By now, you've probably heard the term "stan" a few times. Depending on your age range, you might only know it in reference to crazed fans or you remember Eminmen's 2000 single "Stan." The song and video begin from the point-of-view of Eminem's number one fan named Stan, as he pens a letter to his idol. However, Stan isn't an ordinary, admiring fan. Instead he's a bit of a stalker fan—dressing exactly like Em, mirroring his idol's life, and putting things over the edge as he takes the lyrics too literally.
Fast forward to present day, and "Stan" is no longer just a song about overzealous fans, but now the literal word to define them. The Oxford English Dictionary has officially added this word to their database. Categorizing the word as a noun, Oxford defines "stan" as "an overzealous or obsessive fan of a particular celebrity," and cites Eminem's song as the word's origin.
Though, the word can also be used as a verb when someone claims they "stan for" a particular artist. At this point, most loyal fans embrace this term and even give their fan base a name to form a sort of union. For example, Beyoncé's Beyhive, Justin Bieber's Beliebers, Rihanna's Navy, and so on. Stan is here to stay.
