what is emo? waves, interpretations and definitions!

xxherlastwalkxx 11/29/23

like i said on my main emo page, emo is a pretty vague category of music and is subject to a lot of different interpretations, especially 3rd wave emo, which is the stuff i talk most about on this website. i'll try not to be too much of a historian here because that's really not where i'm most knowledgable. as with any genre, strict definitions will fail and "emo" as i perceive it will not be the same as the way everyone else perceives emo, but i'm going to do my best to provide an informed interpretation of the genre.

the waves of emo

for those who are unaware, the "genre" of emo has changed pretty greatly over time (which doesn't make defining the genre particularly easy). these different styles of emo are divided into "waves" to show the progression of the genre. i recommend reading this fandom wiki page for a quick idea of the waves of emo.

tldr:

• 1st wave: emotional hardcore ("emocore")
• 2nd wave: midwest emo
• 3rd wave: 2000s emo
• 4th wave: "emo revival," an indie-inspired sort of take on midwest emo, as well as sometimes 3rd wave emo

this is a very general and not super detailed look at the waves of emo, but i can't say that holistic emo history is super well documented. honestly, this reddit post is more helpful and more accurate than some of the stuff you'll find out there. this website (and my music taste) is mostly concerned with 3rd wave emo, which is especially debated as far as genres go. in order to understand 3rd wave emo, it's important to keep in mind the first two waves, which are necessary in informing classifications of the following waves. (there's also talk of a fifth wave, but that's not important for this article)

what is third wave emo?

this article (and pretty much this whole website) is going to talk mostly, if not only, about third wave emo. when i say "emo" i generally just mean third wave emo and artists that are inspired by or that sound like third wave emo bands. part of the reason the classification of third wave emo in particular is so hard is because of its commercialization. what this means for the genre is that there are going to be songs, albums and bands associated with the scene that may or may not actually belong there. it's also a pretty capitalized thing now with stuff like when we were young fest and emo nite. along with this, emo is popularly seen as an "aesthetic" or a fashion trend, more or less disconnected from any music scene (or sometimes connected to music that is usually alt rock/metal).

third wave emo was the wave of emo that hit the mainstream in the 2000s. it's the most well-known of the waves of emo, as it tends to be poppier and less esoteric than other waves (especially first wave). it is also associated with the fashion style and trends set by fans of the music during the 2000s and 2010s. popular bands of the scene tended to be more pop-leaning than punk-leaning, though both aspects are important to the "genre."

how do i like to "define" emo?

i would roughly define emo as "a take on hardcore punk characterized by introspection and femininity, often utilizing pop tendencies to heighten its emotional power." now hear me out. i know i said a lot of words.