The Use of Memes as a Medium of Expression for Boy Group Treasure Fans on Social Media X

This study examines how fans of the South Korean boy group TREASURE use memes as a medium of expression on social media X, particularly in the context of the TREASURE TOUR [PULSE ON] IN JAKARTA. Employing a descriptive qualitative approach, the study applies Roland Barthes’ semiotic framework to interpret the denotative and connotative meanings embedded in memes. Data were collected through digital observation and documentation of relevant posts on X using concert-related keywords and hashtags. Purposive sampling was used to select memes containing visual and verbal signs associated with fans’ expressions and concert experiences. The analysis categorizes the memes into three phases: before, during, and after the concert. The findings reveal that memes serve as symbolic communication through which fans express enthusiasm, anxiety, panic, happiness, nostalgia, longing, and solidarity. Before the concert, memes predominantly represent anticipation and anxiety surrounding ticket purchases; during the concert, they communicate happiness, euphoria, and emotional closeness to the idols; and after the concert, they convey nostalgia, longing, and emotional exhaustion. Through their denotative and connotative meanings, these memes transform individual concert experiences into shared expressions of fandom identity and collective belonging. This study contributes to digital communication and fandom studies by demonstrating how memes function not merely as entertainment content but also as culturally situated forms of emotional expression and symbolic interaction within the TREASURE fandom