UOB received a 45% surge in card applications after it announced that its cardholders would have first access to Taylor Swift tickets to her Singapore shows. The event demonstrates the evolution of fan culture and the lengths people are willing to go to show support for their favourite artists.

Weverse is the South Korean app that prioritises the relationship between K-pop fans and artists above all else – synthesising social media, content creation, live concerts, and merchandise shopping in one platform. But how has it managed to find success both in Korea and overseas?

K-pop has firmly established itself in mainstream culture as hyper-managed boy bands and girl groups have broken through language barriers to become global idols. What does the international popularity of Blackpink reveal of modern fandom? And how exactly are stans reshaping pop music?

Having entered its fourth generation, non-traditional and subversive stars are emerging in K-pop that speak to the industry’s rising global prominence. But how are these new idols paving the way for the future and reflecting the shifting attitudes of Korean culture and K-pop fans everywhere?