What is a K-pop Fancam, and why do I see them everywhere on my Twitter feed?
These might be the exact thoughts running through your head right now.
As fans of the genre, we sympathized with those non-K-pop fans or “locals” who had to endure the unbelievable proliferation of K-pop fancams all over the Internet.
So in this article, we will dive into the depths of the K-pop world.
We will also attempt to uncover everything you need to know about the infamous K-pop Fancams.
Table of Contents
What is a K-pop Fancam?
A K-pop Fancam is a video of a K-pop Idol usually shot while performing on stage.
Typically, a single group member is the center of a fancam, but some film them as an entire group.
People in the audience (fansites or production crew) film footage for a K-pop fancam.
However, the term has become broader in meaning and interpretation over the years.
Lately, a “fancam” may denote fan-made edits, raw video footage, performance videos, or short clips.
They also evolved from being recorded solely on stage. Nowadays, fansites shoot fancams in other locations as well.
Therefore, you may see fancams of K-pop Idols at fan sign events, airports, and other public places.
One can find these fancams all over social media, especially on Twitter. Irresponsible K-pop stans torment the average user by spamming them on the replies of unrelated posts.
Additionally, these posts are usually accompanied by the caption “if only they stanned [insert K-pop group]” or “anyways, stan [group].”
The Origins of K-pop Fancams
Fancams have been in existence for years.
But they rose into prominence in the late 2010s when K-pop stans on Twitter started to attach them to the replies of tweets and trending hashtags.
According to an article from INSIDER, a fancam of EXID’s Hani in 2014 arguably set the modern fancam culture in motion.
It all happened when a YouTuber named Pharkil uploaded a fancam of Hani on October 9, 2014.
Seen in the fancam was the Idol performing their song “Up & Down” in an event.
A month and a half later, it started gaining millions of views and soon became viral.
Due to the sudden boom in popularity of the said fancam, it caused a chart reversal.
Their song climbed to the top of the charts months after its initial release.
So it’s not an exaggeration when people in the industry say it single-handedly saved EXID from falling into obscurity.
The unexpected success of the fancam initiated its proliferation all over the internet.
It eventually bloomed into the fancam culture we know today.
Why do K-pop Stans post fancams?
K-pop stans are commonly known for two things — loyalty and passion.
These characteristics are always meant directly towards their Idol’s successes.
So it’s not surprising that they post these fancams for the benefit of the K-pop artists they support.
All of them just want their favorite groups to achieve fame.
Thus, to do this, they reply and tweet fancams of their Idols as a form of promotion.
They do this at the expense of “locals” or average Twitter users.
“Anyways, Stan Loona”
An example of this phenomenon is a “meme” that plagued the Twitter community, starting in 2017.
If you’re a member of Stan Twitter during those times, you are undoubtedly familiar with the phrase “Stan Loona.”
They used the phrase as a way for the fans to promote the K-pop Girl Group Loona.
Over time, it became a meme when “Orbits” (Loona’s fans) started replying and tweeting the phrase under “non-Loona” related tweets.
Deem them irresponsible or annoying if you want, but you can’t deny their undying dedication towards their favorite artists.
Indeed, this “internet spectacle” was just a glimpse of K-pop stans’ impact on the platform.
Top 10 Most Viewed K-pop Fancams
Here are the top 10 most viewed fancams as of January 2022.
Each of them has gone viral. Of course, this list is subject to change over time.
1. V’s “Boy With Luv” fancam
2. Jimin’s “Fake Love” fancam
3. Jungkook’s “Boy With Luv” fancam
4. EXID Hani’s “UP& DOWN” fancam
5. Jungkook’s “Fake Love” fancam
6. miss A Suzy’s “Love Song” fancam
7. V’s “Mic Drop” fancam
8. V’s “ON” fancam
9. Lisa’s “Swalla” fancam
10. Jungkook’s “ON” fancam
Fancams For Social Justice
K-pop stans have recently earned positive recognition among the public and even made headlines in various articles.
These happened primarily due to their significant involvement in achieving social justice and abolishing racism.
Because aside from serving the purpose of promotion and clout for the K-pop artist they support, K-pop fans have found a new way to utilize fancams.
In 2020, K-pop stans gathered together regardless of fandom differences to flood the #WhiteLivesMatter hashtag with fancams.
They did this to drown out racist comments and tweets online.
This crusade also occurred on Instagram, where posts with racist hashtags show K-pop contents instead of “whiteout” posts.
Another incident of K-pop stans manifesting their insurmountable power online to combat racism was when they flooded the Dallas Police app with fancams.
It started when the Dallas Police Department posted a tweet asking the public to send tips and videos of people doing “illegal activities” during the #BlackLivesMatter protests.
After going viral, the flood of tweets and fancams effectively disabled the app temporarily due to “technical difficulties.”
K-pop fancams are here to stay.
And you’re either here for the ride or against it. Either way, everything’s just getting started.
The fancam culture on Twitter, which originated from the K-pop realm, has now crossed over to the western hemisphere.
As a result, fancams of famous Hollywood stars, artists, or personalities are trending on the platform with millions of views.
Fans of western artists decided to follow the path of the K-pop stans and “flex” their editing skills by creating “fancams” of their favorite celebrities.
In conclusion, K-pop stans are a force to be reckoned with in the online world.
So even if the future is uncertain, one thing’s for sure, K-pop fancams are not going anywhere.
Comment down below your most favorite K-pop fancam!
