How lightsticks became a must-have item for K-pop fans

The flicker of tiny lighter flames once illuminated dimmed concert arenas during heart-wrenching numbers. Then it was phone flashlights waving brightly for all to see. But now K-pop fandoms have invented something much more high-tech to demonstrate their love for their idols: lightsticks.  These bright, beautiful lights are an essential part of any K-Pop concert-going experience. But why would fans pay top dollar for a glorified glow stick they'll only use once in a blue moon?  K-Pop fans at an NCT 127 show  in Coral Gables, Florida.Image:  Johnny Louis / Getty ImagesTo be honest, I didn't quite understand it, being relatively new to the K-Pop wave myself. Until I saw BTS' "Love Yourself: Speak Yourself" tour earlier this year. For the first time, I got to experience up close and personal an extraordinary phenomenon — what fans call "the ocean." A sea of concert attendees, switching their lights on in the dark, bathing the arena in a blanket of color and light. Magical. Mesmerizing. Memorable.  Read more...More about Bts, Fandom, K Pop Music, Lightsticks, and Culture