Profile Of A K-Pop Fan: Filipina-Canadian Teen Angeli Santibanez On Why She's A B.A.P Fanatic

NAME: Angeli Santibanez

AGE: 19

BORN: Republic of the Philippines

CURRENTLY: Toronto, Canada

OCCUPATION: Presently a barista at Second Cup, Santibanez plans to attend college in the fall, to pursue a degree in business or graphic design.

THE DIFFERENCE: "K-pop is different [from other pop music] because it goes beyond the language barrier," Santibanez said. "You don't need to know or understand Korea to love the music. She believes K-pop fans share a special connection that goes beyond the music. "There is a certain bond between fans," Santibanez said. "There is a sense of family that makes it more special. I also admire all the hard work and struggles the artists through just to get the chance to debut, even tough a successful career is not guaranteed."

INTRO TO K-POP: "I consider FT Island as the first group that I liked," Santibanez said. She cited lead singer Lee Hongki's vocals as what drew her to the South Korean pop rock group. "I fell in love with his voice and how he can make me feel all the emotions of the song even though I don't understand Korean," Santibanez said. "Since then, I have always listened to their songs. In my second year of high school, I met a friend and found out that she listened to K-pop as well. She introduced me to SHINee. It was then that I started expanding my K-pop world and learned more about groups other than FT Island."

STARS AND FANS: "Before K-pop, I had never heard of fan service," Santibanez said. "I think it is amazing how much the industry values the fans, which can be a good thing or a bad thing. I feel that all the support, love and money that I spent is returned to me 100 times over. The artists understand that without the fans they wouldn't be where they are, so to know that they appreciate your love and support is a great feeling."

FAVORITE GROUP: B.A.P

WHY B.A.P: "Why I like them is probably one of the hardest questions to answer," Santibanez said. "I just fell in love them from the moment they debuted. It was during the time cute concepts were popular, and they came out with this manly and strong concept. Before they debuted I was already a fan of Bang Yongguk since I heard his song 'I Remember.'" According to the teen, it is B.A.P's refusal to compromise that won her over. "They always challenge themselves," Santibanez said. "They don't follow the mainstream of K-pop. They've always paved their own road and created their own style. Their songs are made for B.A.P and B.A.P only. I love their dedication to their music and how they want to be known as artists, not just as idols. B.A.P are my lifesaver. There were a lot of days when it seemed things just kept getting worse, but I would listen to one of their songs and immediately feel better. They always remind me that I shouldn't stop dreaming and that I should keep reaching for those dreams."

FAVORITE B.A.P SONG: "Bang X2"

WHY: "This is an even harder question," she said. "I love all their songs, but I guess lately I've really been into "Bang X2," because of how different it is. I mean it's a heavy metal song! And they sang it as if they have done it all before."

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