To All The “Kevin Fans”, You Don’t Have To Feel Guilty

This is a post directed towards the Kevin fans out there. It’s also about them.

One thing I’ve noticed any time I tend to write a post involving the Kevin-less years as I’ve come to think of them, is that I get a lot of replies from the more Kevin centered fans saying they hadn’t noticed this. Or seeing them comment with surprise on something because they’d stepped away from the fandom for that time. Usually there’s a lot of guilt attached too in these tweets or comments. As always when I notice something, it tends to get me thinking. Thinking tends to get me writing.

So…here we are again. Another post inspired by a simple observation.

The Kevin-less years are in some ways a bit like the subject of Brian’s battle with dysphonia within the BSB fandom. It gets glossed over quite a bit. The Boys talk about it but they don’t really go into detail. Fans like to focus on the here and the now and I mean, rightfully so. Things are better than they’ve ever been. I get why many like to almost skip over that time like it never happened.

But the thing is, they did happen. And I think it’s important to acknowledge that. Those years put out in my opinion a few of the best songs they’d ever done (Unsuspecting Sunday Afternoon, Undone, This Is Us, Downpour). In fact Nick’s favorite album to make happened during that time. Those years I think helped shape the Boys’ determination to keep going forward and keep treading water, so to speak. Not to mention that time was absolutely the beginning of the deepening of their connection to the fans that we know and enjoy today.

Now, to the Kevin fans, I know many of you didn’t exactly leave…but you definitely took a break during Kevin’s break. I’ve talked to some of you about it. And you know what? It’s okay that you took a break. It’s okay that your devotion to the group was shaken a bit. There is no perfect fan. There’s no fan card that defines your fandom. If your favorite is no longer there, even if you do love all five, something like this would change things. The vibe wouldn’t be the same. It wasn’t the same for those of us who stayed. Hell, it wasn’t the same for the Boys’ themselves.

So it’s okay that you left and came back when Kevin did. It’s okay that maybe you missed out on some things. Don’t apologize. If anything, go through all the things you might’ve missed and enjoy them today! That’s absolutely okay. There are all sorts of fans around and there’s no reason the feel so apologetic about it. The group is still standing as is this fandom. Hell you Kevin fans probably saved loads of money during those years! (I’m kidding…mostly.)

And if you did stick around during these years like myself, stop judging those that may not have. They had their reasons and likely love the Boys just as much as you or anyone else. We’re all fans. We’re all a family. Instead just show them random things they missed besides the music which I’m sure they caught up on. Because that’s what fans should do, is help each other.

One thing I know we need to stop doing is treating certain subjects in the fandom as taboo. Kevin left for six years. It happened. But I wouldn’t change a thing about how things went down. Kevin needed that break so that he could come back with the appreciation and dedication that we love seeing in him today. The other four needed to keep going because that perseverance is why they’re still standing today.

Sometimes, things happen the way they’re supposed to.

To those of you that stepped away, know it’s okay.

The rest of us are just happy you’re here today.