Taylor Swift
The final boss of fandoms, Swifties are everywhere, which ironically makes them hard to spot. While other fans tend to live on the fringe, Swifties lives among us. There's a good chance you are currently within ten feet of one, in fact.
Are they crazy? Well, as one fan put it: "We will attack you if you like any other artist, we will call you a fake fan if you don't love ALL of her music, and we'll tell you to 'kys' because of YOUR opinion. So yeah, we are CRAZY."
Beyonce
Beyonce, Queen B, or whatever you want to call her, has one of the largest and most adoring fanbases in the world. Just like other royal fanatics, Beyonce fans will not hesitate to come for anyone who stands in the singer's way.
The name, the BeyHive, came from a website of the same name that was launched in 2012. The fans took to the label like ducks to water. Finally, they had a purpose on this earth. Finally, the Queen had galvanized them.
Michael Jackson
"My fans truly are a part of me, we share something that most people will never experience,” Jackson once said of his fan base. And he was right. Moonwalkers, as they're known, are some of the most devoted fans in the world.
Whatever Jacko was accused of, his fans stood by him. Traumatic first-person accounts? Keep it to yourself pal and stop ruining Michael Jackson for us, they said. We don't wanna hear it! They remain just as passionate today as in the 80s.
Justin Bieber
Bieber Fever was probably the biggest example of musical fanaticism since Beatlemania. After bursting onto the scene in 2009, the then-15-year-old Justin Bieber found his way onto the walls of every teenage girl in the world, just like the olden days!
Beliebers haven't had it easy though. Bieber, now a sappy born-again Christian, couldn't keep himself out of the news in the early 2010s. Drag-racing in Miami, arrests, illicit substances; name a Hollywood cliche, Biebs did it, and his fans stood by him.
BTS
K-pop phenomenon BTS has one of the most dedicated fanbases in the world. They are known as the A.R.M.Y., which stands for “Adorable Representative MC for Youth.” In reality, there isn't an awful lot about them that you could classify as adorable.
There have been several K-pop stars who have made it big outside of their native Korea, but none match up to the magnitude or influence of BTS. And with seven members, there's enough for everyone to go round! Or so fans wish.
One Direction
When One Direction hit the scene, it had been a long time since teenage girls had a boy band to fuss over. The outpouring of love was something even Simon Cowell couldn't have predicted. Directioners were legion - and they were loud.
When Zayn decided to leave the band, Directioners were distraught. The resulting hiatus only tested their patience further. The boys finally called it quits in 2016 but the fanbase stayed active in the boys' respective solo ventures.
Nicki Minaj
“I was calling myself the Harajuku Barbie because a lot of girls on MySpace at that time were calling themselves something Barbie and I wanted mine to be unique," Minaj said of the origin of her fans calling themselves the Barbz.
As for how nuts the Barbz are willing to get, one fan told Rolling Stone magazine: “It’s like a lion with their cubs. A female lion with her cubs, you don’t mess with the babies, and Nicki is our baby.” Yikes!
Cardi B
Growing up, Cardi B's nickname was Bacardi, so she decided to call her fans the Bardigang. “Since I got a nice fanbase I got a name for y'all finally BARDIGANG,” she tweeted in 2017. The name certainly matches their brash approach.
After Cardi B claimed she'd been getting hate from Nicki Minaj's fans, the Barbz, the two fandoms became embroiled in a fierce battle for the approval of people they'd never met. Cardi B later claimed the Barbz were obsessed with her.
Rihanna
It's been a tough few years for Rihanna's fans, otherwise known as the Navy. The Bajan singer pretty much quit singing back in 2016 with the release of her eighth album, Anti. Nevertheless, they remain as devoted as you'd expect.
When asked by Vogue about her potential ninth album release, Rihanna said: “No, oh my God, they’re gonna kill you for that! And they’re going to kill me more! I’m talking the Navy — my scary fans. But they’ve earned it.”
Britney Spears
In fairness to Britney Spears' fans, they campaigned to end her conservatorship and it paid off. But everything else they do is pretty OTT. Spears doesn't release an awful lot of music, so it's no wonder her fans often go stir-crazy.
For fun, they target other celebrities. 2023 saw the release of Spears' memoir in which she details the nasty breakdown of her relationship to Justin Timberlake. Today, it's impossible to find a Timberlake video online that isn't overrun with haters.
Miley Cyrus
Fans of hers seem thrilled that Miley Cyrus is in her liberated divorcee era, both because it means they can comb through every lyric to find references to her real-life relationships, and they can brag about how above drama she is.
The last few years can't have been fun for Liam Hemsworth, who fans believe figuratively tied Miley down when she wanted to spread her wings and fly. Nice try, Liam. Go find someone else! Miley can just buy herself flowers.
Mariah Carey
When Mariah Carey burst onto the scene in the early 1990s, fans of five-octave vocalists rejoiced. Though they were given the name at a later stage, Carey's fans have become known as her Lambs and sometimes her Lamb family, or Lambily.
In 2018, the Lambs launched the Justice for Glitter campaign in defense of the 2001 flop Carey album of the same name. The Lambs wanted to get Glitter to number one on the iTunes chart - and they managed it too!
Katy Perry
Katy Perry's fanbase is called the KatyCats, which may sound cute, but be warned: these cats are not afraid to use their claws. Perry's happily engaged to Orlando Bloom these days so there's not a lot for them to do.
Their peak was during the premature and brutal divorce between Perry and Russell Brand. The comedian had allegedly dumped the singer via text minutes before she was due on stage. The KatyCats rallied together and made sure Brand never lived it down.
Harry Styles
Harry Styles has only encouraged his fans' craziness, thanks to his barrier-breaking interactions with them on stage. The former One Direction singer gives fans relationship advice, phones their ex-boyfriends, and even facilitates their proposals.
As a result, his fans - simply called Harries - feel as though Styles is a genuine part of their lives. This kind of parasocial bond causes a kind of celebrity devotion unlike any other we've seen in recent memory.
Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande's fans went through two names, the Ariana Army and the Tiny Elephants, before settling on Arianators. Naturally, if anything disturbs Grande's peace, they will come out in droves to defend their idol and her famous ponytail.
Grande loves the Arianators and will sometimes consult them about music before releasing it. Now that's what we call giving back to the fans. It's a shame her fans can't give back by adopting more public civility and manners!
Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga originally appealed to the kooks and weirdos of the world, hence the label Little Monsters, or sometimes just Monsters. However, as her popularity grew, her fans became a bit more varied. Today, a Little Monster could even be a Karen!
If you have Karens in your fanbase, disaster is going to strike now and then. Luckily, Gaga hasn't been embroiled in a direct rivalry with a fellow musician, but her Little Monsters have been known to pick their own targets.
Madonna
Madonna was one of the first musicians to boast a truly ride-or-die fanbase, and a prominently LGBT+ one at that. A proud gay icon with decades of boundary-breaking work, Madonna doesn't have to look far when it comes to fan support.
One of her biggest fans, Adam Guerra, spent over $200,000 to look like the singer. His obsession was documented in an episode of My Strange Addiction. Guerra, who goes by the name Venus D-lite, often performs as a Madonna impersonation drag act.
Matty Healy
Lead singer and guitarist of The 1975, Matty Healy has become a millennial spokesperson, whether he likes it or not. His comments over the years have almost always made headlines, and not in a good way. Not that his die-hard stans care.
Their defense of Healy and his actions are vehement. No matter how hard music journalists and random Twitter users try to take him down, Healy often comes away unscathed thanks to his and the band's fiercely loyal fans.
Megan Thee Stallion
Megan Thee Stallions fans are relatively new and have therefore learnt a lot from the mistakes of others. The Hotties are known to spread positivity in the name of their Hot Girl Meg instead of going after random people online.
“We don’t pick fights with people or other fandoms, but we’ll stick up for Meg if anyone tries coming for her,” one fan told Complex. “Megan would probably tell us to chill if we were going too hard on someone.”
Chris Brown
Chris Brown still has fans? Unfortunately yes. Team Breezy is a force to be reckoned with and seems to still be growing. Breezy can't get enough of his fans, often bringing them on stage so he can suggestively dance with them.
Team Breezy is not to be messed around with. They don't care about facts or records or public opinion, whatever Chris Brown says, goes. It's been that way since his debut in the mid-2000s.
Bruno Mars
It's hard to imagine listening to Grenade or Marry You and feeling inspired to verbal abuse, but Bruno Mars fans dish it out with the best of them despite their idol's milquetoast brand. They're not Barbz level, but they're unafraid of competition.
Bruno Mars, unlike the others on this list, doesn't seem too preoccupied with his fanbase, nor does he attempt to reign them in whenever they go off and post nasty comments online. Mars is more focussed on dancing and wearing hats.
Kanye West
Kanye West has always been wild but in 2022, he went further than ever. Starting the year rebounding with Julia Fox, he then sent abuse to his ex-wife's new boyfriend. After that, he went on a series of hateful rants.
His fans, mostly edgy teenagers at this stage, loved every minute of it. They supported him in his relationship, his harassment of Pete Davidson, and his deeply suspect politics. 2023 was a quiet year for Kanye and his fans, thankfully.
Selena Gomez
Selena Gomez hasn't released an album since 2015, yet she's as influential as ever. Once the most followed person on Instagram, Gomez boasts an army of "Selenators". As far as fandom names go, it's not the best.
The Selenators, starved of new music, spend most of their time harassing Hailey Bieber. Hailey Bieber married Gomez' ex, and that is just too much for them to handle. Naturally, they believe she must be ceaselessly harassed and verbally abused.
Drake
Hip-hop's greatest softboi, Drake has managed to garner the respect of a dog-eat-dog genre by making songs about being sad and unappreciated. His fans, by contrast, can get quite angry if their certified lover boy is scorned.
You're never going to be accosted down a dark alley by a Drake fan, but you should proceed with caution online. Be careful not to make fun of him or his cheesy grin, unless you want a virtual knuckle sandwich, that is.
Jonas Brothers
The Jonatics are an old bunch, given that they're a fanbase that predates the smartphone. They took a hiatus while each brother went off and did their own thing, only to return with enthusiasm when the brothers teamed up again.
The Jonatics never went anywhere. They knew Nick, Joe, and Kevin would strap their mics on once again. The fanbase's targets have included Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift, and most recently Sophie Turner.
Eminem
Eminem is a great artist with terrible fans. They don't have a name as that would be too corny for such a self-serious bunch. Instead, they make themselves visible by commenting under any "Who's the greatest rapper of all time?" Facebook post.
Eminem is a great rapper, make no mistake about it. However, the people who obsess over him give off the vibe of having never consumed any other rap music. A world exists outside of Slim and it's pretty good.
Camila Cabello
When it comes to Camila Cabello, you hear more about other fanbases coming for her, namely Shawn Mendes' fans - who believe that Cabello should stay away from him. However, that doesn't mean that Cabello's fans are non-existent.
Cabellos' fans have taught themselves self-defense and now count themselves among one of the strongest fanbases in the world. Cabello and Mendes reunited in the summer of 2023, triggering a temporary ceasefire among the opposing fans. Congratulations!
Billie Eilish
I'm sure most people by now have seen the video of the Billie Eilish fan choking, wrenching, and almost fainting as she opens a box of Nike Air Force 1s that Eilish made in collaboration with the company.
They're a new bunch, the Eilish stans, but the above video proves they're just as extreme. They've had to establish themselves fast, which might be why they're trying to act as volatile and immature as Billie Eilish is chill and aloof.
Adele
Like Swifties, Adele fans live among us. You can get to know someone, connect on a level like no other, and then find out they voluntarily listen to Adele every single day of their life and have done for over ten years.
Adele fans spend a lot of time arguing with people over who has the most powerful vocal in the music biz. Of course, everyone knows that the answer to that question is Kelly Clarkson, but don't tell the Adele fans that.
Shawn Mendes
Shawn Mendes fans make up a large chunk of the American public. Some are normal, non-verbally-abusive people. The rest are... well, unfortunately nowhere near as chilled out or reasonable.
"His fans can't even take a single criticism of Shawn Mendes," one online critic wrote. "If you saw Spectrum Pulse's review of his latest album, the comments from SM's fans on this video were savage!"
Machine Gun Kelly
Sure, he may only be famous now for getting weird with Megan Fox on red carpets and swapping blood necklaces but, at one time, Machine Gun Kelly had a music career. It was terrible, and so are a lot of his fans.
The guy just isn't a good rapper. He thought he was, decided to call out Eminem in a diss track, got dissed back, and hopped genres to escape into pop punk. Even his fans have had trouble defending all that.
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez has a lousy reputation off-stage. One story from a few years back claims she snatched back a generous tip that boyfriend Ben Affleck had given a casino croupier. Nevertheless, her fans are always quick to defend her.
In their eyes, Lopez cannot and does not do any wrong. Maybe that's true. Maybe the stories are all made up. However, if they were true, would her fans give a hoot? Nope. They'd embrace their idol even further!
Ice Spice
One of the strangest and quickest rises to fame of 2022 was that of Ice Spice. The phrase "overnight success" is pretty overused but in the case of the rapper, it rings true. She really did seem to appear from nowhere.
Despite only having been famous for a matter of months, her fanbase can get pretty hairy at times. At California's Rolling Loud music festival in March 2023, one of Spice's fans rushed the stage to get a piece of his favorite singer.
Lizzo
Lizzo christened her fans Lizzbians back in 2019. Since then, they've joined the ranks of Monsters, Barbz, and Arianators. They've been pretty well behaved comparatively but they still have their moments. Most of the time, they're simply leaping to her defense.
Lizzo has made her voice heard about body positivity over the years but in 2023, accusations of fat shaming were levelled at her. The singer had allegedly told her dancers to lose weight while on tour. Her fans were not happy.
Shakira
Rolling Stone magazine claimed that Shakira redefined Latin rock and pop, which is no small feat. As a result, she garnered a huge fanbase across South America and beyond, and they haven't always been nice. Sometimes they've been downright dangerous.
Shakira has admitted to having fans obsess over and harass her, as well as violate her privacy. Some unhinged fans even sent her death threats. Still, plenty have come to her defense over recent tax evasion troubles that landed her in court.
Lana Del Rey
Lana Del Rey started her career as a cult musician, only appealing to those with an interest in mid-20th-century glamour. In the last few years, however, she's gained a new fan base on TikTok, where her songs have made a huge impression.
Is that a good thing? Not if you're an OG Lana Stan. Fans have complained that Del Rey's concerts have been overtaken by younger audiences who only know the singer for her TikTok songs and nothing else. That does sound annoying.
Ed Sheeran
Sheerios, that's the name of Ed Sheeran's fans. Maybe that explains why they're so angry, because the label they have is so harmless and benign. A Sheerio may sound silly, but they know their way around a verbal insult.
Sheerios refuse to accept that anyone or anything could match up to their precious Ed. If you want to avoid getting on their bad side, the safest thing to do is to mute them on all social media platforms.
Tyler, the Creator
Tyler, the Creator may have matured a little bit since his Odd Future days, but his fans haven't. They're still as annoying as they were in 2011. Like Eminem fans, Tyler the Creator fans believe he is the be-all and end-all of hip-hop.
"Met Tyler and the rest in Chicago and almost all the fans were insufferable," one Redditor wrote. "To try to give an example of how terrible some of these people are, I saw a group of 13-year-old kids drinking 40s." Yikes!
Little Mix
The Mixers first came out in defense when Zayn Malik dumped singer Perrie Edwards out of the blue. The breakup triggered a standoff between the Mixers and the Directioners, a big problem given that the two fanbases had once overlapped.
Then Jesy Nelson quit Little Mix in 2020. Nelson originally stated that it was anxiety that motivated her choice. Then she came back and did a string of interviews slating Little Mix. This did not go down well with Mixers. Whoops!
Radiohead
Radiohead fans are crazy in the most banal way possible. A bunch of Radioheads are not gonna gang up on you via social media if you don't like Paranoid Android, but they will bore you to death with music criticism.
Nobody, in their mind, can match up to the mighty Radiohead. Thom Yorke and co could fart into a tape recorder, play it backward and fans would say: "Wow, so good. They've done it again!"