Fans are still raving over last month’s JUSTB’s SNOW ANGEL Listening Party, an event that took place on Black Friday and didn’t just offer half-off tickets but tapped into a growing trend reshaping K-pop fan culture: small-room listening events that bridge relationships between fans and artists rarely seen at traditional concerts.
JUSTB supporters received an unexpected treat in Brooklyn when tickets were slashed to half price for their SNOW ANGEL Listening Party at Littlefield in Gowanus on Nov. 28. It not only kicked off the holiday weekend, but also offered a glimpse into how listening parties are becoming a new form of touring, blurring the line between friendship and fandom. The club night offered attendees the chance to listen to their favorite group’s newest tracks and share their thoughts on the music with the artists themselves.
As more K-pop groups build entire tour routes around listening parties rather than full-scale concerts, JUSTB’s New York City stop felt less like a promotional experience and more like a preview of what the future of global fan engagement could look like. Inside the cozy, independent venue, fans and members of JUSTB basked in the electronic beats from the new album.
Despite the bitter cold, attendees dressed in outfits inspired by the album’s wintry concept with angel wings, shimmering whites, and icy tones. Over several hours, approximately 120 fans had the opportunity to speak with each JUSTB member for 30 seconds, receive signed albums, photocards, or posters, and conclude the night by dancing with the group in a club-like atmosphere.
When the lights dimmed, and pulses of blue and red began to flicker across the room, a disco ball spun overhead, bathing the crowd in waves of shimmering color. Instead of keeping their distance atop the stage, the members of JUSTB jumped directly into the crowd, dancing shoulder-to-shoulder with fans, singing along to their own tracks, and hyping up the room as if everyone were at their private afterparty.
The phenomenon of listening parties began as small promotional events, celebrating an artist’s newest concepts while also gauging audience impact. Over the years, this evolved into a fan-based experience, giving groups a chance to discuss the inspiration behind their lyrics track by track, in ways traditional shows can’t. In New York City, hello82 NYC has been at the forefront of this new format, hosting these parties with ATEEZ, P1Harmony, and even an overnight celebration of TXT.
For JUSTB’s tour, the atmosphere was electric yet intimate: members leaned in to sing playfully into fans’ phones, locked eyes during their favorite parts, and encouraged everyone to let loose. In that moment, the boundary between idol and audience dissolved completely, and it was just about how the music made everyone feel inside.
For longtime supporter Holly Bariso, 20, who drove from New Jersey, the event offered the perfect chance to express her admiration. With the one-day Black Friday sale, her mother was able to purchase a ticket for $89 instead of the original $169 and pick up multiple discounted merchandise items, including Polaroid draws, sweatshirts, lucky-draw tickets, and trading card packs.
“I thought the fansign was one of the best experiences I’ve had as a K-pop fan,” Bariso said. “Being able to talk to one of my favorite groups was unforgettable.”
The club segment only deepened the emotional impact of the night, giving fans the chance to experience the album not only in their headphones but in a shared, kinetic environment. JUSTB was also able to gain a front-row view of how people are interpreting their sound and choreography.
“JUSTB is a group I really admire as they all have such strong feelings towards music, and you can really see that they’re very passionate about what they do. [I want to] thank them for such a good time and the opportunity to have an event that was so intimate while being able to listen to an album you love by a group you love with the group being there themselves,” Bariso shared.
Another attendee, Ryleigh Borror, 20, traveled nearly five hours from Virginia to meet her favorite group. Although she bought her ticket weeks earlier, the Black Friday deals allowed her to purchase additional lucky-draw packs, and she ended up winning several signed photocards.
“The fansign was amazing. It was so fun speaking to a group I admire,” Borror said. “JUSTB has always adored their fans on a deeper level than I could describe for other groups, and I love how real/unfiltered they are with fans to a point where it doesn’t feel like they need to be forced into an idol image,” Borror said.
For many Only Bs, the name of the fanbase, SNOW ANGEL wasn’t just heard. It was absorbed, shared, celebrated, and danced into life.
JUSTB’s SNOW ANGEL Listening Tour wrapped on Dec. 6 in Los Angeles, but the group is far from slowing down. They will embark on their European “Aqua Halo” Tour from Feb. 27 to March, taking this new wave of fan-first listening culture with them overseas.
