“They were having so much fun, so genuinely . . .”: K-pop fan online affect and corroborated authenticity

This article examines the relationship between K-pop boybands and their fandoms in the West as mediated by digital streaming performances. It investigates the socio-emotional organization of online interaction orders in K-pop fan communities, the emotional forms of expression, and the social assessment of their authenticity. The article asks two questions. First, how is the loyalty of fans elicited through the emotional experiences of fandom online? Second, how are these emotions validated by fans as “authentic”? The article argues that the experience of “liveness” is central to the process through which fans feel emotionally close to their K-pop idols and this facilitates investment by fans in emotional interactions “in real life” with other fans. Fans also rely on “corroborated authenticity.” This corroboration of internal interactions comes from two sources: (1) the presence of related/similar content on the other digital platforms and (2) the connection of the apparently “placeless” digital platforms to a particular ethnic place, Korea.