Why are both boy bands 5 Seconds of Summer and One Direction a major implicit religion in today’s society?
First things first, what exactly is an implicit religion?
According to Edward Bailey, it refers to people’s commitments, whether or not they take a religious form. Implicit religion can also be referred to as invisible religion or surrogate religion. Basically, it appears to be like a religion, but is not actually religion, as well as that which does not appear to be religion, but actually is religion.
Hence, WHY are these boy bands an implicit religion?
" Implicit religions occur when one finds religious experiences in non-religious contexts through the feelings of commitment, integration, and being a part of something greater than oneself " (Klassen, 161).
Therefore, Directioners (One Direction fans) and 5SOSFam (5 Seconds of Summer fans) all share one thing in common: they all feel a sense of belonging to a community that understand their love of the music and the members of the bands. Altogether, their commitment and loyalty towards their favorite boy band results in an ultimate result of having this sense of community.
Fandom
The phenomenon of ‘fandom’ may not be a new concept, however the number of followers that 5 Seconds of Summer and One Direction have assembled has taken on a distinct identity. Evidently, teen girls are arguably one of the most powerful demographics on the planet; they not only have the ability to set latest trends and influence popular culture, but they also have purchasing power worth billions of dollars each year. Therefore, the fandom of the boy bands are one of the major catalysts that has given way for boy bands to be an implicit religion today. I will elaborate further on how fandom has contributed to both boy bands as an implicit religion here.
The Secularization of Society
"The decline of traditional religious influence has allowed for alternate sources to be viewed as religious" (Price, 196).
Altogether, the secularization of society has also resulted in the notion of implicit religions. Price states that functional definition of religion “identifies the social, existential, and transcendental functions that make up religions and religious experiences” (196).
Thus, take One Direction for instance, social identity is depicted through their massive community of fans known as the “Directioners”. Similarly, their fan base name can be placed in comparison to followers of the Catholic church who are known as Catholics. Hence, there is an existential function through their fan base name since it provides meaning to fans who basically worship the band members as idols.
In terms of transcendental function, it is described as when a person is in touch with that which is greater than they are. Evidently, attending a One Direction/ 5SOS concert is arguably comparable to attending mass. When a fan attends a concert, they realize that the members of the band whom they identify with and adore, not only have the ability to touch their respective lives, but also the lives of all the other fans out there. Ultimately, this allows for the community to substantially extend beyond a single person.
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