It only takes one announcement from an artist you’ve loved for years to bring her back. That version of you who felt everything fully and without apology. She never really left. Your inner fan girl might have become quieter as you got older, but she didn’t leave. She just grew up with you.
Where It All Starts
For a lot of us, being a fan starts early. A poster taped to your bedroom wall. Lyrics scribbled in the margins of your notebooks. Hours spent online searching for every interview and live performance you could find. Before you know it, that artist has slipped into every playlist you’ve made.
But beyond just that surface-level excitement, a fandom is often one of the first spaces where you get to choose something just for yourself. When you’re young, liking something can feel all-consuming in the best way possible. It’s how you start figuring out your own taste. What resonates, what excites you and what feels like it’s you.
It’s also how you find your people. You bond with friends over favorite songs. You meet strangers online, who, just like you, are counting down to the same album release. For many it’s the first time you feel part of something bigger than just your immediate circle. Being a fan isn’t just about loving an artist. It’s about connecting with yourself and finding community in others.
Changes
As you get older, that energy shifts. You get a job. You take on new responsibilities. There are deadlines, bills and early mornings to worry about. While you may be less likely to build your whole personality around that one celebrity now, that love doesn’t just go away.
Maybe now it looks like buying a concert ticket with the money you earned yourself. Listening to a new release on your commute, rather than having stayed up til midnight the previous night. Sometimes it’s even as simple as an old song coming on and feeling yourself being pulled back to who you were when you first heard it. The excitement is still there. Just a little more contained now.
Growing Up Doesn’t Mean Growing Out Of It
There’s something grounding about realizing that caring deeply about something isn’t childish. It’s human. The fan girl inside you might not be as loud as she once was, but she’s still there. Honestly, that’s nothing to be embarrassed about. If anything, it’s proof that you still know how to unabashedly have fun.
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