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Emo, a term which originated as an abbreviation of emotional hardcore, is now broadly used to describe almost any form of guitar-driven alternative rock that expresses emotions beyond traditional punk's limited emotional palette of alienation and rage. The abbreviation has increasingly come to stand for emotional as the links between modern usage of the term and the original genre have become more and more tenuous. Most recently (from 2002 to present) bands with more lyric driven songs have been labelled emo because their lyrics seem to be depressing and focus on hatred, mostly dealing with relationships.
The change of meaning has largely been attributed to the success of Jimmy Eat World. In the 1990s, they were considered an archetypal emo band. However, they began to move away from the emo genre and play music that took on a wider set of influences, most notably pop-punk acts like Green Day. As the band achieved greater and greater mainstream success, they became the most widely known emo band, and the term, rightly or wrongly, became inextricably linked to their sound. Bands who had a similar emotional bent to Jimmy Eat World yet played music that differs greatly from the original emo sound, such as Dashboard Confessional, Taking Back Sunday and The Used, have all been labelled emo, and the term has become more and more popular as an umbrella term for any modern music with interspective and often cynical lyrics, unusually long song titles that have little to do with song's lyrical content (which is a trend popularised by early 90s grunge acts like Nirvana taken to an extreme) and emotionally charged vocals which often incorporate screaming (though bands who include strong elements of screaming in their sound are sometimes labelled screamo). Amongst the most popular bands to be increasingly labelled screamo are Thrice. The term "screamo", however, was used to describe an entirely different genre in the early 1990s, and Thrice themselves more resemble the emocore of the 1990s.
The defintion of the term emo has become increasingly all-encompassing, and is often applied (correctly or not) to such varied bands as Coheed and Cambria, Taking Back Sunday, The Starting Line, Thursday, A Static Lullaby, From First To Last, Finch, Silverstein, From Autumn To Ashes, Underoath,Poison the Well and Alexisonfire. It also often linked with similar modern musical trends, such as metalcore.
'Emo' is also used as an adjective to describe actions or attitudes commonly linked to modern emo, or to fans of this genre, most commonly teenagers. The term itself originated as a way to describe the music of the mid-1980s D.C. scene and associated bands, mainly Rites of Spring and Embrace, as well as bands such as Moss Icon, and Dag Nasty. The term addressed both the way the band connected with its audience, as well as its tendency to deal more with topics of personal and relationship politics than with the standard themes of punk music. None of the members of the originating bands invented the term nor did they purposely apply it to themselves. The label was applied by outside critics or journalists and many acts and fans consider the word itself a pejorative. In recent times however, more so than with most other musical genres, the term "Emo" has been subject to social perception above objective guidelines. What bands are or aren't Emo is therefore highly subjective and contested amongst those with an interest in the genre. As a result the term Emo has two main uses; as a label for the genre outlined above and as a multi-purpose adjective and umbrella term used to describe a large cross-section of music and popular culture.
Today, the term "Emo" is increasingly ambiguous, and is often used disparagingly to describe something that is overly sentimental or melodramatic, and is used in a similar way to the usage of "gay" as a derogatory adjective. The term "Emo kid" is often used as an insult aimed at people who dress in a way based upon Emo fashion, or who listen to music considered being "Emo". This is similar to the term "goth" being used as a pejorative aimed at those who were involved in the nu metal trend. It is commonplace for people to refer to themselves or others as "Emo" or "Emo kids" now. Some claim that this is similar to the usage of the term nigga by many African-American rap artists (though the level of negativity that has been associated with the term "Emo" is in no way comparable with that of the "N-word"). Others, mostly veterans or fans of the original Emo sound, or those sometimes referred to as "Emo" but who consider the term a pejorative, believe that usage of the term in this constant is the product of ignorance of the actual meaning or connotations of the word "Emo" amongst those who use it self-referentially.
With the success of rock bands such as The Get Up Kids, Jimmy Eat World and The Promise Ring, the music industry has promoted a series of successful, Emo-influenced bands. The term has come to be used in conjunction with a vast array of powerpop bands that are incorrectly labeled by large media conglomerates as a tactic to sell records to teenagers. Whether the apparent misappropriation of emo-related terms is the fault of the major labels or simply due to the lack of popular knowledge about the earlier scenes is unclear. As the old proverb says, "History is written by the victors," and it remains to be seen which version of the genre will be accepted as the popular consciousness of "emo".
For more on the terms origins, see the main Emo article.
Emo fashion
Main articles: Emo fashion and Fashioncore See also: Scene kids
Traditionally, the term "Emo" when used in describing clothing meant clothes such as tight jeans and fitted T-shirts or polo shirts, sweaters, and "Buddy Holly" glasses.
The "Emo nerd" with sweaters and thick-rimmed black glasses became a popular form of Emo fashion after Rivers Cuomo (singer/guitarist of the popular band, Weezer) began wearing them at concerts and in press photos.
As the term "Emo" has become more common amongst mainstream music fans and the media, and it is now used to describe a wide array of musical styles the "Emo nerd" is no longer the most common form of Emo fashion, it is still one of the most widely recognised stereotypes of the Emo sub-culture.
There are now several distinct strands of Emo fashion. Most of these originate from fans emulating the styles of members of their favourite groups and are themselves derived from pre-existing fashions of the New Wave, punk, metal, indie, grunge, Goth and hardcore genres and sub-cultures.
The fashioncore trend of Emo fashion is highly visible. The basic fashioncore style of clothing has been constant: tight fitting T-shirts and hooded sweatshirts, usually either black and featuring the logo of a band or a semi-ironic slogan or image (such as the logo of a 1980s cartoon series like Thundercats); tight-fitting jeans worn low (often below the buttocks — another style appropriated from hip-hop subculture), usually suspended with a studded belt; and trainers. Converse All-Stars, once the most common form of footwear has been displaced by hi-top or retro trainers, usually Nikes. Messenger bags decorated or customised with band logo pin badges are also often associated with this strand of Emo fashion. This style of clothing is also often seen as being metrosexual in nature.
"Scene kids" tend to follow short-lived trends, most appropriated from other sub-cultures. These have included bandanas (which were previously associated with both hip-hop and homosexual sub-cultures), sweatbands, eyeliner (for males) and recently L.E.D. belt buckles, which display scrolling text. As the popularity of these items increases, those who are considered to be most "scene" (hip) abandon them for the next trend.
MySpace has become established as a staple of the fashioncore trend. People who are part of this scene are usually identifiable by their screen names, which often feature song quotes, or other stereotypically "Emo" phrases, usually surrounded with "x"s (the use of which has evolved from the straight edge sub-culture).
Emo hair styles
The most common Emo hair style is jet-black dyed hair, sloped to cover, or partially cover, one eyes (usually the right). Sometimes this is known as the "Emo comb-over", because the hair sweeps from the back of the head and looks like the way a bald man would grow a patch of comb-over hair to hide his bald spot. This style is credited to the band Refused, whose members had uniform jet black hair sloped to partially obscure the right eye. The uniform dress code of the band has also been an influence of Emo fashion — especially the fashioncore strand — in general.
As "Emo" has become more part of popular conscience, "Emo haircuts" include a wider array of styles, again associated with fashioncore and most commonly sported by scene kids. Common aspects of Emo hairstyles are:
- The DIY-orientation - Emo hair that is not professionally cut is considered to be more scene. Emo kids' friends cut their hair, or they cut it themselves.
- Jet black, bleached blonde, or dark hair with a reddish or purplish tinge are all very Emo, as is hair with distinct sections of contrasting colors (all-over black hair with a section of bleached blonde in the undermost layer of the back is quite common).
- Emo hair is short-ish, and does not differ much from gender to gender. It is common for boys and girls to have oily and/or shaggy hair that covers the eye and reaches the shirt-collar. Boys usually wear theirs unkempt and girls may wear clips on the front. It is common for both to have bangs cut straight across their brow ridges, and swept to one side.
The Devilock
The Cure, The Misfits and AFI are credited with the most popular Emo hairstyles. Robert Smith of The Cure had his long hair drooping over his eyes, but had the back slightly shorter and spiked out. Jerry Only of The Misfits invented a haircut in the late 1970s/early 1980s known as a "devilock" (now the Only Devilock) with the hair cut short, but leaving the fringe to grow very long and to be combed forward over the eyes. During the "All Hallows EP" and "The Art of Drowning"-era, AFI front man Davey Havok used to have a haircut that mixed these two styles together, cutting his hair short by way of the standard hardcore punk shirt and spiky haircut, but left only his immediate fringe to grow long, at least down to his chin. He also dyed his blond hair black from a very young age (the Havok Devilock).
The neo-mullet
Also referred to as a skewed mullet or 90-degree mullet, this is an updated version of the much-derided classic mullet haircut. The basic "business at the front, party in the back" cut is often modified with a longer piece of hair on one side at the back, whilst the front section of the cut often partially obscures one eye (most commonly the "tail" at the back slopes to the left while the fringe slopes to the right). This haircut is commonplace amongst both male and female scene kids. The hair is almost always dyed jet black, and it is then commonplace for sections to be highlighted either blonde or red.
Tattoos
The tattoos most often associated with the Emo trend and scene kids are:
- Stars, most commonly on the forearm, often times are nautical stars.
- Sleeves or half-sleeves, though these are more commonly associated with metalcore and mathcore bands and fans.
Piercings
Piercings are extremely common in the Emo culture (perhaps because they are so commonly associated with pain). The more piercings an Emo kid has, the more "scene points" she or he is able to rack up. Bonus points for Emo kids who pierce themselves. The most common "Emo" piercings include:
- black plugs with a gauge of two or less on both ears. Steel or wooden tunnels, while generally accepted, makes one look more indie than Emo - another opportunity to rack up scene points.
- labrets, or lip piercings at a strategic off-center spot on the lower lip. The choice of jewelry usually includes curved barbells, studs, or ball closures. You may increase the gauge of these as well.
- Snake Bites, or Double lip piercing with one piercing on the left and right side of the lower lip. Usually with studs or ball closures
Criticism
Emo has been subjected to an unusually high level of criticism when compared to other musical genres, sub-cultures or trends. The vitriol aimed at the term "Emo" even exceeds that aimed at the similarly popular nu metal trend during its peak popularity.
"Cheer Up Emo Kid"
"Emo kids" or "Emos" are stereotypically seen as being whiny, angst-ridden, and painfully love-struck teenagers. When attacking "Emo," its detractors often refer to wrist-slitting. This is largely due to the lyrical themes of music that is contemporarily labelled "Emo"; the connection between violence and romance is a very popular idea in Emo. Other bands, such as Thursday, address other topics considered depressing. The criticisms levelled at "Emo" because of reasons such as these are virtually identical to those levelled at other genres which have at one time or another been staple listening for angst-ridden teenagers, such as grunge, nu metal and goth. However, it could be argued that Emo was made to try to emulate these genres, to sell albums. This viewpoint is also based on the widely accepted notion that the majority of "Emo kids" are middle-class, privileged white kids. One of the biggest arguments about Emo is that it is trying to take a genre of music (punk for example) and make it accessible to the mainstream public by watering it down and making it sound more like other bands that sell. Therein lays the argument that Emo is mainly about the money, and hardly about the music. Of course, the more popular the term "Emo" becomes and the more bands that it is used to refer to, the harder it is for our cultural memory to have a solid idea of its meaning.
"Say No To Emo"
Other criticisms directed at Emo are also shared with past musical trends; that Emo is "bad music" or that it is a shallow and soulless money-making trend. Many consider it ironic that those who despise Emo for being a trend are in actuality part of the anti-Emo trend itself. Scores of websites have sprung up aimed at criticizing or ridiculing Emo. Fans of many other musical genres have been known to wear T-shirts or other items with anti-Emo slogans such as "Say No To Emo."
Sexuality
Criticisms of Emo, often laced with anti-gay slogans and terms like "Emo fag," have become common. There are many likely reasons for this, one being that the popularity of Emo fashion is largely linked to metrosexuality; followers of Emo fashion display clothing and style stereotypically linked to gay culture; their style also leans towards an androgynous look, e.g. boys wearing makeup, having no facial hair, and wearing clothes that accentuate a slim build.
Another reason is that many "Emo girls" display a strong attraction towards gay or bisexual male activities. Though it is common in Western culture for men to find lesbianism erotic, females finding homo- or bi-sexuality erotic receive less mainstream attention but are common in many specialized interest groups including the Emo sub-culture. Pages collecting pictures of Emo boys making out have been created on internet sites such as MySpace (see example at Emo Boys Who Kiss). This can be linked back to the fact that the Emo "look" perpetuates androgyny. Emo boys are more naturally predisposed to kiss other boys who look slightly feminine. This male homoerotica is viewed far less liberally than female homo-erotic experimentation in Western culture, and therefore has created many strong anti-Emo feelings amongst "retrosexuals". Female homoeroticism also exists within the Emo subculture, as evidenced by Emo Girls Who Kiss.
Sexism
Comparisons have been drawn by some between the 1980s hair metal scene and Emo, as some hold the opinion that they are both misogynistic forms of music produced predominantly by males. The notion that Emo is possibly misogynistic is based largely on the stereotypically "Emo songs" which focus on broken hearts. These songs are almost always told from a male perspective, due to the fact that vast majority of Emo vocalists are male, and some consider the lyrics to present an unfair representation of women.
However, more are beginning to understand that using the simple observation that most Emo artists identify as male as the basis for the cause of sexist undertones in Emo culture and songs is actually heterosexist.
Examples that have been cited of bitter break-up lyrics that have supposed sexist connotations include:
- I hope the next boy that you kiss has something terribly contagious on his lips Brand New - Jude Law & A Semester Abroad
- You can lead a whore to water and you can bet she'll drink and follow orders Glassjaw - Pretty Lush
Females are stereotypically "the root of all evil" in Emo lyrics. For example, the Taking Back Sunday song 'You're So Last Summer' includes the line "the truth is you could slit my throat, and with my one last gasping breath, I'd apologise for bleeding on your shirt".
Emo groups
For groups of the emocore or hardcore emo period see:
For a more general list of emo groups see:
See also
Sources
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External links
- how to be: Emo The Emo Guide To Life in video form.
- The Emo Videogame — an online video game series dedicated to Emo culture, which is very tongue-in-cheek and self-effacing.
- Emo-ology — an attempt to create an Emo discography
- Emo in the sense described by this Article
- "what the heck *is*Emo anyway?" a semi-comprehensive FAQ/parody on the subject
- Emo Farm- A funny film about a farm that raise emos.
- Mighty Moshin Emo Rangers An Emo themed parody of 90's kids show Power Rangers.
- The Ten Stages of Emo A humorous website about Emo music and culture
- Myemospace.com Pokes fun at scenes and the scene-lover infested entity of myspace.com
- axioentertainment.com's Emo guide, a guide that pokes fun at Emo attitudes/styles
- Identity Crisis Emo Game, A parody of Emo as done by Maddox.
- how to be Emo A updating page about the new fads and developments in the 'Emo world' warning:: this is a parody.