‘I produce songs for her …. In this way, I gradually know her more. The more I know her, the more I like her’: Using Collins’ model of interactive ritual chains to study the case of virtual idol fandom in China

Convergence, Ahead of Print. In the last decade, virtual idols have become increasingly popular among young people in China with news reports estimating a fan-base of around 300 million and total industry revenues of over $35 billion in 2020 (Bloomberg…