THE rise of social media allows anyone to post, share and gain some fame. This enables people to post personal content such as those about their daily lives, interests and experiences. Some people who gain a notable following are called influencers, as they also have the power to influence and help people.
There are several types of influencers, like celebrities who have also taken their chances by posting more personal social media content. There are also regular people who do this.
One such person is Filipina Audrey Martinez, who has gained a following through her K-pop and fangirl-related TikTok content, @caratauds. She has been posting since 2020 with her first unboxing videos of K-pop albums. Then, eventually, she expanded to videos about how to get albums, where to get them, and other questions she got from commenters.
This was when she realized she could create content about K-pop merchandise and concert, so she continued to post on TikTok. Through TikTok, she has found a safe space with people who like her niche and has even found friends.
Yet, she is still a fangirl with a normal life. She has her job, life, struggles, and the artists she fangirls on.
ENCHANTED MEETINGS OF A FANGIRL
The first artist she fangirled on was Taylor Swift. It was during the days of “Love Story” and “You Belong With Me” when she first encountered Swift, and because she liked her music, she became a huge fan. She recounts that she had a “Fearless” poster in her room and sported a number 13 on her wrist when she went to school. 14 years later, she finally met Taylor during her headline-making “Eras Tour” in Singapore in March 2024.
But being a fangirl was not all sunshine and rainbows. It all started in 2011 when she found a unique video of 10 unfamiliar guys with the most fabulous hairstyles in the coolest suits. She watched as they rhythmically stepped to the beat of their upbeat song, “Mr. Simple,” by second-generation K-pop boy group Super Junior, also known as SuJu. And that was the start of her 13-year journey as a K-pop fangirl.
However, she struggled with it, especially in school. Since K-pop was not as widely known or loved as it is today, she faced a lot of bullying from kids who only saw them a certain way, but she did not let that deter her. She continued to love and support them openly, not caring what people think.
She said, “There was really nothing to be ashamed of if fangirling gives you that satisfaction and healing.”
Today, she continues to support her favorite Asian and Western artists such as SEVENTEEN, XG, Taeyeon, Harry Styles, Zack Tabudlo, Swift, and many more whom she has seen in concerts in the Philippines, Thailand, and Singapore, where she now lives. She even went to see Cha Eun-woo during his visit in 2022 in Manila.
NEW BEGINNINGS
Audrey recently migrated to Singapore. She decided to move for her career since an opportunity arose that aligned with her goals. She said, “Despite having to leave my beloved country where I’ve established my audience and K-pop friends, the fangirling is still alive and would never change.” She seems to be enjoying her time in Singapore and has even made friends through her interests.
Her TikTok now includes some content from there. She has a video about cup painting in Orchard Central and her favorite and underrated food recommendations. In terms of fangirl content, she has videos about places to visit for the recent Eras Tour concerts in Singapore and official merch haul to showcase sizing to help viewers decide.
SNAPSHOT OF HER TIKTOK
In her interview, Audrey said that she tries to balance her work, fangirling, and influencer duties by first focusing on work since it is her primary source of income. Through this, she’s able to save up for concerts she wants to attend and pay her bills. Then, she does her videos for her TikTok during her free time, usually doing whatever video she thinks will benefit her viewers.
Today, her content consists mainly of her concert experiences of seeing her favorite artists like SEVENTEEN and, recently, Swift. She has videos on what to do before, during and after concerts, and videos of her trying on merchandise. She also had paid collaborations and, as mentioned, she has videos about places in Singapore but she also has some places to visit in the Philippines for fangirls like her.
She does plan to expand her brand, though, she said:
“I want to be more consistent about my vlogs, I am the type of person who is the same online and offline so I want to post content that show how my life is outside K-pop as well and that K-pop is just a hobby. I also wish to be able to post content about the people I’ve met through out me being on TikTok like content collaborations and stuff!”
SUPER TIPS
We also asked her for some tips on saving money for concerts and for fangirls who want to be influencers. As mentioned earlier, Audrey has been to many concerts in Singapore and the Philippines, and she always chooses the closest sections to the artists, such as VIP.
How is she able to achieve this dream every time? Well, she has other sources of income like a part-time job as a pet sitter along with her actual job. She has also had to sacrifice a part of her fangirl life which is purchasing albums and photo cards to help in saving money. This is her tip for fans, especially at a time when concert prices are rising. You can save money as well by having a small side hustle and choosing what to buy from your favorite artists.
She also reminds other fangirls (and boys):
“However I want to just say that not being able to afford those now, while being a student does not make you less of a fan and you’ll always have your chance, your day. For me, despite being a KPOP fan since 2011, the first concert I watched was SEVENTEEN’s Ideal Cut in 2018 because this is the first concert ticket I bought when I started earning from work. And trust me, the feeling of spending your hard-earned money is so much sweeter and your heart is more fulfilled. So don’t be pressured when you see other people attending concerts, etc. because we were also in the same situation and I know the hard work put into where they are now.”
As for future influencers, she advises:
“I always get comments from people saying that I inspire them and they are living their fangirl lives through me so if you’re ever thinking about posting your experiences, do it. You might be inspiring someone else out there! :)”
She also talks about making friends through being an influencer. She says that there are different kinds of people that you won’t always get along with but people you do get along with can become friends you can always count on.
Audrey Martinez is now a pretty well-known influencer on TikTok, with 21.2k followers who love her niche and have made her a safe place. Yet, she still stays true to herself as she maintains a stable life outside of fangirling through working, making new friends, and adjusting to her new life in Singapore.
