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  • 8 Perfect Responses to the Annoying “Why Do You Like K-Pop?” Question

    I love the diversity of music genres — from pop to hip-hop to ballads — and K-pop has them all. It’s infectious and tricks my brain into thinking I’m happy. 

    When anyone asks why you like K-pop, you can give wholesome answers like that, or reply to their intrusive-ass question by being petty. Either way, any true K-pop stan will relate to these responses. 

    Do you want to like it too?

    They should answer quickly because why are they chooking mouth in your business? Or were they expecting you to go into details?

    RELATED: Nigerians, Here’s a Basic Guide to K-Pop Speak

    Their hair styles make me want to dye my hair a new colour every week

    You too, think about it. Did you consider dyeing your hair until you fell in love with K-pop? Exactly.

    It’s an excuse to spend all my money on merch

    Who doesn’t love being broke because of the musicians they love? K-pop stans love it when their faves can’t come to their country to perform, so we happily compensate by spending all our money on photo cards and albums. It doesn’t get better than that.

    I enjoy singing in a language I don’t understand

    We all love showcasing our limited understanding of the Korean language, that’s why we love K-pop. We’re even learning it even though we can’t speak our actual dialect. It’s also a great way to pretend like the only words we know in hangul aren’t “hello” and “thank you”.

    I love living my band dreams through K-pop groups

    As kids, we thought we’d be musicians and even wrote many crappy songs. But reality set in, so we now spend all our time digesting information about super successful K-pop bands to relive our dreams.

    K-pop choreos make me work out by force

    If you’re feeling generous, teach them a choreography or ten from your favourite K-pop music videos. After they’ve passed out twice, they’d never ask anyone why they like K-pop again. 

    I love singing about heartbreak in the most psychotic upbeat manner

    Proceed to sing the most insane K-pop breakup song with a smile on your face, while doing the choreography for added effect. Bonus point if you translate it into English for them. 

    Coordinated outfits make everything better

    Long before the age-old argument of “If you’re going out on a date, should you coordinate or match our outfit” had an answer, being a K-pop fan and watching them perform in coordinated outfits answered the question. Not everyone can say their music tastes keep them on top of trending conversations. 

    READ ALSO: QUIZ: Only K-Pop Fans Know Who Sang These Iconic Lyrics

    Malakai Bassey

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  • 7 Signs You’re Addicted to K-Pop

    Nobody is saying you have a problem oh, but remember a year or 10 ago when you just “kind of” liked K-pop? Now, all you have is a terrible sleep schedule because you’re up late watching variety shows to spark joy in your life. And if you just started listening to K-pop, you’re well on your way to exhibiting these traits. 

    You and YouTube are besties

    You spend too much time watching variety shows, music videos, behind-the-scenes interviews and live performances. No one is saying that’s bad, but check how long you spend on this app. At this point, your catchphrase should be “just one more episode”, liar isonu. 

    READ ALSO: How to Spot a K-Pop Fan in Nigeria

    You’ve downloaded Korean apps

    Weverse, VLIVE and all their family members, because the air you breathe — as it should be — is K-pop, and you must consume it everywhere. 

    Your fashion style isn’t for our weather

    Your Google history is full of searches like “Korean street style”. Your parents don’t even complain anymore. How many times a day do you lie to yourself that you too could be fashion-forward if you had Jennie or Lisa’s wardrobe?

    You don’t own your gallery anymore

    Because it now belongs to your idols. It started as an innocent thing, saving one picture here or there, but now, you can’t find photos of your friends to post during their birthdays. To be fair, they too, should go and become K-pop idols if they want your attention. 

    You use K-pop lingo

    You mention things like maknae, aegyo and bias in regular conversations like everyone understands what you mean. Bonus points if you sprinkle Korean phrases like kamsahamnida,saranghae and araso and expect people to act like their brains have subtitles. 

    You’ve watched videos without subtitles

    If you’ve gotten to this point, just admit your fate. If you’ve ever found yourself watching a K-pop video for four hours and smiling until you realise you don’t even understand a word of what they’re saying, pele, welcome to the club. We’re broke because we spend all our money on data and merch in this club. 

    Your social media looks like a fan account

    As it should be when you’re supporting greatness, to be honest, but what happens when half of your followers now have you muted? They’ll see someone complaining about how plantain is more than ₦1500, next thing a K-pop artist is dancing the most complicated choreography ever created. 

    READ ALSO: Popular K-Pop Fandoms And How to Identify Them

    Malakai Bassey

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  • BTS Is Officially on Hiatus, So What Next for Nigerian ARMY?

    I’m not the biggest Kpop stan, but even I felt the shock waves the official confirmation of BTS’ hiatus brought to the entire fandom. 

    Ugly tears are already flowing, but the group says they’ll reconvene in 2025 once their mandatory military service to South Korea is over. What’ll happen to BTS fans in Nigeria till then?

    They’ll cry, obviously

    Seriously, a whole three years till another BTS hit drops? Fix it, Jesus.

    Operation back-to-back streaming

    Since there won’t be new music for a while, we can hold the old ones tight. Thank God for last week’s BTS Yet to Come concert. They can hold on to the fresh memories of OT7 on stage, for the long road ahead.

    Or maybe, start a GoFundMe

    If there’s one thing about Nigerians, we love to throw money at people we love. Maybe if we raise enough, South Korea would decide to free BTS. Rules are meant to be broken, abi?

    They’ll prepare for the worst

    We’re so used to fake promises by Nigerian politicians that we automatically believe everyone is lying. Isn’t that how One Direction said they were only going on “break”? Where are they now?

    Attack haters

    Because we all know the ARMY has no chill. Anyone who talks anyhow, or says something stupid about the band never coming back, will definitely collect. Only antis and fake ARMY would even consider that.

    K-drama to the rescue

    At least there’s “K” inside. Again, only antis would listen to any other K-pop band while OT7 is on a break.

    If all fails, they’ll organise vigils

    Maybe prayer can help make the hiatus bearable as they supplicate for the Bangtan Boys’ safety.

    Let Zikoko tell you where the money at! Subscribe to the Money By Zikoko newsletter to get all the gist about how money moves in Nigeria, by Nigerians.

    NEXT READ: Top 7 BTS Music Videos Everyone Should Watch

    Tife Oni

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  • Nigerians, Here’s a Basic Guide to K-Pop Speak

    I know you see a lot of K-pop edits on your timeline, whether or not you want to. We are legion, and we’re not going anywhere soon, so why not take a moment to understand half the shit we talk about? Here’s a crash course on essential K-pop lingo. You’re welcome.

    The big three

    If you learn nothing about K-Pop, know this one. There are a lot of K-Pop entertainment companies, but the most popular are: JYP Entertainment, SM Entertainment and YG Entertainment. They’re the oldest companies known for consistently producing some of the most successful acts in K-Pop history.


    RELATED: How to Spot a K-Pop Fan in Nigeria

    Bias

    A bias is a fan’s favourite member of a band. Multi stans have ‌ult-bias who’re their favourite member of all the groups they stan. It may not even be a member of their favourite group. 

    Comeback

    Simply put, it’s when a K-Pop group “comes back” with a new album.  Instead of saying a group released an album, we say they’re having a comeback. Before you ask, no, singles don’t count.

    Daesang

    A daesang is equal to an EGOT you win in one night. It’s the most significant achievement a K-Pop group or artist can have. They usually present this award at the two most important Korean music award shows: the Golden Disk Awards and the Seoul Music Awards. Now, you know.

    SNS

    SNS is how Koreans refer to social media, and  most stans pick it up and refer to all social media apps this way. 

    Aegyo 

    “Aegyo” means to behave cutely. It’s basically planned cuteness for fan service. So when you see a K-Pop idol make heart cheeks or shake like a puppy, that’s Aegyo. Don’t even judge us. It’s cute.

    Sasaeng

    You know how some people are busy-bodies and do too much? That’s a sasaeng. They stalk idols to know where they live, then break into their apartments so they always somehow have the idols’ belongings. These guys are unhealthily obsessed, and no one likes them.  

    Sunbae/Hoobae 

    Sunbae is a senior group that debuted before a younger group from the same company. Hoobae is the junior group of the Sunbae. For example, Girls Generation are Sunbae to Red Velvet and Aespa. Think of it as a  relationship between an egbon and an aburo. 

    Maknae

    The maknae is the youngest member of a group. Some of the most popular maknae are Lisa from Blackpink, Jungkook from BTS and I.N from Stray Kids. For New Jeans, they’re all Maknae, please. 

    Line

    A line is a group of people categorised together. We have a lot of these. The most popular, age line, is all idols from different or the same group born in the same year. BTS’ Jungkook and GOT7’s Yugyeom are both ’97 liners.

    In a group, there’s a dance and vocal line, made up of the main dancers or vocals of the group. 

    There’s also the rap line which, as you can guess, are the main rappers in the group.

    Finally, the visual line, the prettiest faces in the group. We usually like to say it’s all of them, but hmm. There are lines to categorise non-Korean members: Japanese line, Chinese line, Thai line. We also like to create fake ones, like “abs” line, as a joke. Wow, we’re so funny. 

    Killing part

    You know how you watch a movie and have that one scene you think was the best part? That’s what the killing part is. It could be a part of a song, choreography, a pose or even a perfectly timed beat drop fans love and never shut up about. 

    READ ALSO: Popular K-Pop Fandoms And How to Identify Them

    Malakai Bassey

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  • How to Spot a K-Pop Fan in Nigeria

    Finding a k-pop stan in Nigeria is not as hard as you think. If you’re looking for a small community of people with the best taste in music, you’re reading the right article. Here are ways to spot a K-pop fan in Nigeria. 

    1. They randomly speak Korean in normal conversation

    They don’t even care if you understand or not; they’ll just start talking, expecting you to fill in the blanks on your own. If you meet anyone that casually uses “Oppa” or “Eomma” in a regular conversation, it’s safe to ask if they’re a K-pop stan. 

    RELATED: Every K-Drama Fan Should Know These Basic Korean Phrases

    2. They behave like cultists

    If you see anyone telling someone else about their favourite musician, and it looks like they are trying to initiate the person into a cult that belongs to seven talented, good-looking men, best believe you’ve found your people. 

    3. Stand in the middle of a market and shout a random band member’s name

    Naturally, everyone is going to turn around and hiss at you, but look out for the people that will smile, then run after them — you’re looking for community, and the violent take it by force after all. 

    4. Carry a big speaker around to play K-Pop songs 

    Many people will swear at you — As they should, because what in the nuisance? But your people will start dancing because they can’t resist it.

    RELATED: Top 7 BTS Music Videos Everyone Should Watch

    5. Post a random K-Pop idol’s picture on your status 

    No K-pop stan can resist the urge to comment when they see a picture of their fave. Plus, it’ll give you a chance to weed out the anti-K-pop people on your contact list. 

    6. Ask around for people that never have data

    That’s how you know a proper K-pop Stan tbh. They spend all their money buying data to stream live videos of concerts because K-pop artists don’t tour African countries like that.

    READ ALSO: K-pop Stans in Nigeria Can Relate to These Struggles

    Malakai Bassey

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  • The Ultimate Nigerian K-drama Fan Starter Pack

    Being a K-drama fan doesn’t just start overnight., There are some careful, steps you take, that turns you into an ultimate fan.

    1. You’ve watched all the OG K-drama TV series and films 

    City Hunter, A Man Called God, Jumong, Playful Kiss, You are Beautiful,  Heartstrings, Dream high — you must have seen one of these and realise that K-drama is the hill you want to die on. You’re right, it is.

    RELATED: Romantic K-dramas That Will Make You Shout, “God When?”

    2. You’ve bought an Insane amount of pirated CDs

    Before we had access to the Internet, almost every K-drama fan living in Nigeria had to rely on Aba boys to pirate and sell our favourite dramas to us. We bought “four” seasons of The Heirs, only to realise now that there’s only one season with 20 episodes. 

    3. You have good eyesight 

    Reading subtitles isn’t for the weak. After years of watching Indian movies with your mum, you now got obsessed with K-dramas. You must have been an expert at looking at their expressions and reading subtitles. Or you went ahead to learn how to speak Korean.

    RELATED: Every K-Drama Fan Should Know These Basic Korean Phrases

    4. You have the the patience of a thousand men

    Only K-drama fans know the struggle of following seven ongoing dramas at a time. You have to be a patient person or you can run mad. 

    5. You’ve tried (or want to try) Korean food

    Or wanting to try their food. They’re both still valid. You either wanted to try Soju and beef or their ramen noodles. I don’t blame you because their food slaps. 

    RELATED: Every K-Drama Fan Wants to Try These 7 Dishes

    6. You’ve promised to travel to Jeju Island one day

    As a K-drama fan, you want to travel to South Korea, but specifically Jeju Island. They mentioned it so much in their earlier films and TV shows that you can probably smell the air there if you concentrate hard enough. 

    7. You find yourself wanting to try Korean skincare products 

    Growing up and finding out that their products were somewhat affordable was probably the best information the Internet has given any K-drama fan. You get to enjoy good music, good movies and your skin will be fresh? Being a K-drama fan truly pays off. 

    8. You’re now a K-pop fan

    There’s a thin line between being a K-drama fan and becoming a K-pop Stan, and it’s drawn with chalk. The moment you look for the soundtrack from a drama, that’s it; there’s no going back. Welcome to the good life. 

    READ ALSO: K-pop Stans in Nigeria Can Relate to These Struggles

    Malakai Bassey

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  • K-pop Stans in Nigeria Can Relate to These Struggles

    Being a K-pop stan in Nigeria is hard work that we actually love. I mean, what’s not to love about people who take their time to create wonderful music for their audience? Inject it. However, there are some ‌ struggles that almost make us lose morale; like when your favourite group does a shout out and forgets to mention the Nigerian fans — e dey pain, but we dey gallant. If you can relate to any of these, you deserve one small glass of soju.

    1. Learning Korean because the subtitles aren’t accurate

    Nigerian K-pop fans can relate to how much it sucks when K-pop groups release original content without English subtitles, which means you have to either start learning Korean or go consult with the great Duolingo owl for an interpretation. On the bright side, you can now speak Korean if you ever get to travel. 

    RELATED: Every K-Drama fan should know these basic Korean phrases

    2. You are too broke to afford merch

    Every K-pop fan knows what it’s like to die a little inside when you check your favourite group’s merch and find out it’s expensive as hell. What’s even worse is that some people ship it to Nigeria and proceed to sell it at 10x the original price.

    3. You might never attend a concert or fan meeting 

    With how expensive in-house flights cost, not to talk of flights outside Nigeria, we’ll support our favourite groups by watching their videos and cheering. Because what else can we do? 

    4. People think that you are weird

    People make fun of you for spending your time listening to music in another language, and you’re always catching stray bullets on Twitter. What they don’t understand is that a K-pop group probably saved your life at some point. You can’t help but stan.

    5. You feel bad about not getting as much recognition

    You might make videos getting people to stream their music, comment under their posts, and talk about your favourite group to anyone that cares to listen. But when they give their fans shout outs, the Nigerian fans are usually forgotten… It sucks sha, but we move. 

    6. You have considered making a DIY photo card

    You’ve spent a lot of time on Pinterest and have considered just printing their pictures on paper and laminating it because the actual photocards are too expensive. Don’t worry. We are not judging you. 

    7. You spend all your data on YouTube

    You are way too busy watching all their interviews and reality shows to be on any other app. You don’t get enough sleep because you use the YouTube night bonus to download them in bulk. The struggle is real. 

    RELATED: Top 7 BTS Music Videos Everyone Should Watch

    8. Making peace with the fact that your favourite group or solo artist will never tour Africa

    Even if they ‌perform in Africa, it’ll most likely be in South Africa. And except you are earning a comfortable salary or have parents that care about your interests, there’s no way you’ll be able to attend. 

    9. Paying an arm and a leg  for the “Korean experience” in Nigeria

    Just because you want to experience Korean food, they’ll almost empty your bank account.

    Is being a K-pop fan worth it? Yes, absolutely.

    READ ALSO:  Every K-Drama Fan Wants to Try These 7 Dishes

    Malakai Bassey

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  • QUIZ: Only Kpop Stans Can Make it to the End of This Quiz

    So you think you’re a k-pop stan, make it to the end of this quiz and we’ll talk

    What is the popular girl group, Black pink’s fandom is called?

    Asra

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