Best Fan Service Songs of 2024
Fan service is content manufactured to please fans and might strike a global audience as disingenuous - why does it work so well in Kpop?
In Kpop, fan service is an action done for the primary purpose of pleasing fans and can take many forms - it could be the idol performing aegyo or two fan-favorite members interacting, and it also takes the form of specific songs included on Kpop albums (often the last song) that are dedicated to their fans.
In general, I think we can divide fan service songs into three broad categories. (1) “We Can Do It!” songs that are meant to encourage and cheer up their fans. (2) Reflective “Look how far we’ve come together” songs, and (3) More direct “We are nothing without you, our fans are the most important things in our lives” song that really feeds into the parasocial delusion at the core of Kpop.
These songs are pretty cheesy and I think they’ve actually fallen a bit out of fashion this year as many groups try to pitch themselves to a global audience. Personally, I think that’s a shame because as silly as they can be, fan service songs are such a fundamental part of Kpop. These are the kinds of songs that Kpop artists usually close their concerts with! And even if they are cheesy, I’m not going to lie - sometimes these songs are what I need to listen to when I’m having a bad day.
Let me give you some examples from BTS, the kings of fan service songs.
Type 1: Encouraging fan service songs. Example: 00:00 (Zero O’Clock). Released on the immediately pre-pandemic album Map of the Soul: 7, this song tells listeners that no matter what has happened during the day today, at 00:00 the clock resets and they get the chance to start over. The song took on a particularly special meaning over the course of the pandemic, and the TinyTan animation team released a stunning animated music video set to this song.
Type 2: Look how far we’ve come together fan service songs. In 2016, after a particularly hard period, BTS released what I personally think is the greatest fan service song of all time, 2!3! (Still Wishing For Better Days). It somehow bridges all three types of fan service songs but is mostly telling fans that they all got through this tough period together and now they can keep going with their chins up. If I ever saw BTS perform this live I think I would pass away.
Type 3: You mean everything to us fan service songs In 2020, after seven years together (a big number in Kpop because initial group contracts are usually for seven years) BTS released We are Bulletproof: The Eternal, which reflects on their history, names their fans as their 8th member, and just takes this beautiful moment to look in awe at everything BTS and ARMY created over the course of those first seven years together.
I tell you what, I just re-listened to those three songs and I’m pumped. Bangtan for life, baby! And that’s the whole purpose of fan service songs - they really foster the connection between Kpop artists and their fans. That’s why it’s such a shame that they seem unfashionable this year!
Even though they’ve been a little bit harder to find, there were still some solid fan service songs released this year, so if you need a little pick me up today, here is my playlist of the best fan service songs of 2024:
Unknown by NCT Dream
NCT is another group that does great fan service songs, and this one by NCT Dream is probably my favorite fan service song of the year. It’s a type 1 song, encouraging their fans to “be brave, be strong, dive into the unknown.”
Heavenly by Oh My Girl
This song could be a love song, but it’s position as last on their album makes me think it’s more of a love song to their fans. This is a type 2 song, actually, saying “this world really feels like hell, but did something divine send you to me?” because with you everything is heavenly <3.
Eternity by ZeroBaseOne
It’s no surprise that current Kpop heartthrobs ZB1 can put out a great fan service song, and of course it’s a type 3 song! “I didn’t believe in eternity until I met you” wink wink I love youuuuu
Fireflies by Dreamcatcher
This song is actually quite similar to Heavenly in that it could be a love song but it’s in the last position on the album. I would interpret this as a type 3 song - instead of saying “things have been tough but you’ve made it better” which would be type 2, like Heavenly, in this song, they’re saying “no matter what happens, we will keep getting closer and we will shine together”, so type 3. Am I making this up as I go? Yes!
Highway 1009 by Enhypen
Another great fan service song this year came from Enhypen, with all members contributing to writing and Heesung producing the song “Highway 1009.” This song takes a lot of inspiration from the style of their labelmates BTS and bridges all three types of fan service songs, saying “it’s been tough, but if you just stay with me a little longer, things will get better if we stay together.” I think this approach to fan service is a little bit more nuanced and interesting and responsible than the parasocial delusion feeding of, for example, Eternity.
1 to 13 by Seventeen
Seventeen is another group with some great fan service songs, and this one is not their best, but it’s still a nice and upbeat take on the type 3 style. Seventeen are such a funny group because half of their fan service song is always about how obsessed they are with each other and then they’re like “oh yeah and our fans too! we love you too!”
Moon Tour by Taeyong
OK this I’m not sure at all is a fan service song but it kind of sounds like one and it’s one of my absolute favorite songs of the year so I want to give it some flowers. Because it might be a love song, it definitely falls in the category of type 3 songs. Taeyong I love you and I miss you why did you join the Navy you will be gone for so longggggg :( :( :(
Break The Wall by NMIXX
JYP artists are always going to deliver a fan service song, but it’s usually going to be extremely Disney Channel cheesy (there is a reason I haven’t included anything from Stray Kids on this list, sorry!). This one from NMIXX, however, I approve of! It’s a classic type 1 encouraging fan service song and it makes me feel like I can get through this day!