The Fan Who Thinks You're Best Friends: How Parasocial Culture Is Changing What It Means to Be a Public Artist
Artists have always had fans, but something has fundamentally shifted in the streaming era — and the emotional cost is landing squarely on the people making the music. From boundary violations to full-blown identity crises, here's what's really happening inside the fan-creator relationship, and how artists are learning to protect themselves while still keeping it real.