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What Does 'Khia Asylum' Mean? The Stan Twitter 'Khia' Slang Meme Explained
It's never clear which one of the thousands of Stan Twitter slangs being created every day by the creative minds of the community will actually become a viral meme or just remain a niche joke on X.
"Khia Asylum" is one example of internet slang that took a few months to take off and then spread like wildfire on social media.
The term originates from the name of the American rapper Khia, paired with the word "asylum," which signifies a state of being forgotten or unsuccessful in one's career, similar to being in a flop era.
Here's the full story of the Khia Asylum meme.
What Does 'Khia Asylum' Mean?
Conceptually, "Khia Asylum" was introduced in early May 2024 and became popularized within the "Stan Twitter" community to address pop stars that are no longer relevant or had a significantly unsuccessful career for the last few years.
The meme first appeared in a tweet by X user @impxrfectforyou in early May, which included an image featuring several female pop singers, such as Beyoncé and Taylor Swift, accompanied by a message implying that certain artists, like Charli XCX and Zara Larsson, were experiencing a decline in relevance.
The May 2024 post by @impxrfectforyou marks the beginning of its widespread usage as it was adopted by others in the following months.
Who is Khia?
Khia is an American rapper and record producer, best known for her 2002 hit single "My Neck, My Back (Lick It)." The term "Khia" has evolved into internet slang, particularly in Stan Twitter, to describe someone considered outdated, irrelevant or flopping.
This slang originated from a viral photo of a fan excitedly meeting Khia, accompanied by a funny caption, and gained further popularity in 2023 when fans of rapper Nicki Minaj began using "khia" as a stand-in for "nobody."
How Did the 'Khia Asylum' Meme Spread?
It took a few months for the "Khia Asylum" meme to actually become prevalent online. Although it had a few viral tweets here and there, it only became widespread in late October and early November 2024 when fans from different pop singers started to use it to jokingly criticize rival artists.
For example, on November 12th, 2024, X user @bxsel tweeted a reaction video with the note, "Me at my biweekly Khia asylum visitations to see how Lorde is doing," racking up over 150,000 views in a week.
On the same date, X user @mazzypopstar shared a clip from Ariana Grande's "Put Your Hearts U" music video, describing it as "Her one month in the Khia Asylum was majestic."
As the term gained traction, it became more commonly used among various other fandom groups on social media, eventually solidifying itself in the internet lexicon.
For the full history of Khia Asylum, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.