Love Me Like a Stan: Understanding the Stans of Black Women
Though the word can be loosely traced back to Eminem, stan culture has taken on a life of its own.
With platforms like Twitter and Instagram giving fans an unfounded access to the artists they admire — fan mail has turned into an endless flood of social media mentions and private message requests. Although female pop stars are most known for these devoted fans, stans have now branched into all facets of popular culture. The stanbases of Rihanna, Beyoncé, and Nicki Minaj are especially interesting because they are made up of a majority of Black women. And as we know, Black women are fiercely loyal and protective over the ones they love. These women, specifically, have been able to build such strong communities of support by showing love to Black women throughout their rise to stardom and continuing to use their platforms to the benefit of Black women.
Rihanna Navy
Although she has put music on a hiatus, Rihanna’s Navy is still here for everything else she’s been creating. Rihanna has shaken up the beauty community with her growing brand of Fenty Beauty makeup products. By launching an inclusive foundation line, Rihanna set a new precedent in the beauty industry that finally made Black women a priority. Black women were finally able to find their shade at a local makeup store and see themselves represented in brand advertisements that included women with skin of all tones and textures. This same thoughtfulness has been extended to her latest endeavor, a luxury fashion line. No matter how her brand grows, Rihanna never loses sight of the wishes of her fans and uses her brand to represent Black women and finally give them the attention and care they’ve gone without for far too long. Rihanna may not be making music, but she is still giving fans something to look forward to. Fans still feel like they are being catered to, so even the most impatient members of the Navy have resigned themselves to indefinitely waiting for an album and cheering for Rihanna along the way.
The Beyhive
Beyoncé, on the other, has kept her creativity in the studio and consistently creates music that speaks to Black women. Beyoncé recognizes her elevated status uses it to push the bounds of her artistry to the next level with every project. And each level higher she goes, the blacker the music get. From Lemonade, to Homecoming, to The Lion King: The Gift, Beyonce shows her appreciation for the Black women who support her by using her platform to empower these same women. She consistently creates art that connects with her fans on a deeper, spiritual level because she makes sure that Black women are seen and heard and loved. Although her sound and musical style have transformed over the years, Beyoncé still holds a special place in the hearts of Black women and finds ways to champion them in everything she does. And because of this work, Beyoncé’s Hive does everything it can to protect an artist who continues to sing praise to the beauty of Black women.
The Barbz
We can’t have a conversation about protective stans without mentioning the Barbz. The Barbz are definitely one of the more aggressive stanbases on the internet, but that overprotectiveness isn’t entirely unfounded. Although Nicki Minaj paved the way to getting women in rap in the mainstream conversation (in the latter half of the decade), she deals with having her talent discredited and influence denied when we speak about the state of women in Rap today. Nicki gave women in Rap a space to exist in the mainstream and continues to uplift up-and-coming MCs. She has been her eccentric self throughout her career, and the Barbz just want to protect that spirit. Nicki’s fans, though sometimes ruthless in their assaults, come from a place of love, as all stans do. Stans want to protect these women from the often unfounded hate that they get for being such prominent Black women. And this role can feel imperative because we’ve seen how Black women can be driven to dark places when they aren’t protected and defended.
Rihanna, Beyoncé, and Nicki Minaj have been able to grow their stanbases by showing up for Black women in ways that are tangible and meaningful. And, as with much of what the internet has created, stan culture has its good and bad qualities. But, ultimately it comes down to love. Though misguided and insensitive at times, stans of these Black women are keeping the same energy that Rih, Bey, and Nicki put into building up their platforms and continually giving Black women space to shine. All in all, Rihanna, Beyonce, and Nicki Minaj have earned their stanbases — and if you aren’t convinced, you’ll have the fight the Navy, Hive, and Barbz about that one on your own.
