Concerts Used to Be a Way for Artists to Bring Fans Closer — Sometimes Literally. Now, They’ve Become a Parade of Celebrity Friendships

I wanted to be the “One Less Lonely Girl.” Somehow, despite being seated in the 200-section nosebleeds of Nassau Coliseum, I thought for sure Justin Bieber was going to pick me — side part, pimples, fresh pair of glasses — to be the girl. I don’t remember who he ended up choosing. That was the whole point, I think. The fun of imagining it could be you was half the fun of the concept, making us all thrilled for the eventual girl who made it to the stage, rather than resentful of her.

Justin Bieber didn’t invent fan interactions, nor did he invent the idea of a mid-show gimmick for fans to look forward to, but he did instill a feeling of “that could be me” when he sang to a fan onstage. The feeling, the moment, and the awe were wrapped together.

Celebrities’ onstage fan interactions have a long history. Christina Aguilera would bring fans up frequently. Gwen Stefani would end her “Love Angel Music Baby” tour by pulling fans up on stage for Hollaback Girl. Enrique Iglesias used to bring out women to kiss, and Janet Jackson would bring up men to dance on. Certainly, we won’t soon forget the time Keke Palmer’s viral moment onstage with Usher led to a public feud and breakup with her son’s father .

Recently, these fan interactions have evolved from a fun mid-concert moment for those in the stadium, to a more social media-slanted experience, and we’ve seen this transformation happen in real time.

Charli XCX honored the woman who created the Apple dance, Kelley Heyer, and asked her to be the “Apple” girl during the show. Role Model shouts “Where’s my Sally tonight?” and invites someone onstage for the bridge of “Sally, When the Wine Runs Out.” Before performing Juno, Sabrina Carpenter arrests someone for being “too hot.”

And all of these stars all started out calling up regular fans, but now are much more likely to have a celebrity cameo. (In fairness, this isn’t a new phenomenon — you’ll recall that during her 1989 and Reputation tours, Taylor Swift would frequently bring a famous friend to strut down the stage with her — but the difference there is that the moment didn’t originate as one she shared with a fan.)

So now, these moments are designed for the world outside of the audience: Sabrina Carpenter arrests Salma Hayek. Role Model makes Hilary Duff his Sally. Charli XCX makes Gracie Abrams her Apple girl. While these moments are fun, they still leave the fans who bought tickets wanting more, watching a performance they’re not a part of — it doesn’t feel like it’s for them.

There is a similar anticipation around who will be chosen — you wonder who Sally / the Apple girl / who Sabrina will arrest, but you know it won’t be you. These videos always go viral, and there’s chatter around the most recent celebrity to be chosen (could they be dating?!), but it leaves the fans out of the conversation and the show.

Of course, many stars still maintain those fun fan moments during the show. Dua Lipa goes through the audience and takes pictures with them. Doechii brings a fan on stage and dances with them. Marcus Mumford of Mumford & Sons runs through the crowd and performs in the nosebleeds. And Swift herself forwent surprise celebrity cameos during the Eras Tour in favor of handing the “22” hat to a fan in the front row. And judging from the excitement around these moments in every show, the thrill remains even if the person onstage isn’t an A-lister.

While I’m not arguing for the return of “One Less Lonely Girl” (unless, of course, Justin Bieber is ready to bring me onstage), I think there’s still something to be said, strongly, for continuing to include fans in the show. Concert ticket prices are rising. Fans are setting early morning alarms and waiting on long virtual ticket lines, only to lose seats to bots. Concert etiquette is on the decline and, at least in my experience, tallest people alive stand in front of me during the show. This is a moment to thank fans for everything by making them a part of the moment, rather than just a moment for the algorithm.

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