One of the things I find most interesting about K-pop is the way fandom can become a form of belonging. Being an ARMY, a fan of BTS, or a BLINK, a fan of BLACKPINK, is not just about listening to songs, but about entering a shared world of meaning, emotion and recognition. As K-pop has become more global, those fan identities have become cultural forces in their own right. BLACKPINK’s official YouTube channel now has more than 101 million subscribers, while the group has about 24.4 million monthly listeners on Spotify.