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American Music Series
Fangirls: Scenes from Modern Music Culture
One of Pitchfork’s 15 Favorite Music Books of 2020: “An entertaining, in-depth examination of fan subcultures.” ―The A.V. Club “To be a fan is to scream alone together”—this is the discovery Hannah Ewens makes in how music fandom is at once a journey of self-definition and a conduit for connection and camaraderie; how it is both complicated and empowering; and how now, more than ever, fandoms composed of girls and young queer people create cultures that shape and change an entire industry. Speaking to hundreds of fans from the UK, US, Europe, and Japan, Ewens tells the story of music fandom using its own voices, recounting previously untold or glossed-over scenes from modern pop and rock music history. In doing so, she uncovers the importance of fan how Ariana Grande represents both tragedy and resilience to her followers, or what it means to meet an artist like Lady Gaga in person. From One Directioners to members of the Beyhive to the author’s own fandom experiences, this book reclaims the “fangirl” label for its young members, celebrating their purpose, their power, and, most of all, their passion for the music they love. “Excellent.” —The Independent
252 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 182 reviews
August 18, 2019
In the acknowledgements of this book the very last line on the last page Hannah says "To you all and any fan who bought this book: I hope you recognise yourself in these pages" and I felt that.
This is the first book in over a year that has managed to capture my attention to the point that I finished it in a less than a week (something that I was easy to me as a teen but counts as an accomplishment for me now).
When people talk about representation nowadays I roll my eyes because I feel like those words have lost their meaning, but I'm going to go ahead and be exactly that person and say that Hannah Ewens' writing in this book is the representation that is needed. Not because of what she's talking about, but how she says it.
The empathy in which she talks about the girls she met and interviewed, how she finds a way to see herself and all of them, in all of their experiences is what we are lacking in the media when it comes to women and girls.
This is the first book in over a year that has managed to capture my attention to the point that I finished it in a less than a week (something that I was easy to me as a teen but counts as an accomplishment for me now).
When people talk about representation nowadays I roll my eyes because I feel like those words have lost their meaning, but I'm going to go ahead and be exactly that person and say that Hannah Ewens' writing in this book is the representation that is needed. Not because of what she's talking about, but how she says it.
The empathy in which she talks about the girls she met and interviewed, how she finds a way to see herself and all of them, in all of their experiences is what we are lacking in the media when it comes to women and girls.
September 16, 2019
i wish this had been twice as long because i adored every moment and didn’t want it to end. maybe the best account of (female) fan culture i’ve ever read?!
May 24, 2021
Probably irrelevant but : I've never read a book with pages so thick
Also, it was great!!
Also, it was great!!
February 1, 2021
“To be a fan is to scream alone together. To go on a collective journey of self-definition. It means pulling on threads of your own narrative and doing so with friends and strangers who feel like friends.”
intriguing and earnest. though i wish ewens had done a better job at synthesizing the stories of various women and girls involved in music fandom, i felt that, overall, the information i gained from this book was enlightening and that there was some strong and poignant writing throughout, particularly in the section that focuses on ariana grande and the manchester bombing. i wanted more from this book, more of a pointed examination on the misogyny found in the treatment of so many women and girls in fan spaces and less wandering throughout stories of women/girls who are very into a certain musician without actually coming to a conclusion about how "fangirls" are mocked and derided but have actually done a lot for our modern music culture. i did like this book, as i feel it had some insightful observations, but i wish it had been more cohesive.
intriguing and earnest. though i wish ewens had done a better job at synthesizing the stories of various women and girls involved in music fandom, i felt that, overall, the information i gained from this book was enlightening and that there was some strong and poignant writing throughout, particularly in the section that focuses on ariana grande and the manchester bombing. i wanted more from this book, more of a pointed examination on the misogyny found in the treatment of so many women and girls in fan spaces and less wandering throughout stories of women/girls who are very into a certain musician without actually coming to a conclusion about how "fangirls" are mocked and derided but have actually done a lot for our modern music culture. i did like this book, as i feel it had some insightful observations, but i wish it had been more cohesive.
September 22, 2020
Ewens presents a number of fascinating ideas pertaining to fandom and gender, but her discussion and analysis tend to stick to the surface. While she makes up for that with an impressive number of fan interviews, she doesn't synthesize their voices well. The end result is a clunky read.
I was quite surprised, to be honest, at the quality of writing. Ewens uses passive voice more often than not, and tends to write in long, tangled sentences that garble her meaning. It doesn't help that the original UK publisher seems not to have copy edited the manuscript. If they did, there are significant issues with verb tense confusion, parallelism, and unfocused paragraphs that would've benefitted from a heavier edit.
It's frustrating to read a book that clearly has original and important ideas, but suffers from major writing/editing problems. It detracts from engaging with those ideas in a meaningful way.
I was quite surprised, to be honest, at the quality of writing. Ewens uses passive voice more often than not, and tends to write in long, tangled sentences that garble her meaning. It doesn't help that the original UK publisher seems not to have copy edited the manuscript. If they did, there are significant issues with verb tense confusion, parallelism, and unfocused paragraphs that would've benefitted from a heavier edit.
It's frustrating to read a book that clearly has original and important ideas, but suffers from major writing/editing problems. It detracts from engaging with those ideas in a meaningful way.
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November 26, 2022This book was published in 2019 and, to my surprise, there is not a single mention of K-pop.
But it’s a really wholesome appreciation of (female) fandom and fan community.
But it’s a really wholesome appreciation of (female) fandom and fan community.
April 12, 2023
aaaa ME ENCANTÓ ojalá hubiera escrito yo este libro 🧍♀️me sentí re identificada con varias historias y me gustó conocer a todos los artistas que nombraba e incluso ser fan de varios.
me pareció re interesante que cada capítulo estuviera centrado en un artista diferente y que ese sea el pie para hablar de ciertos temas, basándose en ese músico y sus fans.
me hizo pensar en eso de que muchas veces a nosotras como mujeres se nos re cuestiona el fanatismo por artistas y que nunca se dice nada de por ejemplo los varones que se la pasan en la cancha y son fanáticos de un equipo, como si de alguna forma su fanatismo fuera más válido que el nuestro (a los que piensan esto --> presos!!)
anotaré para leer los libros en los que basó algunas investigaciones porque me resultaron muy interesantes
me pareció re interesante que cada capítulo estuviera centrado en un artista diferente y que ese sea el pie para hablar de ciertos temas, basándose en ese músico y sus fans.
me hizo pensar en eso de que muchas veces a nosotras como mujeres se nos re cuestiona el fanatismo por artistas y que nunca se dice nada de por ejemplo los varones que se la pasan en la cancha y son fanáticos de un equipo, como si de alguna forma su fanatismo fuera más válido que el nuestro (a los que piensan esto --> presos!!)
anotaré para leer los libros en los que basó algunas investigaciones porque me resultaron muy interesantes
January 19, 2021
Reread for PhD
*
I'm writing a review on my blog and I'll link it here when it is ready.
Fangirls are demonised and dismissed constantly in the music industry. Ewens has presented a creative and addictive study of the fangirl across multiple genres. I have a lot of thoughts but I will wait until I post my review.
*
I'm writing a review on my blog and I'll link it here when it is ready.
Fangirls are demonised and dismissed constantly in the music industry. Ewens has presented a creative and addictive study of the fangirl across multiple genres. I have a lot of thoughts but I will wait until I post my review.
August 26, 2019
I enjoyed reading this very much, one of those books like a door into a room inside your own house that you never knew existed.
I have always kept myself purposefully away from (too) popular culture. In the past, as is typical of that phase of growing up, this was a kind of point of pride for me, and I think this small rebellion might have been necessary to assert myself, but now I do not need that anymore, and I can kind of see the beauty and value in the collective fawning over people and artistic expressions.
As such, even though almost all the chapters in this book detail musicians I do not necessarily care much about, I found the descriptions of fandom extremely moving - I guess it is extremely moving when others are extremely moved, it is as simple as that.
Ewens writes - as a former fangirl - with a big heart and with compassion and sympathy for these girls that are often mischaracterized. Sometimes she might take it a little too far, and I feel she confuses the need to normalize with the need to say that these expressions are okay. I would personally not say that fainting because you see someone, or camping out for multiple days just to get a few rows further ahead in the room is "normal", but it is most certainly okay.
Strong, also, is the comparison between male expressions of fandom and female, and how the latter are much more stigmatized. Typical. It would be good if many people read Ewens' book, and start thinking about these things. I surely did.
I have always kept myself purposefully away from (too) popular culture. In the past, as is typical of that phase of growing up, this was a kind of point of pride for me, and I think this small rebellion might have been necessary to assert myself, but now I do not need that anymore, and I can kind of see the beauty and value in the collective fawning over people and artistic expressions.
As such, even though almost all the chapters in this book detail musicians I do not necessarily care much about, I found the descriptions of fandom extremely moving - I guess it is extremely moving when others are extremely moved, it is as simple as that.
Ewens writes - as a former fangirl - with a big heart and with compassion and sympathy for these girls that are often mischaracterized. Sometimes she might take it a little too far, and I feel she confuses the need to normalize with the need to say that these expressions are okay. I would personally not say that fainting because you see someone, or camping out for multiple days just to get a few rows further ahead in the room is "normal", but it is most certainly okay.
Strong, also, is the comparison between male expressions of fandom and female, and how the latter are much more stigmatized. Typical. It would be good if many people read Ewens' book, and start thinking about these things. I surely did.
April 16, 2020
I was standing in the London Picadilly Circus Waterstones and this book just spoke to me when I saw it. Me, a lifelong fangirl, starting to appreciate music and fandom from the age of 12 when I got into the Beatles (in 1994) and having to do with copied library books and a newspaper article cut-out collection since there was no Internet, no Youtube, no Twitter, no Instagram.
This book is set up as a series of papers/short stories, each one with a different artist as the main focus. Some of the stories really left an impression (like the 2017 Manchester bombing one) but others, especially the ones that aren't my cup of tea music-wise, didn't. This is not the author's fault or doesn't take away from the fact that others will enjoy this book a lot more than I do.
I think half of why I 'only' give 3 stars is that I am probably too 'old' as the target audience. Almost the whole book talks about and to teenagers. Logically, though, because that's when most fandoms start. But I, as a 37-year old (still a fangirl at heart, though, having just gotten into 1D of whom the boys, give or take a few years, could have been my sons, lmao!) didn't feel as connected to it.
Still, some things never change across the generations, and that was nice to read. Fangirls gonna fangirl, you know? :)
This book is set up as a series of papers/short stories, each one with a different artist as the main focus. Some of the stories really left an impression (like the 2017 Manchester bombing one) but others, especially the ones that aren't my cup of tea music-wise, didn't. This is not the author's fault or doesn't take away from the fact that others will enjoy this book a lot more than I do.
I think half of why I 'only' give 3 stars is that I am probably too 'old' as the target audience. Almost the whole book talks about and to teenagers. Logically, though, because that's when most fandoms start. But I, as a 37-year old (still a fangirl at heart, though, having just gotten into 1D of whom the boys, give or take a few years, could have been my sons, lmao!) didn't feel as connected to it.
Still, some things never change across the generations, and that was nice to read. Fangirls gonna fangirl, you know? :)
January 25, 2021
Very mixed feelings on this.
The first chapters are very poor-poorly written, poorly observed, just generally bad. As memoir these might get a pass but as sociological, musicological or cultural studies texts they are absolute failures. But once Ewens moves beyond her own particular fandoms and her own family history and onto broader themes, the book opens up and takes on some weight and interest*. The chapter on Ariana Grande and the terrorist attack in Manchester is actually quite moving and powerful; I just wish all of the book were as good and as thoughtful as that.
*The one exception to this is the chapter on Japanese fandom which is grotesque and embarrassing and made me cringe the entire time I read it.
The first chapters are very poor-poorly written, poorly observed, just generally bad. As memoir these might get a pass but as sociological, musicological or cultural studies texts they are absolute failures. But once Ewens moves beyond her own particular fandoms and her own family history and onto broader themes, the book opens up and takes on some weight and interest*. The chapter on Ariana Grande and the terrorist attack in Manchester is actually quite moving and powerful; I just wish all of the book were as good and as thoughtful as that.
*The one exception to this is the chapter on Japanese fandom which is grotesque and embarrassing and made me cringe the entire time I read it.
January 18, 2020
I really enjoyed this! It's one of the few books about the fan/fandom experience that I felt I really related with. Yes, there were some things that I scoffed at, but Hannah Ewens clearly understands and respects fandom. I particularly enjoyed the chapters on areas of fandom I knew nothing of (JPOP, Courtney Love...) and it generally just made me really happy and proud to be a fangirl!
February 18, 2020
As a Beatles /classic rock fan this resonated BIG TIME. From the beatles collab channel i made to the fan fiction i would write if ur a fan of any subculture PLS READ! And cringe at all your past choices.
August 18, 2020
A must-read for any gal that dedicated their teenage years to a band, musician and still has that ingrained inside of them.
December 28, 2023
“There’s community feeling here between strangers or those who’ve met once or twice. Phones are used to document their time, play music, or give them more to discuss”
“Pop music does resist loneliness by its nature, and in every element of it, you feel others there enjoying it. You hear it in the earbuds of the man next to you on public transport with it turned up too loud, girls play it off their phone in their pinafores and matching socks, in nightclubs you slur the words in a joyous and dumb state, you see it danced to through windows, hear it played on the stereo as someone potters around and gets ready for bed. There’s the feeling of presence, that we are all listening together, and somewhere in this destructive world with all of our differences, these reference points exist. In the simple words you can memorize, in the audio tuned vocals and familiar beats, pop music is not a solidarity experience.”
“Emotions declare: I was there, at this time, at this place, for this artist and I was involved. For that to be witnessed, it elevated all you have felt.”
“To the fans that have bought this book: I hope you recognized yourself in these pages”🥲🥲🥲
“Pop music does resist loneliness by its nature, and in every element of it, you feel others there enjoying it. You hear it in the earbuds of the man next to you on public transport with it turned up too loud, girls play it off their phone in their pinafores and matching socks, in nightclubs you slur the words in a joyous and dumb state, you see it danced to through windows, hear it played on the stereo as someone potters around and gets ready for bed. There’s the feeling of presence, that we are all listening together, and somewhere in this destructive world with all of our differences, these reference points exist. In the simple words you can memorize, in the audio tuned vocals and familiar beats, pop music is not a solidarity experience.”
“Emotions declare: I was there, at this time, at this place, for this artist and I was involved. For that to be witnessed, it elevated all you have felt.”
“To the fans that have bought this book: I hope you recognized yourself in these pages”🥲🥲🥲
January 28, 2025
4.5 stars!!!
This book felt like a warm hug. Hannah Ewens explains through a mix of interviews, research, and personal experience the importance of being a fan. Specifically, the importance of being a female fan. The book was relatable, touching, and validating. I wish I could have read it in middle school.
This book felt like a warm hug. Hannah Ewens explains through a mix of interviews, research, and personal experience the importance of being a fan. Specifically, the importance of being a female fan. The book was relatable, touching, and validating. I wish I could have read it in middle school.
September 21, 2025
Hitting my yearly challenge (50/50 books!) with this book about young fangirls while I’m away in Greece! Life is good!
January 5, 2024
I would like to give it 3.5 stars to be fair.
to-be-read
August 5, 2023(tbr) curious about this one!
August 2, 2021
Omg this is hands down the best book I’ve read in years! This should definitely be mandatory reading for everyone who works in music. People who work in it-including everyone from musicians to a&rs to writers-often forget why it’s a billion dollar industry. It’s not that deep, it’s because everyone likes music. It evokes primal instincts. It helps document personal history. It imprints certain emotions at a given time. It helps you deal with emotions that otherwise are often oppressed. Pure joy, rage, grief - the emotions that are too intense to be socially accepted are normalized when you’re enjoying music. And it’s so accessible and compact that it’s like a daily experience of escapism.
So why does writing on music only ever deal with music history from the perspective of famous musicians? Why is it so important that EMI signed certain bands? Why isn’t music history centered around fans instead? The music industry is so hypermasculin that it almost feels wrong to admit that certain types of music emotionally attract you. That’s why we get these annoying male music fanatics that keep going on about the technical genius of certain bands etc. They tend to be the ones who shame you for liking Coldplay. Like your emotions, your music taste is hardly something you have choice over. Especially as a teenager, when every emotion is raw and new and so intense, you just become naturally attached to the kind of music that emotionally attracts you. So maybe instead of focusing on what kind of social significance famous bands hold, maybe we should be asking WHY they tapped into so many people’s hearts simultaneously.
This book is informative and liberating all at the same time. You can’t explain why you like certain albums from a cognitive, logical perspective. Because music simply doesn’t work that way. People always mention soft power when looking at music from a sociological perspective - maybe to unpack exactly how soft power works, we should have a more audience (or fandom) - centered approach to exploring music. There is nothing more pure, raw and unconditional that a fandom’s devotion to their favorite group. Documenting the personal contents of this devotion is a revolutionary move away from the traditional patriarchal perspective on the music industry.
So why does writing on music only ever deal with music history from the perspective of famous musicians? Why is it so important that EMI signed certain bands? Why isn’t music history centered around fans instead? The music industry is so hypermasculin that it almost feels wrong to admit that certain types of music emotionally attract you. That’s why we get these annoying male music fanatics that keep going on about the technical genius of certain bands etc. They tend to be the ones who shame you for liking Coldplay. Like your emotions, your music taste is hardly something you have choice over. Especially as a teenager, when every emotion is raw and new and so intense, you just become naturally attached to the kind of music that emotionally attracts you. So maybe instead of focusing on what kind of social significance famous bands hold, maybe we should be asking WHY they tapped into so many people’s hearts simultaneously.
This book is informative and liberating all at the same time. You can’t explain why you like certain albums from a cognitive, logical perspective. Because music simply doesn’t work that way. People always mention soft power when looking at music from a sociological perspective - maybe to unpack exactly how soft power works, we should have a more audience (or fandom) - centered approach to exploring music. There is nothing more pure, raw and unconditional that a fandom’s devotion to their favorite group. Documenting the personal contents of this devotion is a revolutionary move away from the traditional patriarchal perspective on the music industry.
December 8, 2019
i felt i was THERE with Ms. Ewens on her extensive travels to discover the zeitgeist of fandom... she writes beautifully and clearly and colorfully about the fangirls she met on her journey, and gave a recognizable face to a group who have sometimes been given short shrift. These FanGirls are real, they are passionate and they are dedicated. a MUST read for anyone who has an emotional connection to music and to their favorite artists.
February 26, 2020
This was such a good read - it made me feel really nostalgic for the musical experiences I had growing up and how they've shaped my life now. I loved how this book, as well as obviously having music at its core, takes in racism, mental health, politics, and plenty else along the way too. The writing is really affectionate towards its subjects and was a delightful and thought provoking read.
August 27, 2019
If I could give more than 5 stars, I would.
Hannah completely captures what it’s like to be a fan, on any level, without judgement or mockery.
I recognised myself in every person she wrote about.
I didn’t want the book to finish, but I feel better for having read it.
Hannah completely captures what it’s like to be a fan, on any level, without judgement or mockery.
I recognised myself in every person she wrote about.
I didn’t want the book to finish, but I feel better for having read it.
October 15, 2020
I’ve pretty much grown up as a fangirl and despite being 24, still very much active in fandom! I loved this book and found it very relatable! It’s fun seeing how different being a fan is to different groups. Would definitely recommend!
March 16, 2023
there were some enjoyable parts but for the most part it felt very shallow, and lacked any real discussions of misogyny. felt like there was a lack of willingness to discuss the bad parts of fandom, or the misogyny within fandom spaces that harm other fans as well as female artists
August 9, 2023
4.75 stars
As a massive directioner and Harrie I related to so many of the experience discussed in this book. Being a fan girl since I was 12 this book validated my experiences!
I also studied sociology at uni so looking at the fangirls subgrpups through a sociological lense was soo fascinating!
As a massive directioner and Harrie I related to so many of the experience discussed in this book. Being a fan girl since I was 12 this book validated my experiences!
I also studied sociology at uni so looking at the fangirls subgrpups through a sociological lense was soo fascinating!
March 26, 2024
Men 👎
July 9, 2025
While this book took me FOREVER to read, that was not for lack of interest in the topic. As a lifelong fangirl, I loved reading about different fandoms and the psychology behind what makes us all obsess over the current pop star, boy band, etc.
March 14, 2024
Well-researched, balanced, strongly-structured, and covering a topic I’ve felt strongly about but never seen analysed properly. The Courtney Love chapter was a surprising highlight.
December 16, 2023
I‘m really hoping for a part 2 because this book was EPIC and there are so many cool and interesting fandoms out there. Oh how great it is to be a fangirl
Displaying 1 - 30 of 182 reviews