It’s safe to say we have all gone through an emo stage.
At some point, we have all probably incorporated the standard dark eyeliner, dark clothes, chains, maybe some form of neon hair/out-of-this-world haircut, or at least have listened to hits like “Sk8er Boi.”
With emo fashion and artists like Avril Lavigne and Fefe Dobson coming back into the spotlight, is emo rock music coming back?
TikTok may have had some credit for doing so, with hits such as “Misery Business” by Paramore joining the list of popular audios during the pandemic. With influence from the classics, artists such as Willow, Billie Eilish and Machine Gun Kelly have brought these tunes back into our hearts.
Some argue that emo is considered a genre while many others say it is a subgenre from pop-punk. The difference? Emo music brings out more of our emotional and sensitive side, whereas pop-punk may be more of our rebel side (with a side of political and social issues). So, what is all the hype?
With everything on in the world, it may seem relevant to say we’ve been in our feelings (but not like Drake describes). Many would also agree that music has been our therapy and saving grace on consuming this so-called life.
Who brought this trend back? Millennials? Gen-Z?
Emo may have started for the millennials, but Gen X brought the wave of music back, especially the classics.
Another great thing about emo music coming back is that it’s becoming more diverse than ever. Willow, Billie Eilish and many others have their take on the genre, with inspiration from the OGs such as Avril Lavigne. Travis Barker, the drummer from the band Blink 182, has also made several collaborations with such artists throughout his career and kept the genre alive.
The fascinating thing about emo music is the number of collaborations throughout the years (the infamous Punk Goes Pop, Punk Goes Crunk, the list goes on and on). Some artists mix lyrics into hip hop, with EDM featured tunes into the mix. Emo music is everywhere, whether we like it or not.
Throughout the years, emo music has never left. Just take a look at the “When We Were Young” festival. Many artists are coming out of retirement, and newer artists are more diverse than ever. Who knew Will Smith’s daughter would go from whipping her hair back and forth to becoming a rockstar? We can conclude that we are moving forward for some much-needed emo music submergence into our lives and living on to the future.
