Hubbry Logo
EmoEmoMain
Open search
Emo
Community hub
Emo
logo
7 pages, 0 posts
0 subscribers
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Contribute something
Emo
Emo
Emo
View on Wikipedia
from Wikipedia

Emo
Other names
  • Emotional hardcore
  • emocore
Stylistic origins
Original
Subsequent
Cultural origins
Original
Subsequent
Subgenres
Fusion genres
Regional scenes
Local scenes
Other topics
Scene, melodic hardcore

Emo (/ˈiːmoʊ/ EE-moh) is a genre of rock music that combines musical characteristics of hardcore punk with emotional, often confessional lyrics. It emerged as a style of hardcore punk and post-hardcore from the mid-1980s Washington, D.C., hardcore scene, where it was known as emotional hardcore or emocore. The bands Rites of Spring and Embrace, among others, pioneered the genre. In the early-to-mid 1990s, emo was adopted and reinvented by alternative rock, indie rock, punk rock, and pop-punk bands, including Sunny Day Real Estate, Jawbreaker, Cap'n Jazz, Mineral, and Jimmy Eat World. By the mid-1990s, Braid, the Promise Ring, American Football, and the Get Up Kids emerged from Midwest emo, and several independent record labels began to specialize in the genre. Meanwhile, screamo, a more aggressive style of emo using screamed vocals, also emerged, pioneered by the San Diego bands Heroin and Antioch Arrow. Screamo achieved mainstream success in the 2000s with bands like Hawthorne Heights, Silverstein, Story of the Year, Thursday, the Used, and Underoath.

The emo subculture signifies a specific relationship between fans and artists and certain aspects of fashion, culture, and behavior. Emo fashion includes skinny jeans, black eyeliner, tight t-shirts with band names, studded belts, and flat, straight, jet-black hair with long bangs. Since the early-to-mid 2000s, fans of emo music who dress like this are referred to as "emo kids" or "emos". The emo subculture was stereotypically associated with social alienation, sensitivity, misanthropy, introversion, and angst. Purported links to depression, self-harm, and suicide, combined with its rise in popularity in the early 2000s, inspired a backlash against emo, with some bands, including My Chemical Romance and Panic! at the Disco, rejecting the emo label because of the social stigma and controversy surrounding it. There has long been controversy over which bands are labeled "emo", especially for bands that started outside traditional emo scenes; a viral website, Is This Band Emo?, was created to address one fan's opinion on this question.[1] Emo and its subgenre emo pop entered mainstream culture in the early 2000s with the success of Jimmy Eat World and Dashboard Confessional, and many artists signed contracts with major record labels. Bands such as My Chemical Romance, AFI, Fall Out Boy, and The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus continued the genre's popularity during the rest of the decade.

In the late 2000s, an emo revival emerged, when groups including Tigers Jaw, Algernon Cadwallader and TTNG drew on the sound and aesthetic of 1990s emo, rejecting the perceived commercial turn the genre had taken. This movement gained prominence in 2010s, with the success of Modern Baseball, Joyce Manor and the Hotelier, and expanded outside of simply 1990s revivalism with the various sounds of Title Fight, Basement, Citizen, Touché Amoré and La Dispute. At this same time, a fusion genre called emo rap became mainstream; its most famous artists included Lil Peep, XXXTentacion, and Juice Wrld. The emo revival movement ended in the late 2010s, giving way to the more experimental "post-emo" sounds of Origami Angel, Awakebutstillinbed and Home Is Where.

Characteristics

[edit]

Emo originated in hardcore punk[2][3] and is considered a form of post-hardcore.[4] Early emo bands used melody and emotional or introspective lyrics and that were less structured than regular hardcore punk, differentiating them from the aggression, anger, and verse-chorus-verse structures of traditional hardcore punk.[5] According to Ryan De Freitas of Kerrang: "Emo in the '90s was about scrappy, emotionally fuelled imperfection."[6]

According to Chris Payne, author of Where Are Your Boys Tonight?: The Oral History of Emo's Mainstream Explosion, emo is "often more melodic, more vulnerable [than traditional hardcore] — and often really over the top. [There are also] really performative aspects in emo."[7] Sandra Song of CNN describes emo as a "softer approach to hardcore punk, with warbly vocals and evocative lyrics that have other bands derisively calling it the sound of 'teen angst.'"[8] Em Casalena of American Songwriter stated that the genre is characterized by an "angsty yet kind of miserable vibe".[9]

Despite being rooted in hardcore punk, emo has also been associated with other related genres, such as alternative rock,[10] indie rock,[11] punk rock,[12] and pop punk.[13][14] Andrew Sacher of Brooklyn Vegan has expressed his belief that the year 2001 was a "crossroads" of sorts for the genre, stating that "emo came in a lot of different varieties" during that year. He said: "There were bands who were still playing the style of second wave emo that was prominent in the 1990s, as well as bands beginning to define the sound of the third wave. Some bands leaned more towards post-hardcore, others more towards pop punk, others towards indie rock, and others towards softer, acoustic guitar and piano-based music."[15] The New York Times described emo as "emotional punk or post-hardcore or pop-punk. That is, punk that wears its heart on its sleeve and tries a little tenderness to leaven its sonic attack. If it helps, imagine Ricky Nelson singing in the Sex Pistols."[16] Author Matt Diehl called emo a "more sensitive interpolation of punk's mission".[17]

Lyrics, a focus in emo music, are typically personal and confessional,[18] or according to Merriam-Webster, "introspective and emotionally fraught".[19] Themes usually deal with topics such as failed romance,[17] self-loathing, pain, insecurity, suicidal thoughts, love, and relationships.[18] AllMusic described emo lyrics as "usually either free-associative poetry or intimate confessionals".[2] According to The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians: "In its most basic sense, the term 'emo' is short for emotional, an indication that the music had left behind punk's heavily politicized public protest for more private and reflective concerns. Musically, this new emotional sense was best captured in the nostalgic and poetic lyrics of the Rites of Spring singer Guy Picciotto and his cracked, almost distraught, intense vocal style."[20]

Emo guitar dynamics use both the softness and loudness of punk rock music.[18] According to AllMusic, most 1990s emo bands "borrowed from some combination of Fugazi, Sunny Day Real Estate, and Weezer".[2] Some emo leans toward the characteristics of progressive music with the genre's use of complex guitar work, unorthodox song structures, and extreme dynamic shifts.[2]

Etymology

[edit]

Emo means different things to different people. Actually, that's a massive understatement. Emo seems to solely mean different things to different people − like pig latin or books by Thomas Pynchon, confusion is one of its hallmark traits. [...] The word has survived and flourished in three decades, two milleniums, and two Bush administrations. [...] It's older than most of its fans. It's been a source of pride, a target of derision, a mark of confusion, and a sign of the times. It's been the next big thing twice, [and] the current big thing once. And yet, not only can no one agree on what it means, [but] there is not now, nor has there ever been, a single major band that admits to being emo. Not one.

Music critic Andy Greenwald in the book Nothing Feels Good: Punk Rock, Teenagers, and Emo. (published November 15, 2003). St. Martins Griffin. pp. 1-2.

Although the origins of the word "emo" are uncertain, evidence shows that the word "emo" was coined in the mid-1980s, specifically 1985. According to Andy Greenwald, author of Nothing Feels Good: Punk Rock, Teenagers, and Emo, "The origins of the term 'emo' are shrouded in mystery ... but it first came into common practice in 1985. If Minor Threat was hardcore, then Rites of Spring, with its altered focus, was emotional hardcore or emocore."[21] Michael Azerrad, author of Our Band Could Be Your Life, also traces the word's origins to the mid-1980s: "The style was soon dubbed 'emo-core,' a term everyone involved bitterly detested".[22] Steve Niles and Brian Baker, of Minor Threat and Dag Nasty, say the term "emotional hardcore" was coined by Baker during emo's formative years. Baker used the term disparagingly, referencing what he perceived as being an "ancillary" and "posturing" nature to the bands. The term was quickly adopted by Thrasher magazine.[23] Other accounts attribute the word to an audience member at an Embrace show, who shouted as an insult that the band was "emocore".[24][25] Others have said that MacKaye coined the word when he used it self-mockingly in a magazine, or that it originated with Rites of Spring.[25] The "emocore" label quickly spread through the DC punk scene, and was associated with many bands associated with Ian MacKaye's Dischord Records.[24] Although many of the bands rejected the term, it stayed. Jenny Toomey recalled, "The only people who used it at first were the ones that were jealous over how big and fanatical a scene it was. [Rites of Spring] existed well before the term did and they hated it. But there was this weird moment, like when people started calling music 'grunge,' where you were using the term even though you hated it."[26]

The term "emo" has been the subject of debate and disagreement amongst artists, critics, and fans alike. Some find the label to be loosely defined[27] with the term at times being used to describe any music that expresses emotion.[28] "The mainstream success of emo and its related subculture caused the term to be conflated with other genres.[29] Additionally, fans of traditional emo music have expressed distaste for the genre's expanding definition, and what they perceive as "commercialization" of the genre.[30]

Chris Payne, author of Where Are Your Boys Tonight?: The Oral History of Emo's Mainstream Explosion, assessed: "Emo has a lot of different definitions for different people. For me, it can be like the old DIY stuff, like Cap'n Jazz [and] American Football, and then also the more popular stuff like … My Chemical Romance, Paramore and even the emo-rap stuff like Lil Peep."[7]

Many bands labeled as emo rejected the emo label.[31] Ian MacKaye, after an article in Thrasher magazine referring to Embrace and other Washington, D.C., bands as "emo-core", he called it "the stupidest fucking thing I've ever heard in my entire life" during a live performance.[32] Sunny Day Real Estate's members said they consider themselves simply a rock band, and said that back in the early days, the word "emocore" was an insult: "While I don't disrespect anyone for using the term emo-core, or rock, or anything, but back in the day, emo-core was just about the worst dis that you could throw on a band."[33]

In Chris Payne's book Where Are Your Boys Tonight? (2023), Bayside vocalist Anthony Raneri stated that he believed emo became "a dirty word" around the time of its mainstream success in the 2000s. He explains this derogatory use of the word derived from hipsters adopting the term to demean rock artists they saw as being "not as cool as" the popular indie rock groups of the time, namely the Strokes.[34] My Chemical Romance singer Gerard Way said in 2007 that emo is "a pile of shit [...] I think there are bands that we get lumped in with that are considered emo and, by default, that starts to make us emo. All I can say is that anyone actually listening to the records, putting the records next to each other and listening to them, [would know there are] actually no similarities."[35] Additionally, Quinn Villarreal of SiriusXM stated that "having 'feelings' in the 2000s and 2010s wasn’t 'cool.' So, the term 'emo' became a pejorative, which is why it’s oftentimes rejected by bands and fans."[36]

Brendon Urie of Panic! at the Disco said : "It's ignorant! The stereotype is guys that are weak and have failing relationships write about how sad they are. If you listen to our songs, not one of them has that tone."[37] Adam Lazzara of Taking Back Sunday said he always considered his band rock and roll instead of emo.[38] Guitarist of the Get Up Kids, Jim Suptic, noted the differences between the 2000s mainstream acts when compared to the emo bands of the 1990s, saying, “The punk scene we came out of and the punk scene now are completely different. It's like glam rock now. We played the Bamboozle fests this year and we felt really out of place... If this is the world we helped create, then I apologise.”[39] Vocalist of AFI, Davey Havok, described emo as "such a strange and meaningless word".[40] Early emo musicians also have rejected the label. Guy Picciotto, the vocalist of Rites of Spring, said he considers the emo label "retarded" and always considered Rites of Spring a punk rock band: "The reason I think it's so stupid is that - what, like the Bad Brains weren't emotional? What - they were robots or something? It just doesn't make any sense to me."[41]

The term “mall emo” has been used to separate mainstream bands like Paramore, Hawthorne Heights, My Chemical Romance, Panic! at the Disco, and Fall Out Boy from the less commercially viable bands that proceeded and succeeded them.[42][43][44] The term "mall emo" dates back to around 2002, when many emo fans did not like the change emo was going through at the time when the genre became mainstream.[45]

Tom Mullen, editor of the Anthology of Emo book, created the website Washed Up Emo in 2007 in response to the mainstream perceptions of the genre, intending to impart information about the genre's history.[46] He later created the website Is This Band Emo? in 2014, which explains whether various bands are classified under the genre alongside humorous responses.[47][48]

History

[edit]
Hardcore punk band Minor Threat in 1981

Predecessors

[edit]

According to music writer Luke Britton, "it's generally accepted that the genre's pioneers" came in the late 1980s.[49] During the decade, many hardcore punk and post-hardcore bands formed in Washington, D.C. Post-hardcore, an experimental offshoot of hardcore punk, was inspired by post-punk.[50] Hardcore punk bands and post-hardcore bands who influenced early emo bands include Minor Threat,[51] Black Flag and Hüsker Dü.[52]

1984–1991: Origins

[edit]
Main article: Revolution Summer (music)

The one fact that no one seems to debate − or at least debate that loudly − is that emo emerged from hardcore.

Music critic Andy Greenwald, in the book Nothing Feels Good: Punk Rock, Teenagers, and Emo (2003) [53]

Emo, which began as a post-hardcore subgenre,[4] was part of the 1980s hardcore punk[2] scene in Washington, D.C., as something different from the violent part of the Washington, D.C., hardcore scene.[5][54][55] Rites of Spring formed in 1983,[56] using the musical style of hardcore punk and combining the musical style with melodic guitars, varied rhythms, and personal, emotional lyrics.[51] Many of the band's themes, including nostalgia, romantic bitterness and poetic desperation, became familiar tropes of later emo music.[57] Its performances were public, emotional purges where audience members sometimes wept.[58] Ian MacKaye of Minor Threat became a Rites of Spring fan (recording their only album and being their roadie) and formed the emo band Embrace, which explored similar themes of self-searching and emotional release.[21] Similar bands followed in connection with the "Revolution Summer” of 1985, an attempt by members of the Washington scene to break from the usual characteristics of hardcore punk to a hardcore punk style with different characteristics.[55] Bands such as Gray Matter, Beefeater, Fire Party, Dag Nasty, and Soulside were associated with the movement.[21][55]

"Remainder" by Rites of Spring (1985)
The melodic guitars, varied rhythms and personal lyrics of Rites of Spring changed the hardcore punk scene and helped launch the "emotional hardcore" or "emocore" style in the 1980s.[54]
Problems playing this file? See media help.

The Washington, D.C., emo scene lasted only a few years, and by 1986, most of emo's major bands (including Rites of Spring, Embrace, Gray Matter and Beefeater) had broken up.[59] However, its ideas and aesthetics spread quickly across the country through a network of homemade zines, vinyl records and hearsay.[60] According to Greenwald, the Washington, D.C., scene laid the groundwork for emo's subsequent incarnations:

What had happened in D.C. in the mid-eighties—the shift from anger to action, from extroverted rage to internal turmoil, from an individualized mass to a mass of individuals—was in many ways a test case for the transformation of the national punk scene over the next two decades. The imagery, the power of the music, the way people responded to it, and the way the bands burned out instead of fading away—all have their origins in those first few performances by Rites of Spring. The roots of emo were laid, however unintentionally, by fifty or so people in the nation's capital. And in some ways, it was never as good and surely never as pure again. Certainly, the Washington scene was the only time "emocore" had any consensus definition as a genre.[61]

1991–1994: Reinvention

[edit]

As the Washington, D.C., emo movement spread across the United States, local bands began to emulate its style.[62] Emo combined the fatalism, theatricality and isolation of the Smiths with hardcore punk's uncompromising, dramatic worldview.[62] Despite the number of bands and the variety of locales, emocore's late-1980s aesthetics remained more-or-less the same: "over-the-top lyrics about feelings wedded to dramatic but decidedly punk music."[62] During the early–mid 1990s, several new bands reinvented emo,[63] making emo expand by becoming a subgenre of genres like indie rock and pop punk.[2] Chief among them were Jawbreaker and Sunny Day Real Estate, who inspired cult followings, redefined emo and brought it a step closer to the mainstream.[63] In the wake of the 1991 success of Nirvana's Nevermind and the associated rise of grunge, underground music and subcultures were widely noticed in the United States, with record labels seeking to find the next big rock subgenre. New distribution networks emerged, touring routes were codified, and regional and independent acts accessed the national stage.[63] Young people across the country became fans of independent music, and punk culture became mainstream.[63]

"Kiss the Bottle" by Jawbreaker (1992)
"Kiss the Bottle" is considered one of Jawbreaker's definitive and most-appreciated songs.[citation needed]
Problems playing this file? See media help.
Sunny Day Real Estate performing onstage
Sunny Day Real Estate performing in 2010

Emerging from the late 1980s and early 1990s San Francisco punk rock scene and forming in New York City, Jawbreaker combined pop punk with emotional and personal lyrics.[64][65][66] Singer-guitarist Blake Schwarzenbach focused his lyrics on personal, immediate topics often taken from his journal.[64] Often obscure and cloaked in metaphors, their relationship to Schwarzenbach's concerns gave his words a bitterness and frustration which made them universal and attractive to audiences.[67] Schwarzenbach became emo's first idol, as listeners related to the singer even more than to his songs.[67] Jawbreaker's 1994 album, 24 Hour Revenge Therapy, was popular with fans and is a touchstone of mid-1990s emo.[68] Although Jawbreaker signed with Geffen Records and toured with mainstream bands Nirvana and Green Day, Jawbreaker's 1995 album Dear You did not achieve mainstream success. Jawbreaker broke up soon afterwards, with Schwarzenbach forming emo band Jets to Brazil.[69]

Sunny Day Real Estate formed in Seattle at the height of the early 1990s grunge boom, which was also primarily associated with that city.[70] The music video for "Seven", lead track of the band's debut album Diary (1994), was played on MTV, giving the band more attention.[71]

1994–1997: Underground popularity

[edit]

The American punk and indie rock movements, which had been largely underground since the early 1980s, became part of mainstream culture during the mid-1990s. With Nirvana's success, major record labels capitalized on the popularity of alternative rock and other underground music by signing and promoting independent bands.[72]

In 1994, the same year that Jawbreaker's 24 Hour Revenge Therapy and Sunny Day Real Estate's Diary were released, punk rock bands Green Day and the Offspring broke into the mainstream with diamond album Dookie[73] and multi-platinum album Smash,[74] respectively. After underground music went mainstream, emo retreated and reformed as a national subculture over the next few years.[72] A number of emo bands emerged in the underground around this time, the most famous of which was the Arizona band Jimmy Eat World, which issued its debut album in 1994 and was influenced by pop punk bands such as the Mr. T Experience and Horace Pinker.[75] Jimmy Eat World released its self-titled debut album in 1994.[76] As they rose to fame, Jimmy Eat World toured with a number of peer bands, including Mineral, another key group during this era with a more melodic sound.[77] California's Weezer is another band sometimes considered to be emo which rose to fame during this period,[78] though Weezer's membership in the emo genre is debated.[79][80]

Inspired by Jawbreaker, Drive Like Jehu and Fugazi, 1990s emo abandoned the elements of hardcore punk and used elements of indie rock, with punk rock's do-it-yourself work ethic but smoother songs and emotional vocals.[81] According to Theo Cateforis of Grove Music Dictionary: "These groups portrayed a sense of emotional volatility in their music by using extended song forms that oscillated between straight and double time and clean guitar timbres and bursts of distortion. Vocalists deliberately avoided punk’s shouted style and sang melodic lines in a breathy head voice, often straining at the top of their range, which contributed to the music's sense of emotional urgency."[82]

Cap'n Jazz onstage
Cap'n Jazz live in 2010

Many 1990s emo bands, such as Cap'n Jazz, Braid, Christie Front Drive, Mineral, Jimmy Eat World, the Get Up Kids and the Promise Ring, originated in the central U.S.[83] Many of the bands had a distinct vocal style and guitar melodies, which was later called Midwest emo.[84] According to Andy Greenwald, "this was the period when emo earned many, if not all, of the stereotypes that have lasted to this day: boy-driven, glasses-wearing, overly sensitive, overly brainy, chiming-guitar-driven college music."[81] Emo band Texas Is the Reason bridged the gap between indie rock and emo in their three-year lifespan on the East Coast, melding Sunny Day Real Estate's melodies and punk musicianship and singing directly to the listener.[85] In New Jersey, the band Lifetime played shows in fans' basements.[86] Lifetime's 1995 album, Hello Bastards on Jade Tree Records, fused hardcore punk with emo and eschewed cynicism and irony in favor of love songs.[86] The album sold tens of thousands of copies,[87] and Lifetime paved the way for New Jersey and Long Island emo bands Brand New, Midtown,[88] The Movielife, My Chemical Romance,[88] Saves the Day,[88][89] Senses Fail,[88] Taking Back Sunday[87][88] and Thursday.[88][90]

Four men together at the front of a stage
The band Weezer (pictured) released the album Pinkerton, an album that was originally a critical and commercial failure. Nonetheless, Pinkerton is considered one of the most important 1990s emo albums.[91]

The Promise Ring's music took a slower, smoother, pop punk approach to riffs, blending them with singer Davey von Bohlen's imagist lyrics delivered in a froggy croon and pronounced lisp and playing shows in basements and VFW halls.[92] Jade Tree released their debut album, 30° Everywhere, in 1996; it sold tens of thousands of copies and was successful by independent standards.[93] Greenwald describes the album as "like being hit in the head with cotton candy".[94] Other bands, such as Karate, the Van Pelt, Joan of Arc and the Shyness Clinic, played emo music with post-rock and noise rock influences.[95] Their common lyrical thread was "applying big questions to small scenarios".[95] A cornerstone of mid-1990s emo was Weezer's 1996 album, Pinkerton.[96] After the mainstream success of Weezer's self-titled debut album, Pinkerton showed a more dark and abrasive style.[97][98] Frontman Rivers Cuomo's songs focused on messy, manipulative sex and his insecurity about dealing with celebrity.[98] A critical and commercial failure,[98][99] Rolling Stone called it the third-worst album of the year.[100] Cuomo retreated from the public eye,[98] later referring to the album as "hideous" and "a hugely painful mistake".[101] However, Pinkerton found enduring appeal with young people who were discovering alternative rock and identified with its confessional lyrics and theme of rejection.[91] Sales grew steadily due to word of mouth, online message boards and Napster.[91] "Although no one was paying attention", writes Greenwald, "perhaps because no one was paying attention—Pinkerton became the most important emo album of the decade."[91] In 2004, James Montgomery of MTV described Weezer as "the most important band of the last 10 years".[102] Pinkerton's success grew very gradually, being certified gold by the RIAA in July 2001 and eventually being certified platinum by the RIAA in September 2016.[103]

"If I Could" by Mineral (1997)
Andy Greenwald calls "If I Could" "the ultimate expression" of 1990s emo.[104]
Problems playing this file? See media help.

Mid-1990s emo was embodied by Mineral, whose The Power of Failing (1997) and EndSerenading (1998) encapsulated emo tropes: somber music, accompanied by a shy narrator singing seriously about mundane problems.[104] Greenwald calls "If I Could" "the ultimate expression" of 1990s emo, writing that "the song's short synopsis—she is beautiful, I am weak, dumb, and shy; I am alone but am surprisingly poetic when left alone — sums up everything that emo's adherents admired and its detractors detested."[104] Another significant band was Braid, whose 1998 album Frame and Canvas and B-side song "Forever Got Shorter" blurred the line between band and listener; the group mirrored their audience in passion and sentiment, and sang in their fans' voice.[105]

"Why Did We Ever Meet" by The Promise Ring (1997)
The Promise Ring's Nothing Feels Good achieved wide success with an effective blend of pop and punk.[106]
Problems playing this file? See media help.

Although mid-1990s emo had thousands of young fans, it did not enter the national consciousness.[107] A few bands were offered contracts with major record labels, but most broke up before they could capitalize on the opportunity.[108] Jimmy Eat World signed to Capitol Records in 1995 and developed a following with their album, Static Prevails, but did not break into the mainstream yet.[109] The Promise Ring were the most commercially successful emo band of the time, with sales of their 1997 album Nothing Feels Good reaching the mid-five figures.[107] Greenwald calls the album "the pinnacle of its generation of emo: a convergence of pop and punk, of resignation and celebration, of the lure of girlfriends and the pull of friends, bandmates, and the road";[110] mid-1990s emo was "the last subculture made of vinyl and paper instead of plastic and megabytes".[111]

1997–2002: Independent success

[edit]

Emo's popularity grew during the late 1990s, laying the foundation for mainstream success. Deep Elm Records released a series of eleven compilation albums, The Emo Diaries, from 1997 to 2007.[112] Emphasizing unreleased music from many bands, the series included Jimmy Eat World, Further Seems Forever, Samiam and the Movielife.[112] Jimmy Eat World's 1999 album, Clarity, was a touchstone for later emo bands.[113] In 2003, Andy Greenwald called Clarity "one of the most fiercely beloved rock 'n' roll records of the last decade".[113] Despite a warm critical reception and the promotion of "Lucky Denver Mint" in the Drew Barrymore comedy Never Been Kissed, Clarity was commercially unsuccessful.[114] Nevertheless, the album had steady word-of-mouth popularity and eventually sold over 70,000 copies.[115] Jimmy Eat World self-financed their next album, Bleed American (2001), before signing with DreamWorks Records. The album sold 30,000 copies in its first week, went gold shortly afterwards and went platinum in 2002, making emo become mainstream.[116] Drive-Thru Records developed a roster of primarily pop punk bands with emo characteristics, including Midtown, the Starting Line, the Movielife and Something Corporate.[117] Drive-Thru's partnership with MCA Records enabled its brand of emo-inflected pop to reach a wider audience.[118] Drive-Thru's unabashedly populist, capitalist approach to music allowed its bands' albums and merchandise to sell in stores such as Hot Topic.[119]

Saves the Day was one of the more successful emo bands during the late 1990s and early 2000s, when emo was still primarily underground.

Independent label Vagrant Records signed several successful late-1990s and early-2000s emo bands. The Get Up Kids had sold over 15,000 copies of their debut album, Four Minute Mile (1997), before signing with Vagrant. The label promoted them aggressively, sending them on tours opening for Green Day and Weezer.[120] Their 1999 album, Something to Write Home About, reaching number 31 on Billboard's Top Heatseekers chart.[121] Vagrant signed and recorded a number of other emo-related bands over the next two years, including the Anniversary, Reggie and the Full Effect, the New Amsterdams, Alkaline Trio, Saves the Day, Dashboard Confessional, Hey Mercedes and Hot Rod Circuit.[122] Saves the Day had developed a substantial East Coast following and sold almost 50,000 copies of their second album, Through Being Cool (1999),[89] before signing with Vagrant and releasing Stay What You Are (2001). Stay What You Are sold 15,000 copies in its first week,[123] reached number 100 on the Billboard 200[124] and sold at least 120,000 copies in the United States.[125] Vagrant organized a national tour with every band on its label, sponsored by corporations including Microsoft and Coca-Cola, during the summer of 2001. Its populist approach and use of the internet as a marketing tool made it one of the country's most-successful independent labels and helped popularize the word "emo".[126] According to Greenwald, "More than any other event, it was Vagrant America that defined emo to masses—mainly because it had the gumption to hit the road and bring it to them."[123]

2002–2004: Mainstream breakthrough

[edit]
"The Middle" by Jimmy Eat World (2001)
"The Middle" topped Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks chart and helped Bleed American to go platinum.[127][128]
Problems playing this file? See media help.

In the early [2000s], bands from cultural hinterlands—Boca Raton, Las Vegas, the suburbs of New Jersey and Illinois, Long Island—took their predecessors’ interest in private emotion and the legacy of punk and added a new ingredient: pop ambition. There was fast, percussive guitar strumming; earworm riffs; frenetic drumming; and melodies full of stadium-ready sing-along moments, delivered in a nasal style that flirted with whining and sometimes crossed over into yelling.

Peter C. Baker of The New Yorker (July 28, 2023) [1]

Emo broke into the mainstream media during the summer of 2002. Andrew Sacher of BrookylynVegan explained, "Like when grunge broke into the mainstream a decade earlier, it was the culmination of a sound that had been building for over a decade, but once it did start to take off, it happened almost overnight. Bands quickly went from obscurity to MTV, and countless others followed in their footsteps."[127][15] During this time, many fans of emo music wore glasses with thick and black frames, and thrift store clothes.[45] Jimmy Eat World's Bleed American album went platinum on the strength of "The Middle", which topped Billboard's Alternative Songs chart.[127][128][129] The mainstream success achieved by Jimmy Eat World paved the way for emo pop music that would appear during the rest of the 2000s,[130] with emo pop becoming a very common style of emo music during the 2000s.[131] The band Dashboard Confessional broke into the mainstream. Started by the band's guitarist and lead vocalist Chris Carrabba, Dashboard Confessional are known for sometimes creating acoustic songs.[132] Dashboard Confessional originally was a side project, as Carrabba was also a member of the emo band Further Seems Forever,[132] and Vacant Andys, a punk rock band Carraba helped start in 1995.[133] Dashboard Confessional's album The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most peaked at number 5 on the Independent Albums chart.[134] Dashboard Confessional was the first non-platinum-selling artist to record an episode of MTV Unplugged.[127] The 2002 resulting live album and video long-form was certified platinum by the RIAA on May 22, 2003, topped the Independent Albums chart, and, as of October 19, 2007, sold 316,000 copies.[134][132][135] With Dashboard Confessional's mainstream success, Carrabba appeared on a cover of the magazine Spin and according to Jim DeRogatis, "has become the 'face of emo' the way that Moby was deemed the prime exponent of techno or Kurt Cobain became the unwilling crown prince of grunge."[136] Three of Dashboard Confessional's studio albums, The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most (2001), A Mark, a Mission, a Brand, a Scar (2003), and Dusk and Summer (2006), all were certified gold by the RIAA during the mid-2000s.[135] As of October 19, 2007, The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most has sold 599,000 copies.[137] As of October 19, 2007, Dusk and Summer and A Mark, a Mission, a Brand, a Scar have sold 512,000 copies and 901,000 copies in the United States, respectively.[137] As of October 19, 2007, Dashboard Confessional's 2000 debut album The Swiss Army Romance sold 338,000 copies.[137] On August 10, 2003, The New York Times reported how, "from the three-chord laments of Alkaline Trio to the folky rants of Bright Eyes, from the erudite pop-punk of Brand New" to the entropic anthems of Thursday, much of the most exciting rock music" was appearing from the emo genre.[138]

Saves the Day toured with Green Day, Blink-182 and Weezer, playing in large arenas such as Madison Square Garden.[139] Saves the Day performed on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, appeared on the cover of Alternative Press and had music videos for "At Your Funeral" and "Freakish" in rotation on MTV2.[123][140] Taking Back Sunday released their debut album, Tell All Your Friends, on Victory Records in 2002. The album gave the band a taste of success in the emo scene with singles such as "Cute Without the 'E' (Cut from the Team)" and "You're So Last Summer". Tell All Your Friends was eventually certified gold by the RIAA in 2005[141] and is considered one of emo's most-influential albums. As of May 8, 2009, Tell All Your Friends sold 790,000 copies.[142] Articles on Vagrant Records appeared in Time and Newsweek,[143] and the word "emo" became a catchall term for non-mainstream pop music.[144]

Taking Back Sunday on a smoky stage
Taking Back Sunday performing on August 24, 2007

In the wake of this success, many emo bands were signed to major record labels and the genre became marketable.[145] According to DreamWorks Records senior A&R representative Luke Wood, "The industry really does look at emo as the new rap rock, or the new grunge. I don't think that anyone is listening to the music that's being made—they're thinking of how they're going to take advantage of the sound's popularity at retail."[146] Taking Back Sunday had continued success in the next few years, with their 2004 album Where You Want To Be both reaching number three on the Billboard 200 and being certified gold by the RIAA in July 2005.[147] The album, as of February 17, 2006, sold more than 700,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.[148] The band's 2006 album, Louder Now, reached number two on the Billboard 200, was certified gold by the RIAA a little less than two months after its release date,[149] and, as of May 8, 2009, sold 674,000 copies.[142]

Concert of the band Thursday
The emo band Thursday performing live in 2006

A darker, more aggressive style of emo was also becoming popular. New Jersey–based Thursday signed a multimillion-dollar, multi-album contract with Island Def Jam after their 2001 album, Full Collapse, reached number 178 on the Billboard 200.[150] Their music was more political and lacked pop hooks and anthems, influenced instead by the Smiths, Joy Division, and the Cure. However, the band's accessibility, basement-show roots and touring with Saves the Day made them part of the emo movement.[151] Thursday's 2003 album, War All the Time, reached number seven on the Billboard 200.[152] Hawthorne Heights, Story of the Year, Underoath, and Alexisonfire, four bands frequently featured on MTV, have popularized screamo.[153] Other screamo bands include Silverstein,[154] Senses Fail[155][156] and Vendetta Red.[153] Underoath's albums They're Only Chasing Safety (2004)[157] and Define the Great Line (2006)[158] both were certified gold by the RIAA. The Used's self-titled album (2002) was certified gold by the RIAA on July 21, 2003.[159] The Used's self-titled album, as of August 22, 2009, has sold 841,000 copies.[160] The Used's album In Love and Death (2004) was certified gold by the RIAA on March 21, 2005.[161] In Love and Death, as of January 2, 2007, sold 689,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.[162] Four Alexisonfire albums were certified gold or platinum in Canada.[163][164][165][166]

2004–2010: Height of popularity and emo pop

[edit]
A popular emo hairstyle in the mid-late 2000s

Emo pop, a pop punk-oriented subgenre of emo with pop-influenced hooks, became the main emo style during the mid-to late 2000s, with many of these bands being signed by Fueled by Ramen Records and some adopting a goth-inspired look[130] with black hair and eyeliner.[131] During this time, many fans of emo music had an appearance of short, dyed black hair with bangs cut high on the forehead. This fashion then became a huge part of emo's identity.[167] The scene subculture that emerged in the mid-late 2000s also drew much inspiration from emo style.[168] Emo's catchy music and accessible themes had broad appeal for a young, mainstream audience, and the website Myspace led to the emo subculture becoming an international phenomenon.[131] However, some emo bands that emerged or broke into the mainstream during this time were rejected by many fans of older emo music.[131]

My Chemical Romance, dressed in black, onstage
My Chemical Romance is known for their use of eyeliner and black clothing associated with emo fashion.

My Chemical Romance broke into the mainstream with their 2004 album Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge. My Chemical Romance is known for their goth-influenced emo appearance and creation of concept albums and rock operas.[169][170] Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge was certified platinum by the RIAA in 2005.[171] The band's success continued with its third album, The Black Parade, which sold 240,000 copies in its first week of release[172] and was certified platinum by the RIAA in less than a year.[173]

Hawthorne Heights, a five-man emo band
The emo band Hawthorne Heights in 2007

Fall Out Boy's 2004 album, From Under the Cork Tree, sold 2,700,000 copies in the United States.[174] The band's album, Infinity on High, topped the Billboard 200, sold 260,000 copies in its first week of release[175] and sold 1,400,000 copies in the United States.[174] Multiple Fall Out Boy songs reached the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100.[176] Panic! at the Disco's album, A Fever You Can't Sweat Out, was certified double platinum by the RIAA[177] and its single, "I Write Sins Not Tragedies", reached number seven on the Billboard Hot 100.[178] Panic! at the Disco are known for combining emo with electronics[179] and their album A Fever You Can't Sweat Out is an emo album[180] with elements of dance-punk[181] and baroque pop.[182] The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus' "Face Down" peaked at number 24 on the Billboard Hot 100[183] and its album, Don't You Fake It, sold 852,000 copies in the United States.[184] AFI's albums Sing the Sorrow and Decemberunderground both were certified platinum by the RIAA,[185][186] with Decemberunderground peaking at number 1 on the Billboard 200.[187] Paramore's 2007 album Riot! was certified double platinum by the RIAA[188] and several Paramore songs appeared on the Billboard Hot 100 in the late 2000s, including "Misery Business", "Decode", "Crushcrushcrush", "That's What You Get", and "Ignorance".[189]

2010–present: Mainstream decline, underground revivals

[edit]

By 2010, emo's popularity began to decline. Many emo bands lost popularity or had changed genres;[190] My Chemical Romance's album, Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys, featured a traditional pop punk style.[191] Paramore and Fall Out Boy both abandoned the emo genre with their 2013 albums, Paramore and Save Rock and Roll, respectively.[192][193][194] Paramore moved to a new wave-influenced style.[195] Panic! at the Disco also abandoned the emo pop genre to a synth-pop style on Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die!.[196] Many emo bands, including My Chemical Romance,[197] Alexisonfire,[198] and Thursday,[199] disbanded, raising concerns about the genre's viability.[200] Andrew Sacher of Brooklyn Vegan explains, "The popularity led to backlash, and a rapidly-changing music industry eventually turned its attention away from punk-adjacent bands in the mainstream, leaving the genre stigmatized by the end of the 2000s, and eventually — as far as the mainstream was concerned — dead."[15]

Late 2000s–late 2010s: fourth-wave emo

[edit]
Stereogum cited Algernon Cadwallader's album Some Kind Of Cadwallader (2008) as the emo revival's watershed release[201]

The emo revival or fourth-wave emo[202] began in the late 2000s, taking influence from the sound of second wave Midwest emo, as a reaction against the perceived commerciality of the third-wave emo sound.[203] The movement began with Pennsylvania-based groups Tigers Jaw,[203] Glocca Morra,[204] Snowing and Algernon Cadwallader and the English band TTNG.[205] A 2018 Stereogum article cited Algernon Cadwallader's 2008 LP Some Kind Of Cadwallader as the emo revival's watershed release,[201] while a 2020 article by Junkee called Tigers Jaw's 2008 self-titled second album "a true landmark release for the era".[203] Philadelphia's scene remained prominent throughout the wave, contributing bands such as Everyone Everywhere, Modern Baseball,[202] Hop Along,[204] Jank,[206] Balance and Composure, and mewithoutYou.[207] These bands embraced a DIY ethos and reintroduced basement shows to the emo scene. Under their influence, underground emo scenes formed across the United States in such localities as West Virginia, Willimantic, Connecticut, and Chicago.[204]

One prominent element of the emo scene at the time was a movement called "the Wave", made up of bands reviving 1990s emo, screamo and post-hardcore sounds.[208][209] The name was originally coined to refer to only Touché Amoré, La Dispute, Defeater, Pianos Become the Teeth and Make Do and Mend, however by 2014 had expanded to also include groups Balance and Composure, Into It. Over It. and Title Fight.[210] The Wave style was influential upon many groups in Australia and the United Kingdom, especially Wales.[211][212] At this time, the YouTube channel Dreambound was one of the most prominent sources for finding bands, uploading music videos for many prominent bands.[213] The most prominent act in this scene was Casey from South Wales,[212] with Australian bands Vacant Home and Ambleside too gaining international success.[214][215] In the later years of this scene, bands began decreasing the influence they took from hardcore, when Crooks UK, Holding Absence and Endless Height were instead leaning further into post-rock and shoegaze.

Title Fight, a forefront act in fourth-wave emo

Another notable segment within this wave of emo was the sound of soft grunge.[203] Merging elements of emo, pop punk and alternative rock[216] the genre originated with bands from the hardcore punk scene who began making music inspired by 1990s emo and post-hardcore as well as early 1990s alternative rock groups like the Smashing Pumpkins, Soundgarden and Alice in Chains. The first wave of bands emerged in the early 2010s, including Adventures, Balance and Composure, Basement, Citizen, Pity Sex, Superheaven and Turnover. The majority of these bands were signed to Run for Cover Records, made use of fuzz pedals and filmed their music videos using 8 mm film.[217] Title Fight stood at the forefront of the genre with the success of their 2012 album Floral Green.[218]

By the end of the 2010s, many of the most influential bands in fourth wave emo had disbanded: Modern Baseball in 2017, Title Fight in 2018 and Balance and Composure in 2019.[207][219] Meanwhile, other bands who had previously been prolific, such as Defeater and La Dispute, entered periods of inactivity.[207]

In the 2020s, emo's impact on mainstream music of the 2010s, as well as a revival of the genre itself, was noted in media outlets.[220][28] The BBC observed in 2018 "beyond guitar-based bands, the influence of emo can be seen in much of modern music, both in style and lyrical content" and "addressing mental health issues has become increasingly more common in pop".[49]

Late 2010s–present: fifth-wave emo

[edit]

The Ringer writer Ian Cohen states fifth wave emo began as early as 2017 and that these emo groups were influenced by bands such as Crying and the Brave Little Abacus.[221] This fifth wave of emo maintained many of the stylistic elements of the fourth wave era, but also began to incorporate sounds from other genres such as jazz and electronic music.[222] The fifth wave of emo has also been noted by Buzzfeed for its focus on inclusivity of bands with transgender, queer, female and black artists as well as other artists of color.[223] Notable fifth-wave artists include Home Is Where, Dogleg, Glass Beach, Origami Angel, Pool Kids and Awakebutstillinbed.[222]

Subgenres and fusion genres

[edit]

Subgenres

[edit]

Screamo

[edit]
Main article: Screamo
A vocalist and a drummer of a band performing with their band.
Screamo band Orchid performing in Bloomington, Indiana in 2000

The term "screamo" was initially applied to an aggressive offshoot of emo which developed in San Diego in 1991 and used short songs grafting "spastic intensity to willfully experimental dissonance and dynamics".[224] Screamo is a dissonant form of emo influenced by hardcore punk,[153] with typical rock instrumentation and noted for short songs, chaotic execution and screaming vocals.

The Used's band members in a photo together
The Used's self-titled album was called "one of the masterworks of the screamo movement" by The Kansas City Star.[225]

The genre is "generally based in the aggressive side of the overarching punk-revival scene".[153] It began at the Ché Café[226] with groups such as Heroin, Antioch Arrow,[227] Angel Hair, Mohinder, Swing Kids, and Portraits of Past.[228] They were influenced by Washington, D.C. post-hardcore (particularly Fugazi and Nation of Ulysses),[224] straight edge, the Chicago group Articles of Faith, the hardcore-punk band Die Kreuzen[229] and the post-punk and gothic rock bands like Bauhaus.[224] I Hate Myself is a band described as "a cornerstone of the 'screamo' genre" by author Matt Walker:[230] "Musically, I Hate Myself relied on being very slow and deliberate, with sharp contrasts between quiet, almost meditative segments that rip into loud and heavy portions driven by Jim Marburger's tidal wave scream."[231] Other early screamo bands include Pg. 99, Saetia, and Orchid.[232]

The Used, Thursday, Thrice and Hawthorne Heights, who all formed in the United States during the late 1990s and early 2000s and remained active throughout the 2000s, helped popularize screamo.[153] Post-hardcore bands such as Refused and At the Drive-In paved the way for these bands.[153] Screamo bands from the Canadian emo scene such as Silverstein[233] and Alexisonfire[234] also emerged at this time. By the mid-2000s, the saturation of the screamo scene caused many bands to expand beyond the genre and incorporate more-experimental elements. Non-screamo bands used the genre's characteristic guttural vocal style.[153] Some screamo bands during this time period were inspired by genres like pop punk and heavy metal.[153]

Jeff Mitchell of the Iowa State Daily wrote, "There is no set definition of what screamo sounds like but screaming over once deafeningly loud rocking noise and suddenly quiet, melodic guitar lines is a theme commonly affiliated with the genre."[235]

Sass
[edit]

Sass (also known as sassy screamo, sasscore, white belt hardcore,[236] white belt, sassgrind or dancey screamo)[237] is a style that emerged from the late-1990s and early-2000s screamo scene.[238] The genre incorporates elements of post-punk, new wave, disco, electronic, dance-punk,[238] grindcore, noise rock, metalcore, and mathcore. The genre is characterized by often incorporating overtly flamboyant mannerisms, erotic lyrical content, synthesizers, dance beats and a lisping vocal style.[239] Sass bands include the Blood Brothers, An Albatross, The Number Twelve Looks Like You, the Plot to Blow Up the Eiffel Tower, Daughters's early music, Orchid's later music[236][240] and SeeYouSpaceCowboy.[241]

Fusion genres

[edit]
Band performing onstage
Fall Out Boy performing in 2006

Emo pop

[edit]
Main article: Emo pop

Emo pop (or emo pop punk) is a subgenre of emo known for its pop music influences, more concise songs and hook-filled choruses.[130] AllMusic describes emo pop as blending "youthful angst" with "slick production" and mainstream appeal, using "high-pitched melodies, rhythmic guitars, and lyrics concerning adolescence, relationships, and heartbreak".[130] The Guardian described emo pop as a cross between "saccharine boy-band pop" and emo.[242]

Emo pop developed during the 1990s. Bands like Jawbreaker and Samiam are known for formulating the emo pop punk style.[243] According to Nicole Keiper of CMJ New Music Monthly, Sense Field's Building (1996) pushed the band "into the emo-pop camp with the likes of the Get Up Kids and Jejune".[244] As emo became commercially successful in the early 2000s, emo pop became popular with Jimmy Eat World's 2001 album Bleed American and the success of its single "The Middle".[130] Jimmy Eat World,[130] the Get Up Kids[245] and the Promise Ring[246] also are early emo pop bands. The emo pop style of Jimmy Eat World's album, Clarity[247] influenced later emo.[248] The emo band Braid's 1998 album Frame & Canvas has been described as emo pop by Blake Butler of AllMusic, who gave the Braid album four out of five stars and wrote that Frame & Canvas "proves to be one of Braid's best efforts".[249] Emo pop became successful during the late 1990s, with its popularity increasing in the early 2000s. The Get Up Kids sold over 15,000 copies of their debut album, Four Minute Mile (1997), before signing with Vagrant Records. The label promoted them, sending them on tours to open for Green Day and Weezer.[120] Their 1999 album, Something to Write Home About, reached number 31 on Billboard's Top Heatseekers chart.[121] As of May 2, 2002, Something to Write Home About sold 134,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

As emo pop coalesced, the Fueled by Ramen label became a center of the movement and signed Fall Out Boy, Panic! at the Disco, and Paramore (all of whom had been successful).[130] Two regional scenes developed. The Florida scene was created by Fueled by Ramen; midwest emo-pop was promoted by Pete Wentz, whose Fall Out Boy rose to the forefront of the style during the mid-2000s.[130][250][251] Cash Cash released Take It to the Floor (2008); according to AllMusic, it could be "the definitive statement of airheaded, glittery, and content-free emo-pop[252] ... the transformation of emo from the expression of intensely felt, ripped-from-the-throat feelings played by bands directly influenced by post-punk and hardcore to mall-friendly Day-Glo pop played by kids who look about as authentic as the "punks" on an old episode of Quincy did back in the '70s was made pretty much complete".[252] You Me at Six released their 2008 debut album, Take Off Your Colours, described by AllMusic's Jon O'Brien as "follow[ing] the 'emo-pop for dummies' handbook word-for-word".[253] The album was certified gold in the UK.[254]

Emo rap

[edit]
Main article: Emo rap

Emo rap, a genre that combines emo music with hip hop music, began in the mid–to late 2010s.[255] Prominent artists of emo hip hop include Lil Peep,[256] XXXTentacion,[255] and Nothing,Nowhere.[257][258] In the mid-to late 2010s, emo rap broke into the mainstream. Deceased rapper XXXTentacion's song "Sad!" peaked at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on June 30, 2018.[259] Lil Uzi Vert's song "XO Tour Llif3" peaked at number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100[260] and the song was certified 6× platinum by the RIAA.[261]

Subculture and stereotypes

[edit]
Main article: emo subculture
Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy displaying features of emo fashion: skinny jeans, eye liner, and flat, straight, jet-black hair with long bangs covering the face

Emo emerged as a pervasive buzzword in the early 2000s as many of the groups associated with the style became among the decade’s bestselling rock acts. As emo grew in notoriety, the popular press tended to reduce emo to stereotypes of weepy male vulnerability, and the label was often met with critical derision. At the same time female emo fans like the music writer Jessica Hopper lamented how the music’s focus on subjective male suffering served to limit women’s roles and reduce them to voiceless, unattainable objects. The majority of groups lumped together as part of the genre were well aware of emo’s various negative connotations and unsurprisingly steadfastly refused any allegiance to an emo movement.

Theo Cateforis of Grove Music Dictionary (July 25, 2013) [2]

The beginning of emo as a subculture rather than just a style of music dates back to the mid-1990s San Diego screamo scene. The scene's bands, such as Heroin, Antioch Arrow and Swing Kids, and participants in this scene were often called "spock rock", in reference to their black-dyed hair with straight fringes.[236] As the vocalist of Swing Kids, Justin Pearson had choppy spikes protruding from the back of his head alongside straight fringes, which was a prototype for the emo haircut.[236] During this time, emo fashion was clean-cut and tended towards geek chic,[262] with clothing items like thick-rimmed glasses resembling 1950s musician Buddy Holly, button-down shirts, t-shirts, sweater vests, tight jeans, converse shoes, and cardigans being common.[18]

Emo fashion in the mid-to late 2000s included skinny jeans, tight T-shirts (usually short-sleeved, and often with the names of emo bands), studded belts, Converse sneakers, Vans and black wristbands.[263][264] Thick, horn-rimmed glasses remained in style to an extent,[263] and eye liner and black fingernails became common during the mid-2000s.[265][266] The best-known facet of emo fashion is its hairstyle: flat, straight, usually jet-black hair with long bangs covering much of the face,[264] which has been called a fad.[264] As emo became a subculture, people who dressed in emo fashion and associated themselves with its music were known as "emo kids" or "emos".[264]

Emo has occasionally been associated with the stereotypes of emotion, sensitivity, shyness, introversion or angst.[16][267][268] More controversially, stereotypes surrounding the genre included depression, self-harm and suicide,[264][269] in part stoked by depictions of emo fans as a "cult" by British tabloid Daily Mail.[270] Emos and goths were often distinguished by the stereotype that "emos hate themselves, while goths hate everyone."[271] In 2020, The Independent wrote on such stereotypes, that "emo was singled out for the destructive behaviour of teenagers who'd found a home in a subculture that offered them community and a vehicle for self-expression."[220]

Reception and impact

[edit]
An emo girl and emo boy together outside.
Two emo teens
Main article: Suicide in music subcultures
Further information: My Chemical Romance § Daily Mail controversy

This is such a funny time... I think just because so much of this language, it's like a youth code where heavy topics like suicide, depression, self-harm, things like that were like being grappled with in the music, but very rarely in a way that glorified it... Their music was a way out of it, or offering hope — a way that people could process these things and deal with it.

Chris Payne, author of Where Are Your Boys Tonight?: The Oral History of Emo's Mainstream Explosion, as quoted by Amelia Eqbal of CBC (Jun 19, 2023). [3]

In 2008, emo music was blamed for the suicide by hanging of British teenager Hannah Bond by the coroner at her inquest and her mother, Heather Bond, who suggested that the music and fandom glamorised suicide. They suggested Hannah's apparent obsession with My Chemical Romance was linked to her death. It was said at the inquest that she was part of an Internet "emo cult", and an image of an emo girl with bloody wrists was on her Bebo page.[272] Hannah reportedly told her parents that her self-harm was an "emo initiation ceremony".[272] Heather Bond criticised emo culture: "There are 'emo' websites that show pink teddies hanging themselves."[272] The coroner's statements were featured in a series of articles in the Daily Mail, one of which featured the headline, "Why no child is safe from the sinister cult of emo."[270] After they were reported in NME, fans of emo music contacted the magazine to deny that it promoted self-harm and suicide. Hundreds of teenagers protested and marched to the offices of Daily Mail to voice their opposition. "The kids stood up to it. The kids won,"[7][273] My Chemical Romance reacted online: "We have recently learned of the suicide and tragic loss of Hannah Bond. We'd like to send our condolences to her family during this time of mourning. Our hearts and thoughts are with them".[274] The band also posted that they "are and always have been vocally anti-violence and anti-suicide".[274]

The Guardian later described the purported link and subsequent backlash against emo in the 2000s as a "moral panic",[275] while Kerrang! compared it to historic controversies involving Judas Priest and Ozzy Osbourne, unduly demonising the subculture, and poorly examining mental health issues of young people.[270]

Feminist rock journalist and former riot grrrl Jessica Hopper criticised emo for its valorization of male suffering and inclusion of women only as distant and silent objects. "Records by a legion of done-wrong boys lined the record store shelves. Every record was a concept album about a breakup, damning the girl on the other side. Emo’s contentious monologue — it’s balled fist Peter Pan mash-note dilemmas — it’s album length letters from pussy-jail — it’s cathedral building in ode to man-pain and Robert-Bly-isms — it’s woman-induced misery has gone from being descriptive to being prescriptive. Emo was just another forum where women were locked in a stasis of outside observation, observing ourselves through the eyes of others." [276][277]

See caption
"Fuck emo" graffiti in Mexico

Warped Tour founder Kevin Lyman said that there was a "real backlash" by bands on the tour against emo groups, but he dismissed the hostility as "juvenile".[278] The backlash intensified, with anti-emo groups attacking teenagers in Mexico City, Querétaro, and Tijuana in 2008.[279][280] Legislation was proposed in Russia's Duma regulating emo websites and banning emo attire in schools and government buildings, with the subculture perceived as a "dangerous teen trend" promoting anti-social behaviour, depression, social withdrawal and suicide.[281][282] The BBC reported that in March 2012, Shia militias in Iraq shot or beat to death as many as 58 young Iraqi emos.[283] Some metalheads and punks often were known for disliking emos and criticizing the emo subculture.[284]

In 2025, a mollusk fossil was named after the genre as Emo vorticaudum. The name was chosen to reflect the distinct characteristics of the mollusk. According to Sanjana Gajbhiye of Earth.com, "[Emo] was named for its elongated, folded posture, which suggested unusual and unconventional ways of moving. Its name reflects individuality and adaptability, much like the cultural association with the emo style."[285][286][287][288][289][290]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Emo

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Emo is a rock music subgenre that originated in the mid-1980s as an evolution of punk, distinguished by its emphasis on introspective, emotionally charged lyrics delivered over melodic yet aggressive instrumentation. The term derives from "emotional hardcore," coined to describe the cathartic intensity of bands like , whose 1985 self-titled album and brief live performances in the scene pioneered the style's blend of raw energy and personal vulnerability. Pioneered in the underground punk milieu, emo evolved through regional variants in the 1990s, including the Midwest scene exemplified by bands such as Sunny Day Real Estate and Cap'n Jazz, which incorporated indie rock influences and complex song structures. By the early 2000s, emo achieved mainstream commercial success with acts like My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy, and Taking Back Sunday, whose albums fused pop sensibilities with confessional themes, selling millions and dominating MTV rotations. This period marked emo's shift from niche DIY ethos to arena-filling popularity, though purists often critiqued the dilution of its hardcore roots. Beyond music, emo spawned a defined by staples like skinny jeans, band merchandise, layered clothing in dark palettes, and asymmetrical hairstyles often featuring side-swept bangs and dyed accents. The emphasized and individuality, reflecting the genre's focus on authentic amid adolescent . Controversies arose in the 2000s when media outlets linked emo to increased and rates among youth, but empirical studies have found no causal connection, attributing such claims to rather than data-driven evidence, with lyrics serving more as outlets for existing distress than incitements. Despite periodic revivals and genre fusions like , emo's core legacy endures as a vehicle for unfiltered in .

Terminology and Etymology

Origin of the Term "Emo"

The term "emo" originated as a truncation of "emocore" or "emotional hardcore" within the Washington, D.C. hardcore punk scene of the mid-1980s. It emerged as a label applied to bands that shifted from the raw aggression and of early 1980s hardcore—exemplified by groups like —toward more introspective lyrics, melodic flourishes, and dynamic song structures expressing personal vulnerability. Guitarist Brian Baker, a key figure in the D.C. scene through bands such as and , is widely credited with coining "emocore" around this period as a mocking jab at these developments, highlighting their perceived emotional excess relative to hardcore's stoic norms. Documented early uses of the term date to 1985, aligning with the formation and debut EP release of Rites of Spring, a band whose intense, confessional style—featuring rapid tempo shifts and cathartic vocals—epitomized the shift. This coincided with the "Revolution Summer" movement in D.C., which emphasized positive, inclusive punk variants amid scene fatigue. Punk press and fanzines quickly adopted "emo" to distinguish this "second wave" from straight-edge predecessors, though it carried a dismissive connotation, akin to later slang like "skramz." Ian MacKaye, Minor Threat's frontman and Dischord Records founder, publicly criticized "emocore" in 1986 as redundant—arguing all music conveys emotion—and reflective of superficial labeling amid stylistic evolution. Bands targeted by the term, including and Embrace (featuring MacKaye), largely rejected it, preferring descriptors like "" to avoid pigeonholing. Despite initial resistance, "emo" persisted in underground discourse, later broadening beyond its origins as scene insiders debated its applicability. This foundational usage underscores emo's roots in punk's internal critiques rather than self-identification, with early adopters viewing it as an outsider imposition on innovative but contentious expressions.

Precursors in Punk and Hardcore

![Minor Threat performing live][float-right] Punk rock in the mid-1970s emphasized raw emotional expression and DIY ethos, laying groundwork for the faster, more intense that emerged in the early . Bands like the integrated romantically forthright lyrics into punk structures, prefiguring emo's focus on personal vulnerability over detached cynicism. Hardcore variants, such as straight-edge acts, amplified punk's aggression while rejecting substance use, influencing the D.C. scene's shift toward introspective themes. In , the milieu evolved during the mid-1980s Revolution Summer movement, which sought to infuse punk with positivity and inclusivity amid growing scene violence. , formed in 1984, epitomized this transition by blending hardcore's velocity with confessional lyrics addressing heartbreak and self-doubt, performed with abrupt dynamic shifts from quiet verses to explosive choruses. Drawing from predecessors like , the band expanded hardcore conventions by prioritizing emotional , though members later disavowed the "emo" label applied retrospectively. This "emotional hardcore" or "emocore" approach, debuting in Rites of Spring's 1985 live shows and self-titled EP, inspired contemporaries like Embrace and One Last Wish, who similarly foregrounded lyrical intimacy within punk frameworks. These acts diverged from hardcore's typical outward machismo, emphasizing internal turmoil and relational dynamics, thus seeding emo's core aesthetic of melodic intensity paired with raw sentiment. By 1986, Rites of Spring's dissolution marked the end of this nascent phase, but their influence persisted in circles, distinguishing emo's precursors from punk's broader aggression.

Musical Characteristics

Sonic and Instrumental Elements

Emo's sonic profile emphasizes dynamic contrasts, alternating between quiet, introspective segments and explosive, high-energy climaxes, which amplify emotional intensity through volume swells and abrupt shifts. These dynamics derive from roots, where arrangements incorporate melodic progressions in minor keys alongside punk-derived aggression, often structured in 4/4 or 6/8 time signatures to support yearning rhythms. Early exemplars like employed speedy instrumentation at tempos exceeding hardcore norms, blending rapid tempos with melodic interludes to evoke urgency. Instrumentally, emo relies on a standard rock quartet of dual electric guitars, bass, and drums, prioritizing guitar-driven textures for expressive layering. Guitars feature distorted tones via overdrive pedals, complemented by reverb, chorus, and delay effects to create atmospheric depth and facilitate transitions between arpeggios and palm-muted riffs. Bass lines provide propulsive foundations, locking with drum patterns that include intricate fills and breakdowns, as heard in bands like , where drums underpin tense guitar interplay. This setup enables intricate, riff-based compositions that prioritize melodic hooks amid distortion, distinguishing emo from straighter punk forms.

Lyrical Themes and Emotional Expression

Emo lyrics emphasize raw, confessional emotional expression, prioritizing personal vulnerability over detached observation, which distinguishes the genre from broader punk traditions. This approach stems from its roots in emotional hardcore, where vocalists deliver introspective narratives that confront inner turmoil directly, often through screamed or melodic delivery to heighten . Themes of heartbreak and loss dominate, as seen in depictions of failed relationships and the ensuing despair, reflecting listeners' experiences of romantic rejection and emotional isolation. Alienation and identity struggles form another core pillar, with lyrics probing self-doubt, social disconnection, and the search for authenticity amid adolescent pressures. issues, including depression, anxiety, and , appear frequently, framed not as clinical diagnoses but as visceral personal battles that demand . Existential and further amplify this, questioning life's purpose and mortality, as in La Dispute's "King Park," where lines like "Can I still get into if I kill myself?" evoke profound and moral reckoning. Such expressions resonate through dynamic shifts in intensity, mirroring emotional volatility—soft verses building to explosive choruses that release pent-up frustration. Critics note that while this candor fosters connection, some lyrics veer into melodrama, idealizing suffering or fixating on unrequited longing, as compiled in analyses of "cheesiest" emo lines from bands like . Yet, the genre's strength lies in its unfiltered honesty, influencing later fusions like , where artists such as echo similar vulnerability in tracks blending heartbreak with self-laceration. Overall, emo's lyrical framework prioritizes emotional authenticity, enabling fans to process complex feelings through shared narrative, though interpretations vary by subgenre and era.

Historical Development

1980s: Roots in Emotional Hardcore

The roots of emo trace to the mid-1980s Washington, D.C. hardcore punk scene, where bands began incorporating intensely personal, confessional lyrics into the fast-paced, aggressive structure of hardcore, distinguishing it from the genre's earlier focus on social and political critique. This evolution, later termed "emotional hardcore" or "emocore," emphasized raw emotional vulnerability over mosh-pit machismo, with performances marked by cathartic intensity and melodic shifts amid distortion. The scene's pivot was catalyzed by "Revolution Summer" in 1985, a series organized by founder to counter stagnation in hardcore by promoting bands prioritizing introspection and innovation. Rites of Spring, formed in late 1983 and active through 1985, exemplified this shift with their self-titled EP released in October 1985 on , featuring blistering tempos, dynamic tempo changes, and lyrics exploring heartbreak, regret, and personal turmoil, such as in tracks like "For Want Of." Fronted by Guy Picciotto's screaming vocals and Brendan Canty's driving rhythms, the band played fewer than 40 shows, yet their influence stemmed from live performances that prioritized emotional release, influencing subsequent acts. Though members like Picciotto later rejected the "emo" label as reductive, their work is retrospectively credited with pioneering the style's core elements of melodic aggression fused with vulnerability. Concurrent bands like Embrace, formed by MacKaye in 1985 after Minor Threat's dissolution, furthered emocore through short-lived output including the 1987 album Embrace, which blended hardcore speed with introspective themes of relationships and self-doubt. Other D.C.-area acts, such as One Last Wish (active 1985, with a posthumous 1999 release drawing from sessions) and Beefeater, contributed by experimenting with angular riffs and shouted confessions, though their recordings remained underground and limited in circulation due to the era's DIY ethos. This period's output was confined to small venues and independent labels like Dischord, with no mainstream radio play, fostering a niche audience within punk subcultures that valued authenticity over commercial appeal. By the late , these foundations dispersed as key figures like Picciotto and MacKaye formed in 1987, evolving emocore toward broader experimentation.

1990s: Underground Expansion and Diversification

In the 1990s, emo expanded underground from its 1980s emotional hardcore origins in , with bands increasingly incorporating melodic and elements, fostering regional scenes particularly in the Midwest. This diversification marked the "second wave" of emo, shifting from raw aggression to more introspective, dynamic song structures with quiet-loud contrasts and intricate guitar lines. Key acts like released their debut album on May 10, 1994, via Records, featuring breathy vocals and emotional intensity that influenced subsequent bands. The Midwest emo scene gained prominence, with groups such as —formed in 1993 in —and The Get Up Kids—established in 1995 in —emphasizing personal lyrics and "twinkly" guitar melodies over pure hardcore speed. , active from 1990 and hailing from Chicago suburbs, blended youthful energy with influences, releasing early demos and contributing members to later emo projects like . 's 1996 album 30° Everywhere further exemplified this evolution, gaining traction in indie circles through its accessible yet emotive punk sound. Independent labels supported this growth; Jade Tree Records, founded in 1990 by Tim Owen and Darren Walters in , became a hub for emo and , issuing releases from Lifetime, (formed 1994), and that documented the era's underground vitality. Bands toured via DIY networks, small venues, and zines, maintaining an anti-commercial ethos while experimenting with genre boundaries, setting the stage for broader diversification without mainstream penetration. Mineral's 1997 debut The Power of Failing underscored the scene's emotional depth, with confessional themes driving its among college radio listeners.

2000s: Mainstream Commercialization

Emo transitioned to mainstream commercial success in the early 2000s, marked by the platinum certification of Jimmy Eat World's album released on July 24, 2001, which peaked at number 31 on the and introduced broader audiences to melodic emo elements. Bands like , with Chris Carrabba's acoustic-driven emotional delivery, further bridged underground appeal to wider recognition through tours and appearances that emphasized confessional lyrics. This period saw increased major label interest, shifting many acts from independent imprints to larger distributors, enabling greater production values and marketing budgets. By the mid-2000s, pop-influenced emo bands dominated charts, exemplified by Fall Out Boy's , released on May 3, 2005, which debuted at number 9 on the with 68,000 first-week sales and later achieved 5× platinum status in the for over 5 million units shipped. My Chemical Romance's , issued on October 23, 2006, debuted at number 2 on the and topped charts in multiple countries including the , with lead single "" reaching number 9 on the and number 1 on the UK Singles Chart. These releases combined theatrical emo aesthetics with radio-friendly hooks, propelling sales and media exposure. The Vans Warped Tour significantly amplified emo's visibility, serving as a key platform from the early 2000s onward where bands like Fall Out Boy and performed alongside pop-punk acts, fostering a dedicated fanbase through annual multi-city events that drew hundreds of thousands. MTV's Total Request Live (TRL) further catalyzed popularity by featuring music videos from emo and adjacent bands, with Fall Out Boy's "Sugar, We're Goin Down" and similar tracks achieving high rotation and fan-voted countdown spots, exposing the genre to teen demographics beyond niche scenes. This commercialization involved major label acquisitions and merchandising tie-ins, such as with retailers like , which stocked band apparel and accessories, transforming emo from a DIY punk offshoot into a marketable phenomenon with associated fashion trends. However, the influx of signed acts and formulaic production drew criticism from original emo adherents for diluting the genre's raw, emotional hardcore origins in favor of profit-driven accessibility.

2010s–2020s: Decline, Revivals, and Contemporary Scene

Following the mainstream peak of the 2000s, emo experienced a notable decline in commercial visibility during the early 2010s, as radio and sales shifted toward genres like and broader pop influences, reducing airplay for rock subgenres including emo. Band disbandments contributed to this downturn, with high-profile acts such as officially ending in 2013 after internal tensions and shifting personal priorities among members, marking the close of an era for theatrical emo-pop. Album sales for remaining emo-associated bands dropped sharply; for instance, Warner Music Group's rock roster, which included emo acts, saw revenues fall by over 50% from 2008 to 2012 amid the broader digital disruption of . A counter-movement emerged in the mid-2010s through the "," an underground resurgence emphasizing raw, DIY aesthetics and drawing from 1990s indie emo roots rather than 2000s commercialization. Bands like , , and Modern Baseball gained traction via small venues and releases, with albums such as Tigers Jaw's Charmer (2014) achieving cult status for their introspective lyrics and mathy guitar work, amassing tens of thousands of streams without major label backing. This wave, often termed fourth-wave emo, prioritized emotional authenticity over spectacle, fostering scenes in cities like and through festivals like The Fest and independent tours. Nostalgia-driven reunions bolstered visibility; announced their reformation on October 31, 2019, via a surprise show poster, leading to sold-out tours that drew over 100,000 attendees in 2022 alone and reaffirmed emo's fan loyalty despite the hiatus. Into the 2020s, emo's contemporary scene thrives in niche digital spaces rather than charts, propelled by streaming platforms and social media algorithms that resurfaced 2000s tracks—such as My Chemical Romance's "Welcome to the Black Parade" surpassing 1 billion Spotify streams by 2023—and TikTok virality during pandemic isolation, where users recreated emo aesthetics and covers, generating millions of views under hashtags like #EmoRevival. Active bands like Movements and Turnover continue blending post-hardcore edges with melodic confessionals, releasing albums such as Turnover's Chest Fever (2023) that charted modestly on Billboard's Alternative Albums at No. 12, while newer acts in midwest emo, including Awakebutstillined, explore lo-fi production and themes of isolation tailored to Gen Z experiences. Events like the When We Were Young festival, debuting in 2022 with over 50,000 attendees for reunited 2000s lineups, underscore a revival rooted in millennial nostalgia intersecting with younger audiences, though mainstream radio remains indifferent, prioritizing hip-hop and pop crossovers. This persistence reflects emo's causal endurance through subcultural communities, undeterred by commercial ebbs, with DIY labels and platforms enabling sustained output absent 2000s-era hype.

Hardcore-Derived Subgenres

Emocore, also known as emotional hardcore, emerged in the mid-1980s from the Washington, D.C. hardcore punk scene as the foundational hardcore-derived form of emo, emphasizing intense through personal, confessional delivered over aggressive with dynamic shifts between quiet introspection and explosive outbursts. Bands such as , formed in 1984 and active until 1986, pioneered this style with their self-titled EP released in 1985, influencing subsequent acts like Embrace and by prioritizing cathartic vulnerability amid hardcore's speed and brevity. This subgenre retained punk's DIY ethos but diverged through melodic guitar elements and themes of inner turmoil, distinguishing it from straight-edge hardcore contemporaries. Screamo developed in the early as a more extreme evolution of emocore, amplifying aggression with screamed vocals, chaotic structures, and brief, visceral songs that blend melodic interludes with dissonant, high-pitched shrieks. Originating in scenes like San Diego's, bands such as and exemplified this shift, pushing emo's hardcore roots toward rawer confrontation of despair and alienation, often in tracks under two minutes. Later groups including , active from 1997 to 2004, and refined by integrating complexity, though purists later differentiated "skramz" for its even more abrasive variants to distance from mainstream emo perceptions. These elements maintained ties to hardcore's intensity while heightening emo's focus on unfiltered emotional release. Post-hardcore influences within emo's hardcore lineage, seen in bands like formed in , incorporated angular rhythms and experimental textures while preserving aggression, but this broader category often extended beyond strict emo boundaries into art-punk territory. Unlike pop-infused later emo, these subgenres prioritized underground authenticity and live energy over commercial polish, fostering dedicated scenes through cassette trading and small-venue performances in the 1980s and 1990s.

Pop and Rap Fusions

Emo fused the introspective lyrics and dynamic structures of emo with pop's emphasis on catchy hooks and melodic accessibility, emerging prominently in the late 1990s. Bands such as and the Get Up Kids exemplified this blend through albums like Jimmy Eat World's Clarity (1999), which combined intricate guitar arrangements with themes of personal vulnerability, influencing subsequent acts despite initial underground appeal. The genre's mainstream breakthrough occurred in the mid-2000s, as Fall Out Boy's (2005) debuted at number one on the , selling over 2.7 million copies in the U.S. by incorporating energy with emo's emotional narratives, alongside contemporaries like and . Emo rap, a later fusion, integrated hip-hop beats and rap delivery with emo's confessional themes of mental health struggles and isolation, gaining traction in the mid-2010s. Precursors included Kid Cudi's Man on the Moon: The End of Day (2009), which debuted at number one on the and featured atmospheric production exploring depression and introspection, setting a template for emotional vulnerability in rap. The subgenre exploded with artists like , whose Come Over When You're Sober, Pt. 1 (2017) blended trap elements with emo-inspired melodies and peaked at number 38 on the posthumously, and , whose Goodbye & Good Riddance (2018) topped the with tracks addressing heartbreak and substance issues. Pioneered by underground figures like Bones in the early 2010s through influences, emo rap often employed auto-tuned vocals and lo-fi aesthetics to convey raw emotion, distinguishing it from traditional emo's rock instrumentation.

Subculture and Identity

Fashion, Aesthetics, and Visual Symbols

Emo fashion emphasized tight-fitting clothing that conveyed emotional vulnerability and androgyny, with skinny jeans emerging as a staple in the early 2000s mainstream era, often paired with band t-shirts and hoodies. Studded belts and canvas sneakers like Converse or Vans completed the look, drawing from punk roots while adapting to a more introspective aesthetic. This style contrasted with earlier 1990s emo iterations, which favored "geek chic" elements such as v-neck sweaters, fitted jeans, and horn-rimmed glasses among underground scenes. Hairstyles featured prominently in emo aesthetics, characterized by side-swept bangs—often long enough to cover one eye—and frequently dyed jet-black for a dramatic effect, originating in late-1990s scenes like San Diego's " rock" influences. Makeup, particularly black applied by males, symbolized emotional openness and , gaining visibility through bands like AFI and becoming a marker of the by the mid-2000s. These elements fostered an androgynous presentation, blending punk rebellion with personal expressiveness. Visual symbols in emo extended beyond apparel to motifs reflecting lyrical themes of heartbreak and , such as illustrated broken hearts or band-specific icons in album art and merchandise. The subculture's aesthetic avoided overt political symbols, focusing instead on personal like the "emo fringe" as a for identity, though it faced stereotyping as overly dramatic. Overall, these features solidified in the commercialization phase, distinguishing emo from goth through brighter accents amid dark palettes.

Community Formation and Stereotypes

The emo community originated in the mid-1980s Washington, D.C. hardcore punk scene, where bands like emphasized raw emotional expression in lyrics and performances, drawing small but dedicated audiences to DIY venues and fostering early bonds through shared vulnerability and anti-commercial ethos. By the early , this evolved into regional underground networks, particularly in the Midwest, with groups such as and American Football building followings via independent cassette releases, fanzines, and house shows that prioritized intimate, participatory experiences over polished production. These efforts created tight-knit groups centered on mutual support for personal struggles, often documented in self-published newsletters and college radio airplay. In the , the community's scale expanded dramatically through digital platforms, as enabled fans to upload homemade tracks, customize profiles with genre aesthetics, and connect across geographies, replicating the confessional intimacy of live shows in online forums and fan pages. This shift democratized access, allowing unsigned acts to gain traction via user-generated playlists and comments sections, while sites like hosted early emo demos, culminating in viral phenomena that bridged underground authenticity with broader youth networks by 2003-2005. Physical meetups persisted at festivals and all-ages gigs, but virtual spaces amplified communal rituals like lyric quoting and artwork sharing, solidifying emo as a hybrid online-offline identity. Stereotypes portraying emo participants as excessively brooding, fashion-obsessed youths fixated on romantic despair emerged prominently in the late and peaked during the mainstream surge, often reducing the to caricatures of self-pitying teens in black attire and side-swept bangs. These tropes stemmed from the genre's lyrical focus on and heartbreak—evident in bands like —but were exaggerated by media outlets emphasizing alienation and fringe behaviors, sidelining the supportive dynamics within fan circles. Visual markers such as studded belts, Converse sneakers, and layered hoodies became shorthand for perceived emotional fragility, fueling peer mockery in schools and online, though empirical accounts from participants highlight resilience and creative outlet over inherent pathology. Critics within punk communities derided these images as inauthentic dilutions, yet they persisted due to commercial amplification via and record labels targeting adolescent markets around 2002-2007.

Reception and Critical Analysis

Achievements and Positive Influences

Emo achieved significant commercial success in the mid-2000s, with bands like , Fall Out Boy, and attaining platinum-selling albums and arena tours, marking a peak period for the genre's mainstream penetration. 's 2006 album exemplified this breakthrough, blending theatrical rock elements with emo's confessional style to reach wide audiences. Awards recognition followed, including Dashboard Confessional's 2002 MTV Video Music Award win and 's two in 2024 for Best Rock Album and Best Alternative Music Performance. The genre fostered innovation in by emphasizing lyrical vulnerability and emotional depth, influencing subsequent styles like and fusions through DIY production and direct fan engagement. Emo bands built loyal fanbases via merchandise sales and self-managed tours, demonstrating effective branding that sustained profitability outside dominance. Emo's subculture provided youth with a communal outlet for expressing personal struggles, promoting and reducing isolation through shared and that validated emotional experiences. Participation in emo communities correlated with mood improvement and stress reduction from music engagement, contributing to early destigmatization of discussions among adolescents. This emphasis on raw sentiment encouraged creative self-expression, fostering resilience in listeners by normalizing sorrow as a powerful artistic force akin to punk's energy.

Criticisms of Authenticity and Excess

Critics of emo, particularly those rooted in punk and hardcore traditions, have frequently accused the genre's mainstream iterations of lacking authenticity, arguing that commercial pressures led to contrived emotional displays rather than genuine vulnerability. During the early 2000s, as bands like and Fall Out Boy achieved widespread commercial success through major-label deals and exposure, traditionalists contended that this shift diluted emo's origins in the raw, confessional intensity of 1980s emotional hardcore acts such as and Embrace, transforming it into a marketable aesthetic focused on theatrical angst for profit. Genre purists viewed the incorporation of pop elements and polished production as a betrayal, prioritizing sales over the DIY ethos and unfiltered personal expression that defined earlier waves, with some dismissing later emo as "poseur" detached from its punk foundations. This perceived inauthenticity extended to lyrical content and performance styles, where critics argued that bands exaggerated personal turmoil to fit a formulaic template of heartbreak and alienation, appealing to teenage audiences without substantive or . For instance, the mainstream emo wave's emphasis on confessional narratives was seen by some as commodified therapy rather than artistic , with enabling a homogenized "sad kid" brand that sidelined the political and communal aspects of proto-emo. Parallel criticisms targeted emo's excess in emotionalism, portraying the genre as overly indulgent in and , with lyrics and vocals often derided as whiny and immature. Detractors, including writers, described the nasal, high-pitched styles of bands like or as grating and artificial, amplifying adolescent complaints about relationships and isolation into histrionic crescendos that prioritized raw volume over nuance or restraint. This excess was faulted for fostering a of unchecked , where songs' "emotional machinery" felt overblown and embarrassing, potentially encouraging listeners to romanticize trivial woes without fostering resilience or broader perspective. Such critiques peaked amid the boom, when emo's saturation in media led to backlash against its perceived navel-gazing, contrasting sharply with the disciplined intensity of its hardcore precursors.

Controversies and Debates

Associations with Self-Harm and Mental Health

Empirical studies have identified correlations between identification with alternative youth subcultures, including emo, and elevated risks of self-harm and suicidal ideation, though evidence specific to emo remains limited and primarily associative rather than causal. A 2018 systematic review of 15 studies concluded that affiliation with subcultures such as emo, goth, and heavy metal is linked to higher incidences of self-harm and suicide attempts, with odds ratios indicating up to twofold increased risk compared to non-affiliated peers, potentially due to shared traits like emotional vulnerability or social stigmatization. However, these associations may reflect self-selection, wherein individuals predisposed to mental health challenges gravitate toward subcultures expressing similar themes of angst and isolation, rather than the subculture inducing harm. Emo music and , characterized by exploring heartbreak, depression, and existential despair, have been stereotyped in clinical and media contexts as exacerbating issues among adolescents. For instance, a 2015 study in The Lancet Psychiatry found that teenagers identifying with —a stylistic precursor and overlap with emo—exhibited higher rates of depression (prevalence of 1.7) and deliberate ( of 2.3), with emo's emotional confessionalism potentially serving as both a mechanism and a risk amplifier through normalization of distress.00164-9/fulltext) No large-scale longitudinal data isolates emo fandom as a direct predictor of , and general adolescent rates hover around 15-20% regardless of subcultural ties, suggesting broader factors like familial instability or play dominant roles. Critics of causal claims argue that emo's introspective focus provides therapeutic value by articulating unexpressed pain, potentially reducing isolation for vulnerable . A analysis of goth-adjacent music preferences noted that while depressive symptoms correlate with such genres (correlation coefficient r=0.25-0.35), listening may function as an early indicator rather than progenitor of , with no evidence of worsened outcomes from exposure. Sensationalized media reports in the mid-2000s, linking emo to clusters of teen suicides in regions like the and , often lacked rigorous controls for confounders like preexisting mood disorders, contributing to moral panics without substantiating subculture-driven causation. Overall, while emo communities report higher self-disclosed struggles, rigorous research underscores the need for distinguishing attraction effects from influence, prioritizing interventions addressing underlying vulnerabilities over subcultural blame.

Cultural Stereotyping and Backlash

The emo encountered pervasive stereotyping during its mainstream peak in the mid-2000s, with adherents frequently caricatured as overly emotional, self-pitying individuals prone to depression and . These portrayals emphasized visual markers like side-swept bangs obscuring one eye, tight clothing, and black eyeliner as symbols of contrived , often dismissing participants as "posers" seeking attention through melodramatic expression rather than genuine artistic engagement. Media coverage amplified such tropes, linking emo to superficial rebellion and emotional excess, which critics argued glamorized struggles without deeper context. This stereotyping fueled broader cultural backlash, manifesting in ridicule and outright hostility toward emo as a label synonymous with weakness or inauthenticity. Within punk and alternative scenes, emo was derided as a diluted, commercial perversion of hardcore roots, with fans accused of performative misery that undermined subcultural credibility. The term "emo" evolved into a slur by the late , evoking images of whiny teenagers rather than the genre's lyricism, prompting bands like to distance themselves from the association amid fanbase infighting. Nowhere was this backlash more violent than in , where anti-emo sentiments escalated into mob attacks starting in March 2008. On March 7 in , approximately 800 assaulted emo gatherings in a public square, beating three teenagers and filming the assaults, with perpetrators decrying emos as effeminate deviants promoting and . Similar incidents followed in and , involving clashes between emos and punks, who viewed the as an invasive, apolitical trend threatening traditional identities; authorities reported over a dozen hospitalizations from these "emos vs. punks" confrontations. Online calls from "anti-emo" groups preceded the violence, framing emos as cultural pollutants, though some analysts attributed the unrest to underlying and class tensions rather than music alone.

Cultural Impact and Legacy

Influence on Broader Music and Youth Culture

Emo's commercialization as emo-pop in the early 2000s facilitated its breakthrough into mainstream rock, with bands achieving significant chart success and sales. Fall Out Boy's From Under the Cork Tree, released on May 3, 2005, debuted at number 9 on the Billboard 200 with 68,000 first-week units and has sold over 5 million copies in the United States, earning 5× platinum certification. My Chemical Romance's single "Welcome to the Black Parade" from their 2006 album The Black Parade peaked at number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 1 on the UK Singles Chart, exemplifying emo's melodic emotionality resonating with wide audiences. These milestones elevated emo-derived acts like Paramore and Panic! at the Disco, blending confessional lyrics with pop-punk structures to influence alternative rock's commercial trajectory. Emo's stylistic elements extended to hybrid genres, notably emo rap emerging in the mid-2010s via platforms, where artists fused trap beats with emo's introspective themes of and loss. Figures like and Machine Gun Kelly drew from 2000s emo bands, incorporating guitar riffs and vulnerability into hip-hop, thus broadening rap's emotional palette and attracting Gen Z listeners facing challenges. Emo revivals in the , inspired by 1990s Midwest acts, further perpetuated its influence, spawning bands that innovated on roots and sustained underground scenes. This enduring adaptability underscores emo's role in evolving rock subgenres toward greater lyrical introspection. In , emo promoted androgynous —skinny jeans, layered band tees, studded accessories, and asymmetrical hair—that infiltrated mainstream by the mid-2000s, driven by music videos and . These styles, initially tied to bands like and Fall Out Boy, normalized expressive wardrobes among teens, with elements like dark eyeliner and Converse sneakers persisting in cycles of revival. Beyond visuals, emo subculture encouraged overt emotional disclosure, countering societal pressures for and fostering communities on early platforms like where fans shared personal struggles, thereby shaping adolescent identity formation around authenticity over conformity.

Long-Term Societal Reflections

The , peaking in popularity during the mid-2000s, contributed to a broader cultural shift toward acknowledging emotional vulnerability among adolescents, particularly by providing lyrics and aesthetics that validated feelings of alienation and heartbreak often suppressed in mainstream youth norms. Bands like and Fall Out Boy articulated personal struggles in accessible ways, fostering communities where individuals shared experiences of anxiety and depression, which some observers credit with early destigmatization efforts predating widespread social media mental health campaigns. This resonated especially with males, challenging traditional expectations of by normalizing public displays of sentiment through music and , though linking emo directly to reduced stigma remains anecdotal rather than longitudinal. However, long-term societal outcomes remain debated, with no consensus on whether emo's emphasis on raw emotion enhanced resilience or inadvertently normalized self-destructive behaviors. Studies from the and associated alternative subcultures, including emo, with elevated rates among teens—such as non-suicidal self-injury prevalence in surveys of "emos" exceeding general adolescent averages by factors of 2-3—but causal mechanisms are unclear, potentially reflecting self-selection where distressed youth gravitate to expressive outlets rather than the subculture inducing harm. Critics, including professionals, have noted risks of glamorizing ideation through lyrical tropes, yet follow-up data shows no sustained spike in rates attributable to emo's era, which aligned with stable or declining U.S. adolescent figures from 2000-2010 per CDC records. In retrospect, emo's legacy lies in accelerating youth-driven dialogues on that persist into Gen Z's online spaces, influencing genres like and platforms where vulnerability is commodified yet communal. While often amplified stereotypes of emo as pathological—potentially biasing perceptions toward negativity—this arguably modeled causal realism in personal narratives, prioritizing authentic emotional processing over performative conformity, even as commercialization diluted its punk roots. Long-term, it underscores a societal pivot: from viewing as transient to recognizing it as a signal for systemic support needs, though without rigorous cohort studies tracking emo participants into adulthood, claims of transformative impact rely more on cultural retrospectives than verifiable metrics.

References

  1. https://www.masterclass.com/articles/emo-music-guide
  2. https://wvau.org/blogs/emo-explained-its-origins-evolution-and-revival/
  3. https://teachrock.org/lesson/emo-a-short-history/
  4. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/40-greatest-emo-albums-of-all-time-23526/
  5. https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/when-emo-conquered-the-mainstream
  6. https://getsadyall.com/blogs/gsy/understanding-the-emo-subculture-key-characteristics-and-values
  7. https://aesthetics.fandom.com/wiki/Emo
  8. https://davidbuckingham.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/emo.pdf
  9. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1012310.pdf
  10. https://www.loudersound.com/features/six-pack-the-reluctant-leaders-of-emo
  11. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/27/arts/music/emo-songs-washington-playlist.html
  12. https://www.instagram.com/reel/DFp7yx7N0TJ/
  13. https://honorablementionmagazine.com/editorial/emo-history-2/
  14. https://www.reddit.com/r/Emo/comments/xu8qtx/ian_mackaye_embrace_talking_shit_about_the_term/
  15. https://www.talkhouse.com/emo-a-personal-history-in-three-parts-part-1-1987-1990/
  16. https://theshfl.com/guide/Emo
  17. https://www.tastemakersmag.com/articles/emo-evolution
  18. https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2012/nov/27/rites-spring-summer-punk-rock
  19. https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/2023/09/21/olivia-rodrigo-emo-punk/
  20. https://getsadyall.com/blogs/gsy/the-evolution-of-emo-and-pop-punk-music-through-the-decades
  21. https://getsadyall.com/blogs/gsy/origins-of-emo-music
  22. https://www.yellowbrick.co/blog/music/unleashing-the-emo-sound-transformative-melodies-and-sonic-experiences
  23. https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-characteristics-of-the-emo-style-of-music
  24. https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/60392/Rites-of-Spring-Rites-of-Spring/
  25. https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/7880/Sunny-Day-Real-Estate-Diary/
  26. https://www.riffhard.com/how-to-play-emo-guitar/
  27. https://interminablerambling.medium.com/some-of-my-favorisunny-day-real-estate-ca1243eb41d9
  28. https://www.musicgateway.com/blog/spotify/what-is-emocore
  29. https://getsadyall.com/blogs/gsy/unlocking-emotion-understanding-the-lyrical-themes-in-emo-and-pop-punk
  30. https://getsadyall.com/blogs/gsy/unpacking-the-emotional-spectrum-lyric-themes-in-emo-and-pop-punk-music
  31. https://www.reddit.com/r/Emo/comments/674r4z/most_depressing_line_in_a_song/
  32. https://www.tumblr.com/jadedpunk-blog/48934039886/50-cheesiest-emo-lyrics-of-all-time
  33. https://pudding.cool/2018/08/emo-rap
  34. https://www.nme.com/blogs/nme-blogs/emo-wave-guide-evolution-2302802
  35. https://www.interviewmagazine.com/music/secret-history-emo-music
  36. https://honorablementionmagazine.com/editorial/emo-history-1990s/
  37. https://www.popmatters.com/sunny-day-real-estate-diary-atr30
  38. https://www.vice.com/en/article/jade-tree-the-essentials-the-overlooked-and-the-rightfully-forgotten/
  39. https://www.popmatters.com/promise-ring-nothing-feels-good-atr25
  40. https://www.spin.com/2014/07/jade-tree-records-tim-owen-interview/
  41. https://jadetree.com/about
  42. https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffbenjamin/2025/09/04/fall-out-boys-breakthrough-album-certified-5x-platinum-before-20th-anniversary-edition/
  43. https://www.billboard.com/artist/my-chemical-romance/
  44. https://www.vice.com/en/article/warped-tour-and-emo-changed-my-life-456/
  45. https://www.altpress.com/bands_on_trl_countdown/
  46. https://afterpartybloggnv.com/2024/11/23/hardcore-to-hot-topic-the-major-label-takeover-of-emo-in-the-2000s/
  47. https://getsadyall.com/blogs/gsy/the-rise-and-fall-of-emo-and-pop-punk-in-mainstream-media
  48. https://www.facebook.com/groups/721924148701427/posts/1772029100357588/
  49. https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/articles/features/10-years-ago-alternative-music-was-in-decline-until-this-indie-masterpiece-revived-its-most-successful-and-polarizing-genre-181637
  50. https://collider.com/my-chemical-romance-all-american-rejects-2010-emo-resurgance/
  51. https://www.reddit.com/r/Emo/comments/sadtx3/favourite_2010s_emo_band/
  52. https://getsadyall.com/blogs/gsy/emo-revival-the-rebirth-of-emo-music-in-the-2010s
  53. https://nyulocal.com/my-chemical-romance-is-back-905d80972dac
  54. https://www.dazeddigital.com/music/article/56168/1/my-chemical-romances-reunion-tour-proves-that-emo-will-never-die
  55. https://www.polygon.com/2021/3/2/22298265/tiktok-emo-music-video-celebrities
  56. https://getsadyall.com/blogs/gsy/resurgence-of-emo-pop-punk-modern-music
  57. https://www.dazeddigital.com/life-culture/article/55282/1/welcome-to-the-rawring-20s-the-rise-and-return-of-emo
  58. https://americansongwriter.com/the-legacy-of-emo-is-it-gone-for-good/
  59. https://daily.bandcamp.com/features/no-leaf-unturned-numero-group-chart-the-history-of-emocore
  60. https://www.invisibleoranges.com/understanding-screamo-a-dissection/
  61. https://myemoreligion.wordpress.com/2020/07/08/post-hardcore-the-most-under-appreciated-emo-genre/
  62. https://ultimatepopculture.fandom.com/wiki/Emo_pop
  63. https://recordingarts.com/record/evolution-of-hip-hop/emo-rap/
  64. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/emo-rap-uzi-vert-lil-peep-1364026/
  65. https://rateyourmusic.com/genre/emo-rap/
  66. https://www.tumblr.com/rawrdotexe/176143389853/the-history-of-emo-fashion
  67. https://www.reddit.com/r/Emo/comments/yjuz5w/how_did_emo_transition_from_being_slackercore_to/
  68. https://www.gq.com/story/guyliner-emo-history
  69. https://medium.com/psych-pstuff/beyond-the-black-eyeliner-emo-unveiled-understanding-the-psyche-and-aesthetics-of-a-subculture-a852f16c1b1c
  70. https://www.gettyimages.com/illustrations/emo-symbols
  71. https://www.allure.com/story/emo-beauty-trend-resurgence
  72. https://getsadyall.com/blogs/gsy/the-diy-spirit-of-emo-and-pop-punk-music
  73. https://www.museumofyouthculture.com/love-letter-myspace/
  74. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUNRgW0SOxk
  75. https://www.thecurrent.org/feature/2023/06/02/this-youtube-channel-preserves-90s-music-at-its-heaviest
  76. https://lennonwall.aauni.edu/emo-culture-confronting-stereotypes-and-controversy/
  77. https://study.com/learn/lesson/emo-subculture-traits.html
  78. https://allaxess.com/25-best-emo-bands-that-changed-alternative-rock-forever-the-ultimate-ranked-list/
  79. https://www.npr.org/2024/10/17/nx-s1-5106855/emo-music-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame
  80. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/1tM7yZdRsNn2qZth0WMCRBs/emo-never-dies-how-the-genre-influenced-an-entire-new-generation
  81. https://exnihilomagazine.com/how-emo-bands-built-ultimate-brand-strategy/
  82. https://firescholars.seu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1022&context=ccplus
  83. https://getsadyall.com/blogs/gsy/the-connection-between-emo-and-pop-punk-and-mental-health
  84. https://capitalcurrent.ca/resurgent-emo-subculture-reminds-a-troubled-world-its-okay-to-be-not-okay/
  85. https://imposemagazine.com/bytes/new-music/emo-revival-hotelier
  86. https://theedgesusu.co.uk/features/2018/03/24/image-versus-music-why-has-emo-fallen-out-of-trend/
  87. https://ratanarchist.neocities.org/essays/the-politics-of-emo
  88. https://www.flowjournal.org/2023/12/real-emo/
  89. https://davidbuckingham.net/growing-up-modern/emo-and-the-paradox-of-contemporary-youth-culture/in-search-of-emo/
  90. https://getsadyall.com/blogs/gsy/the-most-controversial-moments-in-emo-and-pop-punk-history
  91. https://eprints.lancs.ac.uk/id/eprint/153783/1/Authenticity_is_a_fetishized_value_in_music_fan_cultures_yet_its_definitions_are_unstable_and_contradictory.pdf
  92. https://www.furious.com/perfect/emo2.html
  93. https://pittnews.com/article/186084/opinions/opinion-midwest-emo-music-a-debate/
  94. https://bpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/bjc.12179
  95. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4067739/
  96. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8352808/
  97. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/41395852_Suicide_and_emo_youth_subculture_-_A_case_analysis
  98. https://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/youth/emo.pdf
  99. https://getsadyall.com/blogs/gsy/the-controversies-surrounding-emo-and-pop-punk-music
  100. https://www.reddit.com/r/MyChemicalRomance/comments/15kwi1x/why_does_everyone_seem_to_think_emo_is_an/
  101. https://www.campustimes.org/2022/01/23/emo-to-e-boy-the-evolution-of-a-subculture/
  102. https://www.npr.org/2008/04/01/89265941/mobs-in-mexico-attack-fans-of-emo-music
  103. https://www.wired.com/2008/03/anti-emo-riots/
  104. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/anti-emo-violence-plagues-mexico-as-attacks-increase-80654/
  105. https://www.facebook.com/EricAlperPR/posts/fall-out-boys-from-under-the-cork-tree-has-been-certified-5-platinum-in-the-us-f/1349927090136297/
  106. https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/official-charts-flashback-2006-my-chemical-romances-welcome-to-the-black-parade-rises-to-number-1__34262/
  107. https://www.kerrang.com/how-emo-rap-has-redefined-rock-music
  108. https://genius.com/a/misery-business-how-gen-z-rappers-are-reinventing-the-emo-pop-punk-influences-of-their-childhood
  109. https://getsadyall.com/blogs/gsy/emo-fashion-trends-2000s-to-today
  110. https://punkdesign.shop/blogs/goth-fashion-blog/what-is-emo-style
  111. https://getsadyall.com/blogs/gsy/iconic-emo-fashion-trends-through-the-decades-an-expression-of-identity
  112. https://getsadyall.com/blogs/gsy/emos-influence-on-music-genres
  113. https://www.vice.com/en/article/how-mainstream-emo-made-us-talk-about-mental-health/
  114. https://elementspgh.com/the-emo-music-movement-and-the-destigmatization-of-mental-health-a-reflection-on-trauma-and-generation-z/
  115. https://www.bps.org.uk/research-digest/are-emos-goths-and-rockers-increased-risk-self-harm-and-suicide
  116. https://getsadyall.com/blogs/gsy/impact-of-social-media-on-emo-culture
  117. https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/millennials-gen-z-and-the-emo-legacy-left-behind/
Add your contribution
Related Hubs
Contribute something
User Avatar
No comments yet.