months ago, they were still living very normal lives like us. Videos have surfaced of Williams working as a waiter at a pasta restaurant, his life changing overnight.

Still, its important to say the overwhelming majority of the fandom has been joyful, supportive, and pretty respectful. The complications existed alongside the celebration, not in place of it.

Every love story has tension. The question is what survives it. The negative aspects of the Heated Rivalry fandom cannot fully outweigh the good when you zoom out and look at what it created.

When Love Feels Rare

A queer hockey romance, adapted from a series of novels that many people outside of romance spaces had never heard of, becoming one of the biggest cultural moments of the winter was not something anyone predicted. It wasn’t backed by a billion-dollar franchise, it didn’t have any A-list actors in the cast, and it wasn’t designed or marketed to dominate awards season alongside “prestige” tv shows. It arrived quietly, and then refused to leave.

Part of what made it resonate so deeply is that stories like this are still rare. Mainstream sports narratives have long centered toughness and hypermasculinity. Heated Rivalry placed tenderness at the center instead. It treated a same-sex relationship as the entire emotional engine of the story, rather than a subplot.

Showrunner Jacob Tierney has also noted that the genre’s appeal for many straight women lies partly in its ability to sidestep the gendered power dynamics that often shape heterosexual romances. Two men on equal footing, negotiating desire, vulnerability and fear without the traditional scripts of male dominance or female submission creates tension.

The way fans responded to the show felt rare, too. These days there seems to be no more monoculture, as everyone has their own algorithms and their own niches, and you can truly exist in your own silos. But sometimes things break through, and there’s this feeling of communal obsession that is just inescapable. I think a lot of people are craving more of that.

Heated Rivalry gave fans a story worth falling for, and what they built in return was proof that the feeling was mutual. As we wait for season 2, it’s clear this was never going to be a fling. It feels much more like a relationship, and this love story is only getting started.

In today’s edition, we’re unpacking how publicity shapes pop culture behind the scenes, with the help of Lauryn Love.

Publicity shapes how pop culture is introduced, framed, and remembered, but most people only see the final headline, red carpet, or viral moment.

Lauryn Love has worked across late-night television, magazines, and news, with publicity roles at NBCUniversal and Hearst Magazines that gave her a front-row seat to how stories are built behind the scenes, and how audience behavior, fandom, and timing increasingly shape what lands. She also writes Love Letters, a Substack examining pop culture through a PR lens.

For creatives curious about how pop culture narratives actually come together, Lauryn’s experience offers insight into the strategy behind visibility.

Below, she shares what makes campaigns resonate, where things can go wrong, and how early-career creatives can better understand the industry they’re trying to enter.

You’ve seen how stories land across so many formats. What patterns have you noticed in why certain campaigns, moments, or narratives resonate with audiences today?

The moments that really land feel intentional without feeling over-engineered. Audiences are extremely media literate and can tell when something feels forced or overly manufactured. The campaigns that resonate tend to tap into a real cultural conversation, align naturally with the talent or brand behind them, and leave some room for the audience to engage and make meaning for themselves.

When you look at campaigns today, what separates well-executed campaigns from the ones that fall flat? Are there any pop culture PR missteps you see often?

The strongest campaigns are clear about what they’re trying to say and who they’re speaking to. The ones that fall flat usually try to do too much or chase trends without a real point of view. A common mistake is confusing visibility with impact. Going viral doesn’t always mean something actually landed.

So much of PR is about understanding how people connect with things. How do you think about audience behavior today, especially in a time where fandom, virality, and online culture shape what gets amplified? Does fandom ever influence the way teams think about strategy in pop culture?

The way audiences interact with media has definitely changed. People don’t just consume it anymore — they engage with it, shape it, and play a real role in what gets amplified. Fandom absolutely influences strategy, and it’s something teams have to consider when thinking about how stories are introduced and sustained over time.

What advice would you give someone who’s passionate about pop culture, fashion, or media and wants to turn that passion into an actual career?

Treat your curiosity like something worth developing and really pay attention to how pop culture moves and how projects come together. Take internships seriously, because those early roles are where you start to understand how the industry actually works and how teams operate day to day. Relationships matter more than people realize, and since the industry is small, the way you show up tends to stick with people long after a role ends.

What are you a fan of right now? Any campaigns, shows, moments, or trends that have been living in your head lately?

Like the rest of the internet, I’ve been obsessed with Heated Rivalry lately. It blew up incredibly quickly, but what has stood out is how organically that momentum has been sustained. It’s been interesting to watch how a passionate audience, strong storytelling, and timing can turn something into a real cultural moment

✨ Wanna read more? Check out the full interview with Lauryn here, explore her Substack Love Letters here, and follow her on TikTok here.

Fan Talk

What fans are saying, questioning, and celebrating across pop culture – and what the industry should be paying attention to.

After the Finale, the Heated Rivalry Fandom Went IRL. In the weeks after Heated Rivalry aired its finale, the fandom didn’t fade. Instead, it moved offline with fans creating their own real-world spaces to keep the community alive, from sold-out club nights to a New York City lookalike contest that drew massive crowds eager to celebrate together.

As a DJ on Club 90s’ Heated Rivalry Rave national tour, Mikey Luján saw the fandom’s energy up close. Unlike nostalgia-based theme nights he’s hosted in the past, he said this event felt different because it was built around a show that was “blowing up in real time” — a cultural moment fans were still actively experiencing together. “From behind the booth, the crowd energy is insane,” Luján shared. “What really leaves a lasting impression is the genuine smiles.”

Luján described a room filled with people from “all different walks of life,” drawn together not just by attraction to the characters, but by emotional investment in their stories. “People are craving connection,” he added, calling the rave a place where fans can come together “and just be free of your insecurities.”

Moments like these offer a glimpse of what fandom looks like when it moves beyond the screen. A longer Forward Focus tracing the Heated Rivalry fandom like a love story — from first spark to aftermath — featuring voices from inside the fandom, publishes this Saturday, Valentine’s Day.

Bad Bunny’s historic halftime moment. All eyes were on Bad Bunny, and the numbers back it up. The NFL’s three most-viewed social posts of all time now come from his halftime show, and total social consumption of the performance hit 4 billion views within 24 hours — up 137% from last year. Beyond the numbers, fans turned the show into an internet moment. The hundreds of performers dressed as blades of grass quickly became a meme, and one couple who had invited Bad Bunny to their wedding on a whim got the ultimate fan surprise when he invited them to get married onstage during the halftime show itself.

The fight to get tickets into the hands of fans continues. In our last edition, we discussed fan frustration surrounding Harry Styles’ onsale due to high prices, high demand, and few guardrails against resale. Since then, Noah Kahan announced his upcoming tour would use Ticketmaster’s face-value exchange system and limited transfers to curb scalping. But even that sparked debate, with some fans raising concerns about Ticketmaster’s verification processes and broader privacy implications related to the company requiring some fans to provide legal identification in order to access the presale.

Meanwhile, Ticketmaster announced it will reissue previously canceled Ariana Grande tickets from scalping websites directly to fans through a request process that just opened. Artists and platforms are continuing to experiment with new guardrails, but these moments are showing there’s still no perfect solution. Ticketing is still a business, and fans are still navigating what fairness actually looks like inside that system.

If you have any interest in the future of women’s sports, Unrivaled is worth paying attention to. A sold-out arena in Philadelphia, record-breaking attendance, and an energy that felt long overdue reflected fans responding to finally being taken seriously as an audience. Want a closer look at why it resonated with fans? Read our From the Crowd reporting here.

Industry Moves

From awards to new releases and announcements, these are the entertainment world’s biggest updates fans should know about.

This year is shaping up to be an entertaining one for new fandom experiences. For Broadway fans, a first-of-its-kind festival called The Festival launches August 14–16 in New York, bringing major Broadway stars — including Renée Elise Goldsberry, Audra McDonald, Kelli O’Hara, Christopher Jackson, James Monroe Iglehart, Casey Likes, Joy Woods, Eva Noblezada and Adrienne Warren — together for performances, panels, masterclasses, and immersive fan events.

And if you’re a superfan of Dancing with the Stars, there’s a new way to interact with the show IRL. Following the show’s record-breaking season, DWTS Con is heading to Palm Springs July 31–August 2. The three-day fan convention will feature live performances, Q&As, and appearances from pros like Witney Carson, Ezra Sosa and Val Chmerkovskiy alongside celebrity dancers including Xochitl Gomez, Whitney Leavitt and JoJo Siwa.

Disney has a new CEO, and he’s a parks guy. Disney named Josh D’Amaro as its next CEO, succeeding Bob Iger. If you’ve spent the last few years obsessing over new lands, ride openings, cruise ships, or franchise takeovers at the parks, he’s the executive behind much of that growth. D’Amaro has led Disney’s Experiences division since 2020, overseeing theme parks, cruises, and consumer products — a segment that now accounts for a massive share of Disney’s revenue and profits. His appointment reinforces Disney’s current focus on in-person experiences and franchise-driven expansion, as Disney also navigates streaming and film on the business side.

More shows’ Broadway understudy slips have gone digital. Following new negotiations between the Broadway League and Actors’ Equity, paper understudy slips are phasing out. Playbill launched AtThisPlaybill.com, where audiences can track standbys and alternates for each performance — accessible via QR codes printed in Playbills and updated up to an hour before showtime.

More from Fangirl Forward

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FANFAQ: What Does It Mean When the Super Bowl MVP Says ‘I’m Going to Disneyland?’ — Seahawks’ Sam Darnold and Kenneth Walker III are going to Disneyland after the Super Bowl. Why? Read here.

Black Girls Belong in Pop Fandom Too — A reflection on how race shapes who feels welcomed in pop fan spaces, and why inclusion and recognition still matter. Read here.

FANFAQ: Dynamic Pricing vs. Platinum Tickets. What’s the Difference? — Breaking down the pricing terms that keep confusing fans at major concert onsales. Read here.

Kate Cummings on Getting Started in Concert Photography — Early in her career, Kate Cummings has toured with artists like Hozier and AJR. She shares what it’s like to learn on the job and break into live music. Read here.

Thanks for reading Fangirl Forward, your inside look at the cultural currents connecting fans and the entertainment industry. New editions publish every other Wednesday.

Fangirl Forward pushes fandom forward by connecting fan skills to career pathways, centering fan perspectives in industry conversations, and building more informed, intentional fan communities.

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• FANFAQ – a Q&A series demystifying the entertainment industry through fan curiosity

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Lauryn Love has worked across late-night television, magazines, and news, with publicity roles at NBCUniversal and Hearst Magazines that gave her a front-row seat to how stories are built behind the scenes, and how audience behavior, fandom, and timing increasingly shape what lands. She also writes Love Letters, a Substack examining pop culture through a PR lens.

For creatives curious about how pop culture narratives actually come together, Lauryn’s experience offers insight into the strategy behind visibility.

Below, she shares what makes campaigns resonate and how early-career creatives can better understand the industry they’re trying to enter.

You’ve worked in publicity across late-night TV, magazines, and news. What originally drew you to the industry and how did you find your way behind the scenes?

I was always drawn to the why behind what we consume. I loved pop culture and media, but I was just as interested in how stories get shaped, positioned, and ultimately land with people. Publicity felt like the perfect mix of creativity and strategy. I found my way behind the scenes through internships that gave me exposure to press strategy, talent coordination, and media logistics, and once I saw how much impact thoughtful storytelling could actually have, I knew it was what I wanted to do.

You’ve seen how stories land across so many formats. What patterns have you noticed in why certain campaigns, moments, or narratives resonate with audiences today?

The moments that really land feel intentional without feeling over-engineered. Audiences are extremely media literate and can tell when something feels forced or overly manufactured. The campaigns that resonate tend to tap into a real cultural conversation, align naturally with the talent or brand behind them, and leave some room for the audience to engage and make meaning for themselves.

When you look at campaigns today, what separates well-executed campaigns from the ones that fall flat? Are there any pop culture PR missteps you see often?

The strongest campaigns are clear about what they’re trying to say and who they’re speaking to. The ones that fall flat usually try to do too much or chase trends without a real point of view. A common mistake is confusing visibility with impact. Going viral doesn’t always mean something actually landed.

So much of PR is about understanding how people connect with things. How do you think about audience behavior today, especially in a time where fandom, virality, and online culture shape what gets amplified? Does fandom ever influence the way teams think about strategy in pop culture?

The way audiences interact with media has definitely changed. People don’t just consume it anymore — they engage with it, shape it, and play a real role in what gets amplified. Fandom absolutely influences strategy, and it’s something teams have to consider when thinking about how stories are introduced and sustained over time.

You’ve worked red carpets and supported major media events. From the press side, what goes into making those moments land the way they do? Is there anything early career creatives should know?

Most of the work happens long before anyone steps onto the carpet. Early on, I didn’t realize how much goes into getting talent ready for those moments, from hair, makeup, and styling to media prep and making sure everyone’s aligned going into the carpet. And even more goes into it once you’re actually running the carpet, making sure the right press are there, interviews are moving smoothly, and everything stays on schedule. The best red carpet moments look effortless, but trust, they’re the result of very careful planning.

What’s a behind-the-scenes reality about publicity work that people on the outside would be surprised by?

How much of the job is problem-solving in real time, paired with how much thought and planning goes into everything. Plans change constantly. Schedules shift, availability changes, and messaging evolves. A big part of the work is staying calm, adjusting quickly, and making sure both the story and the people attached to it are handled thoughtfully. It can be stressful in the moment, but when it all comes together, it’s incredibly rewarding.

You’ve had a front-row seat to some of the biggest entertainment brands. What did those environments teach you about navigating the industry early in your career?

Working in those environments taught me to stay curious, be dependable, and take the work seriously. No matter how big the brand, the industry is small, and people remember how you show up. Consistency and trust go a long way.

What inspired you to start Love Letters, and how does writing about campaigns and pop culture shape the way you think about PR and storytelling strategies?

Love Letters started as a place to slow down and unpack the moments shaping culture in real time. It’s where I cut through the noise and look at why certain campaigns, stories, and pop culture moments actually stick, and how they come together behind the scenes. Writing it has sharpened how I think about storytelling and strategy, and it’s become a space to connect entertainment, media, and culture in a way that feels thoughtful but accessible.

What advice would you give someone who’s passionate about pop culture, fashion, or media and wants to turn that passion into an actual career?

Treat your curiosity like something worth developing and really pay attention to how pop culture moves and how projects come together. Take internships seriously, because those early roles are where you start to understand how the industry actually works and how teams operate day to day. Relationships matter more than people realize, and since the industry is small, the way you show up tends to stick with people long after a role ends.

What are you a fan of right now? Any campaigns, shows, moments, or trends that have been living in your head lately?

Like the rest of the internet, I’ve been obsessed with Heated Rivalry lately. It blew up incredibly quickly, but what has stood out is how organically that momentum has been sustained. It’s been interesting to watch how a passionate audience, strong storytelling, and timing can turn something into a real cultural moment

“We’re going to Disneyland!”

It feels spontaneous, but the line is actually part of one of the most carefully orchestrated brand traditions in American sports.

Where did “I’m Going to Disney World” or “I’m Going to Disneyland” come from?

The phrase dates back to 1987, when The Walt Disney Company launched the now-iconic post-Super Bowl campaign.

The first athlete to ever say it was New York Giants quarterback Phil Simms, who appeared in a commercial filmed immediately after his Super Bowl win. An unseen narrator asked, “What are you going to do next?” and Simms was paid $50,000 to answer with the line that would become legend.

According to former Disney CEO Michael Eisner, the idea of the phrase itself came from his wife, Jane. In his memoir, Eisner recalled attending a Disney event where Jane asked record-setting pilots what they planned to do next after completing a historic flight. Their answer: “We’re going to Disneyland.” That response stuck.

Eisner realized the phrase captured something universal, the idea that after a huge, life defining moment, you’ll plan to celebrate somewhere joyful. Disney built the campaign around that exact feeling.

Disney refers to the campaign as “What’s Next?”, and the format hasn’t changed much since. The MVP answers the question, the ad airs nationwide, and the player typically appears in a Disney park parade the very next day.

Can fans actually go to the parade?

Yes, fans can attend the MVP parade, but location matters.

Disney alternates between hosting the celebration at its two U.S. parks; Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL, or Disneyland in Anaheim, California.

The choice is typically influenced by:

• Proximity to the Super Bowl host city

• Travel logistics immediately after the game

• Which park Disney wants to spotlight

For example, last year, when the Super Bowl was played in New Orleans, Eagles QB Jalen Hurts celebrated at Walt Disney World. With this year’s game taking place in California, Darnold and Walker are headed to Disneyland.

If you’re looking to attend the Super Bowl cavalcade at Disney, there are a few things to keep in mind. Parades happen during regular park hours, so you don’t need an extra ticket to attend. But timing is announced with very little notice and viewing areas fill quickly.

Catching the celebration in person is for sure a once-in-a-lifetime moment for fans of both Disney and the NFL, so be sure to pay attention to Disney’s entertainment schedule so you don’t miss it!

Founded by WNBA stars Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart, the league typically calls Miami home. But for one night, Unrivaled brought four of its clubs north for two matchups: Breeze vs. Phantom and Rose vs. Lunar Owls.

Dubbed Philly Is Unrivaled, the event completely sold out, setting the all-time attendance record for a regular-season professional women’s basketball game and marking the largest event ever held at the arena.

But the night felt bigger than a record. From the moment doors opened, it was clear this was a city responding to an opportunity it had been waiting a long time for.

Philadelphia wasn’t a random stop for Unrivaled’s first out of town matchup. The city hasn’t had a women’s professional basketball team since the Philadelphia Rage last played in 1998, leaving nearly three decades of absence in a place defined by its basketball culture. For fans, the opportunity to show up for women’s pro basketball at this scale felt long overdue.

Philadelphia has been quietly building momentum around women’s sports. The Philadelphia Sisters, led in part by comedian Wanda Sykes’ and her wife, Alex Niedbalski-Sykes, have been campaigning for increased visibility, investment, and opportunity in women’s basketball in the city since 2019.

Their efforts, alongside broader community support, helped position the city as an ideal partner for Unrivaled’s first tour stop. The group also played a key role in bringing the WNBA back to the city, with an expansion team set to arrive in 2030. Both Wanda and Alex were in attendance Friday night, along with additional celebrity supporters — from Robin Roberts to Leslie Jones.

Add in the presence of hometown stars like Kahleah Copper and Natasha Cloud, who took the court during the series, and the choice felt less like a test market and more like a homecoming. Both players expressed excitement about the very rare opportunity to play professionally at home, in front of their friends and family, in an arena they grew up watching games at.

I’ll admit, I committed to making the trip up to Philly and booked my hotel before I had even had a ticket. I was having such a fun time watching the games on television, and I wanted to be able to experience it in person.

When the game sold out and resale prices surged, it felt like a long shot. But instead of being shut out, a fellow fan offered to sell me her ticket at face value a few weeks before the game — a small gesture that set the tone for the entire weekend, because before I even walked into the arena, the community was already showing up.

It quickly became clear that I wasn’t the only one who had gone out of my way to be there. Based on the cheers, the crowd definitely was filled with Philly natives, but plenty of fans had traveled in from near and far — some even flying in so they wouldn’t miss the night.

For some, showing up to the game was a special community experience. That sense of togetherness was especially visible through groups like Women’s Sports Rally, which organizes social events, watch parties and group outings for women sports fans, primarily in New York City.

The Unrivaled Philly weekend marked a first for the group: their first event outside the New York–New Jersey area, and their first full travel weekend built around a women’s basketball game.

“Having a full travel weekend together created opportunities for us to connect as a community in more ways outside the live game experience,” Caroline FitzGerald, founder of Women’s Sports Rally said. “During the Philly Unrivaled weekend we had time together on the train, on our private bus, at brunch, and at the various social events throughout the weekend. We’re all about building fan friendships, so for us, the more opportunities to connect, the better.”

The group also used the weekend to support local businesses near their hotel, partnering with women-, queer-, and POC-owned spots in the area.

“Our fan community loves to express our values through what we support,” FitzGerald added. “It felt great to be able to do that as part of this trip.”

Once inside the arena, it didn’t take long to tell who the crowd had come for. Philly showed up loudly for its hometown stars, but the jerseys and merch I kept clocking most often belonged to Breeze and Rose — two teams whose rosters span both rising stars and established veterans.

All night, two fans held a massive Paige Bueckers flag above their heads, never lowering. By the end of the second game, they were crowned “Most Unrivaled,” which just felt so right.

That passion mirrored what I was seeing everywhere, with fans finding different ways to show up creatively.

Brooke, another fan of Bueckers, spent three days crocheting a custom jersey for the star and was actually able to gift it to her on the court.

“It meant everything to give Paige the jersey I made for her,” Brooke said. “It was a historical night for women’s sports and the vibes were incredible. To be able to go down on the court, speak with Paige and gift her the jersey was something so special and a moment I will cherish forever.”

For others, fandom showed up through personal style. Amari, a longtime women’s basketball fan, spent time carefully planning her outfit for the night — ultimately landing on a Rose look that reflected her loyalty.

“As a fan of women’s basketball, it was amazing to be in a full stadium of women’s basketball lovers,” she said. “Choosing a fit was so hard, but as an Aces and Mystics fan, I’m a Rose girly, so I had to do a dedicated Rose fit.”

And if fans didn’t arrive in their team’s colors, they quickly found a way to fix that. Merch lines wrapped around corners throughout the arena, with some fans waiting for hours — even missing portions of the game — just to get to the front. Many said it was worth it, as there were items exclusive to the city and they were selling out rapidly in the building.

At one point, I looked around and realized I was surrounded almost entirely by women. It truly created a sense of ease I don’t always feel in sports spaces, and I just had an overall feeling to be grateful to be in a place that felt genuinely open.

One of the reasons I believe Unrivaled is succeeding so well, is simply how clearly this space was intentionally designed with women — and women’s fandom — at the center.

That showed up right away when players made their entrances. Instead of running out from the court, they walked through the stands, passing fans in the lower bowl sections and stopping for high fives on their way to the floor. It caught people off guard, and fans online shared their excitement upon realizing how close they were to the players in the spin on a typical game entrance.

That focus carried on throughout the night. Between games, the arena felt busy and alive. There were the usual in-game activities you’d expect at an indoor sporting event, like trivia contests, shooting challenges, and dance-offs. But one brand activation definitely won the night.

Sephora’s presence stood out in particular — gift cards parachuted into the crowd, a branded “Sephora Tunnel” doubled as a pregame runway for player outfits, and fans lined up along a Sephora carpet outfitted with Unrivaled backdrops in the concourse to take photos. It was hard not to notice how naturally a women’s beauty brand fit into the night, especially for a league whose audience is overwhelmingly women.

Unrivaled also introduced its own rituals. As the final minutes approached, fans were asked to stand together, heightening the energy in the building as we waited to see who would hit the game winner shot. Later in the night, the lights dimmed and the entire arena joined in for some “Swag Surfin,” keeping the energy high even as the games wrapped up.

Then the number flashed on the big screen: 21,490 fans in attendance — the most ever for a regular-season professional women’s basketball game. The crowd went absolutely insane at the announcement.

And of course, the basketball itself matched the moment.

The opening game between the Phantom and the Breeze set the tone for the night, and Philly native Natasha Cloud brought a win home after a high energy matchup.

But by the time the second game tipped off, there was a quiet assumption floating through the arena. The Lunar Owls’ record had definitely preceded them and many were wondering how they would match up against the Rose.

Marina Mabrey answered that question almost immediately.

She couldn’t miss. She scored 27 points in the first quarter alone, turning what some expected to be a slower matchup into the most electric stretch of gameplay all night.

Each time she scored, the cheers got louder than the last, and after her fourth three-pointer, the ball went in the hoop and it seemed like the entire arena leapt out of their seats without thinking. Fans screamed so loud I felt like I was at a concert, and my Apple Watch did too — notifying me of the loud noise and begging me to protect my hearing.

It was cathartic. I was at the edge of my seat the entire game. Mabrey went on to break the Unrivaled single-game scoring record, finishing with 47 points and 10 three-pointers. By the time the night wound down, I didn’t want to leave. I was having way too much fun.

Unrivaled has already made clear that Philadelphia won’t be its last stop on the road, and the city made an equally clear case for why. This night didn’t feel like a pop-up or a one-night-only special event. It felt like a glimpse of what’s possible when women’s professional basketball is given real space and real investment.

For Courtney Humphrey, a manager at Monumental Sports and Entertainment, the night reinforced something she sees firsthand working in sports.

“As a woman working in sports, moments like this reinforce why expansion, intentional investment, and authentic representation in women’s sports are not just important — they are essential to sustained growth,” Humphrey said. “The energy in Xfinity Mobile Arena was undeniable, and the fact that the game broke multiple records speaks volumes.”

What stood out to her just as much as the basketball was the crowd itself.

“Families, longtime basketball fans, first-timers, young girls seeing what’s possible, and people simply there for a great experience,” she said. “It was a powerful reminder that when you invest in women’s sports, you are investing in community.”

Part of that response comes from what Unrivaled is offering fans that hasn’t always existed elsewhere.

“Unrivaled is appealing on many fronts,” Fitzgerald said. “It solved a problem fans had with following their favorite players during the WNBA offseason, and it brings together best-in-class professional hoopers in new team formations and a 3x3 format that is so fun and entertaining.”

She also pointed to the league’s ability to solve real frustrations fans have had for years — from the long WNBA offseason to inequities around player treatment.

“Unrivaled removes many of the ‘ick’ factors the WNBA has around work conditions and compensation. It’s so nice to enjoy the games knowing the players are getting paid well, that their housing and childcare needs are addressed, and that merch revenue is shared with them. The WNBA still seems to favor a ‘right kind’ of player for publicity and media whereas Unrivaled embraces players authentic selves, which makes the content more interesting and appealing.”

And that matters, especially at a moment when women’s professional basketball is at an inflection point. As players continue negotiating the future of the WNBA through ongoing CBA discussions, one question comes up again and again: is the demand really there?

On Friday night in Philadelphia, the answer was very obvious.

As a postcard left on every seat read, “This league was founded by the players, but built by you, the fans.” After a sold-out night that broke attendance records, that line felt like a statement of fact — one that reflected both the stars on the court and the dedicated fans who showed up for them.

In today’s edition, we’re spotlighting a highly visible creative role in live music: concert photography. For many fans who love live music, photography is one of the first creative roles that sparks curiosity — but the path from shooting shows as a hobby to working tours isn’t always obvious.

Kate Cummings began photographing shows as a teenager, building experience through local publications before landing opportunities to tour with artists like AJR and Hozier. Her experience shows how early hands-on work and being ready when opportunities arise can lead to real momentum in live music.

Below, she shares how she got started, what tour life has taught her, and one practical step for anyone hoping to break into concert photography.

How did your journey in photography begin, and what drew you specifically to live music? What was the first moment you realized, “This could actually be a career for me”?

I’ve had a camera forever, but I started taking it seriously in high school — mostly shooting friends and school sports. Then, I got into concerts through a local publication, built a portfolio, and eventually shot for AJR. That tour pretty much made me fall in love with tour photography and video work.

You recently photographed Hozier’s tour. How did that opportunity come together, and what did you take away from the experience?

I got connected with Hozier’s team through a friend, and after a quick meeting with management, I was on a plane the next day. The tour ended up being more than I could’ve ever imagined — I got to travel to new places, meet amazing people, and really get immersed in the tour world. The biggest thing I learned was how important it is to take care of yourself when you’re out on the road. With the constant travel and crazy sleep schedules, prioritizing your mental health and basic routines becomes everything!

A lot of your work captures emotion, in addition to just the performance. How do you approach translating the feeling of live music into images?

I love love love capturing emotion. It’s definitely one of the first things I look for whenever I shoot a show. Before a show, I like to listen to the setlist and really figure out a vibe/color scheme for each song so that when the show starts I already have somewhat of a game plan. Post-show, whenever I go into editing I really try to reinstate the color scheme, framing, and story that I had made up in my head.

For other young creatives hoping to break into concert or tour photography, what’s one realistic first step they could take?

For anyone just starting their concert photography journey I’d say to prioritize making connections. Networking is so key in this industry.

✨ Wanna read more check out the full interview with Kate here, and see more of her work here.

Why did the ‘Stranger Things’ finale hit us so hard?

It’s a few hours before midnight on New Year’s Eve, and I’m packed into an AMC screening room in Chicago for the last big event of the year: the Stranger Things finale. Armed with nearly $20 worth of concessions, I settle into my seat with excitement as the lights begin to dim.

Two hours later, I’m a bawling mess.

Read the full Forward Focus piece: In this guest essay, Hannah Carapellotti reflects on the emotional aftermath of the Stranger Things finale, and the unique grief that comes with saying goodbye to fictional worlds.

Fan Talk

What fans are saying, questioning, and celebrating across pop culture – and what the industry should be paying attention to.

Harry Styles’ long-awaited comeback is stirring up a lot of fan discussion, particularly around his newly announced 2026 Together, Together tour. Instead of a traditional run, Styles revealed a global residency model, including 30 nights at Madison Square Garden as his only U.S. dates.

Before the onsale, fans debated what a residency might mean for access and pricing. As presales opened, many fans found tickets priced in the $700–$1,000 range, reigniting frustration around the affordability of live music and who gets to participate in major pop moments. Even as shows sold, timelines filled with fans weighing whether to buy out of FOMO or opt out altogether.

I did a deep dive into the Together, Together onsale through a fan-first lens, unpacking how extreme prices become normalized, how fandom enforces those norms internally, and why this moment felt especially personal for an artist whose career has been built on language of belonging. Read here.

Industry Moves

From awards to new releases and announcements, these are the entertainment world’s biggest updates fans should know about.

Nominations for the 98th annual Academy Awards have been revealed. This year is shaping up to be an interesting ceremony. Ryan Coogler’s vampire thriller Sinners set a new record, receiving 16 nominations — the most ever received by a single film. Timothée Chalamet is generating continued buzz for his performance in Marty Supreme, while Wicked: For Good was completely shut out just one year after the first film earned 10 nominations. Want a quick breakdown of how Oscar nominations actually work? Read this FANFAQ.

Fans could soon have a financial stake in new music. Musicow has launched FANDOM, a new initiative distributed by Roc Nation that lets fans share in the royalties of select song releases — starting with a new Jon Bellion and Swae Lee single dropping this week. It’s an early and ambitious experiment to create “the world’s first fan-owned album,” in what could change what “supporting an artist” looks like when fandom moves beyond consumption and into ownership.

Universal Music Group just launched a new livestream hub on Twitch. Universal Music Live is designed to bring fans closer to performances, events, and artist moments in real time.

Don’t forget to tune into the Grammys this weekend. Although, if you’re a music fan, I’m sure it's already on your calendar. The show airs Sunday Feb. 1, 2026, live on CBS and Paramount+.

Forward Motion

Keep your pop culture career momentum moving forward with jobs, opportunities, events, and practical tips.

Calling all fan journalists: If you’re currently enrolled in college, Rolling Stone is opening its doors to student writers through its College Journalism Awards. The winner will receive $1,000 and have their work published on Rolling Stone’s website this summer. Apply here.

Universal Music Group has opened applications for its 2026 Summer Internship Program, with roles across labels, live events, merch, tech, and creative teams — ideal for fans who’ve always been curious how the music industry actually works. Apply here.

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is accepting undergraduate and legal interns for upcoming semesters, offering a behind-the-scenes look at how copyright, policy, and artist protections shape the music industry fans care so deeply about. Apply here.

More from Fangirl Forward

Recently published or currently relevant stories from our site.

FANFAQ: Dynamic Pricing vs. Platinum Tickets. What’s the Difference? — Breaking down the pricing terms that keep confusing fans at major concert onsales. Read here.

Why did the ‘Stranger Things’ finale hit us so hard? — Guest contributor Hannah Carapellotti reflects on the emotional aftermath of the Stranger Things finale, and the unique grief that comes with saying goodbye to fictional worlds. Read here.

When Togetherness Becomes a Luxury: Harry Styles and the Cost of Belonging — As Harry Styles returns with a message of connection, fans are grappling with rising prices, limited access, and what togetherness really means when participation comes at a high cost. Read here.

FANFAQ: What Does It Take for Broadway to Cancel Performances? — The city says stay home. Broadway says the show goes on. Read here.

FANFAQ: 2026 Grammy Nominations, Explained — With the 68th Annual Grammy Awards taking place this Sunday, get your refresher on how the nominated stars made it on the ballot. Read here.

Danielle Gould on Building Industry Interns and Demystifying Entertainment Internships — From NEON to NBCUniversal, Danielle Gould turned her own internship journey into a practical resource for students and early-career creatives trying to break into entertainment. Read here.

FANFAQ: How Does Oscars Voting Actually Work? — Nominations for the Academy Awards are officially out, and this year’s list is already sparking lots of conversation. Here’s what to know. Read here.

Thanks for reading Fangirl Forward, your inside look at the cultural currents connecting fans and the entertainment industry. New editions publish every other Wednesday.

Fangirl Forward pushes fandom forward by connecting fan skills to career pathways, centering fan perspectives in industry conversations, and building more informed, intentional fan communities.

Our ecosystem goes beyond just this newsletter. We also publish essays, interviews and explainers that dig deeper into how fans shape pop culture, navigate the systems behind it, and build influence across three core verticals:

• From the Crowd – first-person fan perspectives

• Forward Focus – cultural analysis and expert interviews

• FANFAQ – a Q&A series demystifying the entertainment industry through fan curiosity

Fangirl Forward is part of Fan Fave Media, a creative studio amplifying emerging voices and entertainment storytelling through original content, live events, and creative strategy.

Want to collaborate, contribute or join our community? We love spotlighting the people and perspectives moving pop culture and fandom forward.

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Before even turning twenty, concert photographer Kate Cummings had already taken her talents on tour with artists like Hozier and AJR.

For creatives hoping to break into live music, Kate’s experience is a reminder that careers don’t move at one set pace — there’s no “right age” or perfect moment to start, just a willingness to learn on the job and be ready when opportunities appear.

Below, she shares how she got started, what tour life has taught her, and one practical step for anyone hoping to break into concert photography.

How did your journey in photography begin, and what drew you specifically to live music? What was the first moment you realized, “This could actually be a career for me”?

I’ve had a camera forever, but I started taking it seriously in high school — mostly shooting friends and school sports. Then, I got into concerts through a local publication, built a portfolio, and eventually shot for AJR. That tour pretty much made me fall in love with tour photography and video work.

You recently photographed Hozier’s tour. How did that opportunity come together, and what did you take away from the experience?

I got connected with Hozier’s team through a friend, and after a quick meeting with management, I was on a plane the next day. The tour ended up being more than I could’ve ever imagined — I got to travel to new places, meet amazing people, and really get immersed in the tour world. The biggest thing I learned was how important it is to take care of yourself when you’re out on the road. With the constant travel and crazy sleep schedules, prioritizing your mental health and basic routines becomes everything!

You also went on tour with AJR. When you’re preparing for large-scale tours like those, what does that look like — gear-wise, mindset-wise, or creatively?

Before a tour, I make sure I’m fully comfortable with my gear and always pack backups for everything — batteries, cards, camera body, lens, all of it. I try to keep my setup as compact as possible. I’ve never really had time to mentally prep because most of my tour calls are super last minute, but if I did, I’d absolutely give myself a self-care week lol. Creatively, I try to prep by diving into the artist’s music — listening to their stuff, looking at their branding, and building a color scheme or vibe for the tour.

Being so young in an industry that often skews older must come with challenges. Have you ever felt underestimated, and how have you built confidence in those spaces?

I’ve definitely been hit with the whole “you’re too young” thing, which sucks. But I always remind myself that there are plenty of people who do believe in me and my work — and I’ve done the work to get to where I am now.

Creative work can be both thrilling and draining. How do you keep yourself inspired without burning out?

Burnout is such a real thing, especially in this industry! When I’m out on the road and we have off days I like to explore the new city we’re in while listening to music. I always tend to find some sort of thrift/antique shop, museum, or gallery that fills me with new inspiration. When I’m not on the road, I like to create a solid balance of work shoots to personal shoots so I’m not overwhelming myself.

A lot of your work captures not just performance but emotion. How do you approach translating the feeling of live music into images?

I love love love capturing emotion. It’s definitely one of the first things I look for whenever I shoot a show. Before a show, I like to listen to the setlist and really figure out a vibe/color scheme for each song so that when the show starts I already have somewhat of a game plan. Post-show, whenever I go into editing I really try to reinstate the color scheme, framing, and story that I had made up in my head.

For other young creatives hoping to break into concert or tour photography, what’s one realistic first step they could take?

For anyone just starting their concert photography journey, I’d say to prioritize making connections. Networking is so key in this industry.

For years, it had been a running joke among fans anxiously awaiting the return of Harry Styles. The phrase always trended, but it never quite came true. This time, however, it didn’t feel like wishful thinking.

After largely disappearing from the public eye following the end of his last tour, Styles reemerged with a YouTube video titled Forever, Forever.

Filmed during the final Love on Tour stop in Italy in 2023, the eight-minute video didn’t open on him at all. Instead, the first three minutes were devoted entirely to the fans.

They were shown getting ready for the concert, dancing together, laughing, crying, and talking about what it meant to have tickets to the final show. Some mentioned knowing this might be the last time they’d see him onstage for a while, joking about how lucky they felt to have gotten tickets because he would “disappear” at the end of the era.

Disappear he did. But now, he was back.

The video ultimately revealed itself as the first teaser for a new era built explicitly around connection. As the camera pulled back into an overhead shot of the crowd at the end of the video, the words WE BELONG TOGETHER flashed across the screen in all caps.

It was a familiar kind of language for Styles. Each album seems to come with some sticky, affirming, mantra or phrase for fans to adopt, turn into memes or slap onto merch, like Harry’s House or Treat People With Kindness.

Suddenly, We Belong Together became the unofficial motto for the era — centering fans as part of the rollout. It appeared on posters across cities worldwide, on a new website, and as the opt-in code for fan text updates through HSHQ. Later, fans learned it was actually a lyric from the title track of the lead single off HS4, “Aperture.”

And when the album Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally. was officially announced, fans knew what came next.

All that was left to wait for was the tour.

A Different Kind of Tour

When the tour details finally arrived, the excitement came with a small condition.

Instead of a traditional tour, Styles announced Together, Together — a series of global residencies. On the run, he’d play multiple nights in Amsterdam, London, São Paulo, Mexico City, New York City, Melbourne and Sydney.

Notably, the largest residency of the bunch is set for Madison Square Garden in New York City — the only 2026 tour dates in the U.S. for Styles, who will play 30 nights at the iconic venue.

The reaction was immediately split. After several years away from the road, many fans were excited about the possibility of seeing Styles live again only to be crushed by the fact that he would not be touring near them.

Still, many fans seemed to stay optimistic. Residencies, after all, are often framed as more stable and efficient due to fewer cities, fewer moving parts and less constant travel for the artist and crew. In theory, that structure can mean more predictable pricing and a smoother experience for everyone involved.

Thirty nights in one venue also felt, at least on paper, like a way to ease demand. For many fans, myself included, the expectation was that Styles’ comeback would involve stadiums. After all, his last tour sold at that scale. But 30 nights in the same location felt excessive enough that it had to function similarly. Surely there’d be enough room for everyone across that many days…right?

For a moment, it felt reasonable to believe that the residency might balance things out, and this era built on “togetherness” would translate into something attainable.

Then, the presale arrived.

The Reality Check

Within minutes of the presale opening, timelines filled with screenshots of queue numbers and seat maps. Hundreds of thousands of fans were waiting. When they finally got through, many were met with prices that sparked immediate outrage.

When I entered the queue for a Madison Square Garden date, a message informed me that ticket prices would range from $50 to $1,182, excluding VIP packages. The high end was jarring, but the low end felt manageable, enough to believe prices might be reasonably distributed.

They weren’t.

The cheapest pit tickets were $900. Lower bowl seats ranged from roughly $400 to $1100. Even some nosebleeds hovered around $300. While some cheaper options did exist, the majority seemed to be solely in these ranges, largely thanks to Ticketmaster’s Platinum pricing practice.

The backlash was immediate. Fans were frustrated, with some weighing whether this was a moment they could afford to miss, others calling for a boycott until prices went down, and another group even joking about researching job opportunities at the venue for a shot at getting in for free.

I remember thinking there was no way people would actually pay $1,000 for lower bowl seats. I certainly wanted that to be the case, not because I want to police anyone’s spending choices, but because I didn’t like the precedent that a “sell out” with these prices would set.

But the tickets still sold.

Buying Didn’t Mean Acceptance

Let’s be honest, most fans were not celebrating these prices, yet many still bought them. What played out during the presale wasn’t enthusiastic acceptance, but a sense of obligation based on dedication and passion.

Fans were negotiating with themselves in real time…thinking:

This might be my only chance. I’ve waited four years this. I don’t know when he will tour again. He’s my favorite artist. This is just the price of live music now.

In that context, buying a ticket doesn’t mean every single fan who did felt the price was fair. It means the alternative of missing the moment entirely felt much worse to those fans. Even so, those purchases still function as a signal that the prices are workable, whether or not they feel reasonable.

None of this is to suggest that fans who bought tickets were wrong to do so — especially considering some expressed guilt after the fact — only that affordability has quietly become the gatekeeper of fandom participation.

Amanda Iacona, a pop culture and fan engagement content creator, said what stood out to her most during day one of the presale was how many fans were either actively opting out or reluctantly buying out of fear.

“From what I saw on day one of the Harry Styles presale, there was noticeably more noise around waiting and opting out than actually purchasing,” she said. “A few fans I know did spend $1,000 on lower bowl or pit tickets — not because they felt great about the price, but because it gave them security that they’d at least get to go.”

And almost as quickly as tickets were purchased, fans began expressing regret.

Screenshots of checkout pages were followed by posts asking if it was “worth it.” Others publicly justified their purchases, explaining payment plans or once-in-a-lifetime logic, as if opting in required moral defense.

One fan wrote, “at the time I was like yay <3 and hours later it’s settling what I’ve done.”

Another commented, “i’ve not actually felt excited over seeing him again after so many years it’s more so like wow i just worked over 9 full shifts to afford the ticket.”

Unfortunately, urgency is baked into the ticketing onsale experience itself. Tickets feel scarce, and the pressure to “just grab something” before it’s gone, Iacona said, overrides hesitation or thoughtful spending.

After all, many of the tickets end up in the hands of scalpers who will flip the already expensive prices into an even higher bill. If you don’t buy the tickets now, they will certainly cost you more later.

At the same time, a significant portion of fans chose not to buy at all. Across timelines, people shared screenshots of seats they closed out of, queue numbers they abandoned, and posts explaining why they couldn’t justify the cost. Some shared that they chose to book vacations instead, accepting that this show simply wasn’t accessible to them.

Still, for the purchases that did go through, the outcome looks the same from the outside.

“When those purchases still go through, it unintentionally signals that these price points are acceptable—making it easier for artists and teams to keep raising them over time,” Iacona said.

The question, then, isn’t whether fans were willing to spend. It’s whether this is a system that should rely on pressure, guilt, and fear of missing out to function.

How High Prices Became Normal

The intense sense of urgency within the concert buying world is often reinforced by structural mechanisms that quietly soften the reality of the cost without actually lowering it.

For example, take installment options like Klarna or PayPal Pay in 4, which don’t make tickets cheaper, but make them feel more manageable. An $1000 ticket can become $250 in the moment, even though the total cost hasn’t changed and the financial impact still arrives later.

This is also where spending blindness creeps in. When everyone around you seems to be “making it work,” extreme prices stop looking like red flags and start looking average. In the midst of it all, fans can make dangerous financial decisions, and the set-up makes it easy to do so — a cautionary tale some fans tried to warn others about in the midst of the onsale craze.

“You guys… I promise you that if you max out credit cards and take out loans to see Harry, it will come back to bite you in the ass,” one fan wrote. “It happened to me in 2023 and 2024. I’m finally starting to recover. Even spending so much on a ticket will hurt.”

But that normalization happens fast. Instead of stopping to question if the prices are higher than we should be, we begin to be trained to feel like it’s just what prices are supposed to be these days, due to “the market” and “demand.”

And it’s true that concert prices have risen. Pollstar reported that the average cost to attend a show in 2024 was $135.92, and artists and teams are navigating a live music economy that is more expensive and complex than it was a decade ago.

Still, that context doesn’t explain everything. Just last September, Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino openly suggested that concert tickets have been “underpriced” for years. Framed that way, rising prices aren’t treated as a problem to be addressed, but as a correction.

It really makes me wonder, is there really no limit to how much fans are expected to absorb before participation itself becomes unsustainable? If both artists and fans are being asked to shoulder rising costs, where is the fair line of sacrifice supposed to fall?

Surprisingly, some of the pushback on pricing complaints surrounding Styles’ tour didn’t come from the industry. It came from other fans.

Comments like “What did you expect?” and “You’ve had years to save” reframed shock as a personal failure rather than an industry-wide issue. Many fans online tried spreading the sentiment that if you couldn’t afford it, you simply hadn’t planned well enough.

But this wasn’t One Night Only, and fans weren’t expecting $25 tickets. Concert tickets are expensive these days. But should a two-hour live music experience really cost a week’s paycheck? Fans were reacting to the extent of the prices and how quickly it has become normalized, and how often that normalization is enforced by the community itself.

When fans stop interrogating the numbers and instead defend them, even as they’re being most affected by them, it’s simply reinforcement of a situation that continues to push access further out of reach.

In moments like this, the question isn’t whether demand exists. It clearly does. Ticketmaster recently revealed a record-breaking 11.5 million fans signed up for the presale of Together, Together at Madison Square Garden. Everyone is clamoring to see Styles as he’s been away for some time, and on top of that, entire countries are all traveling to one city to do so. The market market doesn’t distinguish between who buys a ticket, only that someone does.

I remember the days of Love on Tour in 2021 and 2022. I was a student at NYU, and with the salary of an intern, I managed to see Styles six times over the years — five of which were at Madison Square Garden, including the very first Harryween shows.

I only paid over $150 for a ticket once during that entire era, and that was to be in the pit. During that tour, the fandom adopted a saying, “Money is fake, Harry Styles is forever.” Looking back now, it feels less like a joke and more like a warning.

I understand supply and demand, and inflation, and the fact that all of this was four years ago. But as an avid concertgoer, I must say, I have never seen prices this high for an arena show — especially one that requires minimal travel, minimal production movement, and plays the same venue for thirty nights.

The Geography of Belonging

Residencies are often framed as a win. There’s fewer logistics, fewer travel days, and a more controlled production. For artists and the hardworking teams behind them, residencies can ease financial and physical strain. For fans, however, the cost doesn’t disappear. It often grows.

Fans outside New York who want to see their favorite artist are now faced with the fact that to do so, they have to pay for flights and hotels, coordinate time off work, and face the added pressure of competing for access in a single city.

In that sense, the residency structure eases strain on the artist while amplifying it for fans, especially when ticket prices alone already stretch budgets.

Of course, high-priced residencies themselves aren’t unusual. They’re often positioned as limited, prestige events, staged in venues designed for long-term runs, and marketed clearly as destination experiences. Fans understand that tradeoff going in.

What makes Together, Together feel different is the context.

These shows are set at Madison Square Garden, a venue Styles has already played repeatedly on past tours at significantly lower price points. It’s not a residency-only space, but a standard touring arena where major artists regularly perform full tours at more accessible prices. At the same time, this run replaces what many fans expected to be a traditional comeback tour, following several years without touring and with no confirmation of when, or if, another tour will follow.

That combination matters. This isn’t an optional side project or a bonus run layered onto an existing tour. For many fans, it’s the only opportunity.

So when participation starts to depend not just on fandom, but on geography, flexibility, and financial reach, “togetherness” becomes something you qualify for rather than something you’re invited into. The language of inclusion remains, but the structure quickly narrows who can realistically take part.

Why This Felt Personal

I must say, I believe part of why this moment landed so hard has less to do with pricing models and more to do with how Harry Styles has always positioned himself in relation to his fans.

Styles is, in practice, distant. He isn’t active on social media. He doesn’t offer casual proximity or behind-the-scenes access. Outside of performances and press cycles, he’s largely absent — a boundary that makes sense given the way he entered the industry with One Direction.

But despite that distance, his work has always spoken the opposite language.

Since the beginning of his solo career, Styles’ branding has consistently emphasized warmth, safety, and shared space. It’s always been one of my biggest draws to his musical world. I remember being 17 and attending Live on Tour alone with my dad, and having strangers come up to me and compliment me on my outfit. It made me feel welcomed within the fandom despite me not knowing anyone there. Over the years, his shows have continued to carry the energy of being a safe space.

His concerts are famously conversational, built around moments where he speaks directly to the crowd, affirms them, and frames the room as a collective experience.

It’s a careful balance that he’s successfully managed, where he’s distant in practice, close in meaning. And for many fans, that balance has worked — because the shows are where the connection lives.

That emotional layer is easy to dismiss as parasocial overreach, but it’s also something Styles’ brand has actively cultivated.

When you don’t have casual access, and don’t expect interaction outside of the stage, the concert becomes the relationship. It’s where fans feel seen and where We Belong Together becomes tangible, even if the we is largely shared among the fans themselves.

Love on Tour was a community experience, and the Forever, Forever video that opened this era was a reminder of that world.

That’s why pricing doesn’t land as a neutral transaction here. When fans question pricing, they’re not rejecting the artist. They’re trying to reconcile the version of the relationship they were sold with the reality they’re experiencing. And to many fans, the feeling of being financially shut out by an artist who promotes belonging and centered celebrating fandom community as part of a marketing strategy can register as a kind of betrayal for fans who believed in that language.

In the end, this moment was never only about Harry Styles, or even about one particularly brutal presale. Its another case study on how live music is increasingly structured in a way that asks fans to absorb more cost, pressure and emotional risk, while offering less transparency and fewer real alternatives.

I don’t think this onsale felt like a breaking point for fans simply due to a shock at the idea that concerts cost money.

Fandom has always been about how much you’re willing to sacrifice to the things you love, and as a result, situations like this can start to feel like tests of devotion rather than an exciting opportunity.

When extreme prices are softened through payment plans, defended by “high demand,” and normalized within fandom spaces themselves, participation quickly shifts from something shared to something lightly gatekept. For an artist whose career has been built on language of belonging and collective experience, that shift is hard for fans to ignore, especially when the primary site of connection, the live show, becomes geographically limited and financially exclusionary.

Demand will always exist, and someone will always be willing to pay. But when fandom begins to require justification, guilt, and personal sacrifice simply to participate or feel like they belong, something fundamental has changed.

Live music as a shared cultural experience is starting to feel like it’s slipping away for fans of major pop artists. I really wish concerts didn’t feel like a luxury good now. If this is where things are headed, then the most important question isn’t how much fans are willing to pay, but how much they’re being asked to give up in order to feel like they’re a part of something.

The Forever, Forever video opens with fans before it ever shows the artist. That’s not accidental. But in the shared industry shaped by ticketing platforms, touring strategies, and branding decisions, moments like this force fans to question whether the systems shaping live music are truly being designed with them in mind.