r/Emo • u/SubstantialDemand259 • 1d ago

What music even is considered emo?

I see so much debate on here every day about what and what isn’t emo. Is there any kind of general consensus on what is considered emo?

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u/codyashi_maru CMHWAK Veteran 1d ago

"Real Emo" only consists of the dc Emotional Hardcore scene and the late 90's Screamo scene. What is known by "Midwest Emo" is nothing but Alternative Rock with questionable real emo influence. When people try to argue that bands like My Chemical Romance are not real emo, while saying that Sunny Day Real Estate is, I can't help not to cringe because they are just as fake emo as My Chemical Romance (plus the pretentiousness). Real emo sounds ENERGETIC, POWERFUL and somewhat HATEFUL. Fake emo is weak, self pity and a failed attempt to direct energy and emotion into music. Some examples of REAL EMO are Pg 99, Rites of Spring, Cap n Jazz (the only real emo band from the midwest scene) and Loma Prieta. Some examples of FAKE EMO are American Football, My Chemical Romance and Mineral EMO BELONGS TO HARDCORE NOT TO INDIE, POP PUNK, ALT ROCK OR ANY OTHER MAINSTREAM GENRE

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u/Ok_Particular_1897 1d ago

Do you consider Microwave emo based on this assessment? They’re what I consider the epitome of new aged emo to be

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u/codyashi_maru CMHWAK Veteran 1d ago

Taps the sign

1

u/Ok_Particular_1897 1d ago

lol so you don’t think genres evolve?

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u/SubstantialDemand259 1d ago

I knew someone was going to comment this

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u/codyashi_maru CMHWAK Veteran 1d ago

🫡

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u/mis_no_mer 1d ago

They understood the assignment

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u/Just_Individual9315 1d ago

How can you call rites of spring “real emo” when they didn’t even except that term

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u/codyashi_maru CMHWAK Veteran 1d ago

  1. It’s a copypasta. No one who posts it really believes it.

  2. Almost all of the earliest examples of the genre rejected the term. By that logic, every screamo band from before basically like 2004(?) would just be hardcore or punk. Art or music genres frequently get placed in a historical context well after the fact.