The TikTokification of Emo Music 

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Not pop-punk but I want to remind you of the banger of a line "You tell your boyfriend that if he got beef, that Im a vegetarian and I ain't fucking scared of him"

Gabi’s commitment to using footage where the mic did not pick up here singing classic cringes instead of re-shooting or re-conceptualising is one of the reasons I continue to watch her videos

The bigger problem is less that it's "cringe" and more that individuality/community is dying overall. So many things are amalgamations of each other that its killing these things. Everything is starting to look and feel like waiting in line at the DMV with a bag of low-salt, low-calorie pringles. No genuine creativity, and what is genuine is having its soul beaten out of it to appease an algorithm.

I'm sorry but that song you did in the end kinda slaps 😭 the writing (not the lyrics but the arrangement and production) was better than some tiktok musicians ngl

"resurgence of emo" and they just look like what non alt people think emos look like 😭😭

I hate the way some of these cringe pop punk guys sexualise goth women.

LOL, really liked the "blink or mgk" segment. blink is my second-favorite band ever, i know all their songs by heart. didn't fool me a bit, but it was fun!

Gabi mentioning the lack of sense with the phrase ‘could care less’ makes me feel so validated, it always confuses me when people say it like that!

YOU MET WEEZER????

8:02 “THIS IS THE HARDEST SONG WE HAVE EVER WRITTEN 👹👹 i met a girl and i really thought she liked meeee 💅💅✨🤪” vibe 😭😭

The fact that you didn't mention MySpace even once is wild 😅

i saw tx2 (the band being cringey on tiktok for publicity ) perform live as an opener for a show i went to and they were actually great! amazing energy, vibes, and overall message in terms of fighting for queer rights. def don't think they deserve any hate for trying to get their music out there.

I don't hate mgk for making people think pop punk is cringe. I hate him because he's a creep and seemingly has built his image around being bargain bin Lil Peep

They broke the big unwritten rule, they committed the biggest punk sin: they revealed that it was an industry by actual trying to become famous…

The cutting in and out audio whilst you're singing is hilarious, I am glad you didnt decide to redo those bits

The whole "Hardest rock song ever made" montage gave real "Can you burn a Luigi board" vibes.

as a canadian i can confirm nickel back is just canadian

As a dad in his very early 40's, who has been a Panic fan for 20 years, I felt attacked by your assessment of their cringy lyrics. You were absolutely right but I still felt attacked.

I now feel the need to recommend a few post-emo bands who are killing it right now. Origami Angel - My favorite band, period. Phenomenal punk/emo duo. I encourage anyone who likes emo to listen to Somewhere City at least once. Overtheweather - Super small, but mighty. Unique sound and just overall wonderful to listen to. Old Room is a great place to start. Spanish Love Songs - Lyricism, vocals, everything; just fantastic. I recommend Brave Faces, Everyone the most. Mom jeans. - I'm sure a lot of people know these guys already. They rock. Best Buds is a fantastic album. I really don't know if this comment will be found, but these guys deserve all the support in the world.

I remember I used to go to these concerts, and feel this unreal connection with every single person in the audience of "there are other people who feel the same as I do, and we are not alone, and we can feel it all together tonight." I don't know if it's just cuz I'm older, or not in my hometown anymore, but it feels like all the concerts I've been going to lately feel... like no one cares about each other, and they're only there for the hype. I feel like your video hits home about how tiktok (tbh all social media) itself prioritizes approval of the masses, which kinda sucks, and I hope there will be a shift towards community again

The mic cutting out when you were singing your heart out had me crying

to be fair, MGK probably sings about being a teenager since that’s his traditional dating pool.

Your mic not picking it up makes the bit so much better

This might sound crazy, but listening to Pierce the Veil at 27 hits different because I've actually experienced life now

Hearing "Dress like you wish you did in 2007" fucking destroys my soul at 38...

I think a huge part of why this wave of emo music is less emotionally affecting isn't only because "it hits different when you're in your 20s", but importantly also that there isn't really a culture tied to the music anymore. music genre used to play a lot more into how you dressed daily, who you hung out with, and the place you saw yourself in society. this definitely had downsides, but also added a lot of depth and shared in-group experience to the music! today's emo has been aestheticized - it's currently more about a vibe, a mood, rather than a whole community and culture

So happy to know that you love Scene Queen She is, in fact, fucking iconic

Gotta be honest, this new generation of emos being called posers and hanging out on tiktok feels very in line with the original emos, who were called posers and were hanging out on myspace

As someone old enough to think emo was just kids too young to appreciate goth I love the idea that now those emo kids are mad about younger emo kids

i think a lot of the issue with tiktok emo/alt music is a lot of it lacks actual substance or memorability, it all feels very surface level, samey and a lot of the artists treat emo as more costumey instead of an actual subculture

Good emo / post-hardcore band Saosin. Their album “In Search of Solid Ground,” has basically no bad songs on it. Start with the song “I Never Wanted Wanted to”

2004: this feels like a lot of rich teens living in LA 2024: this feels like a lot of rich teens living in LA

As a former emo kid, I feel like a big part of why people hate new emo/punk/grunge music so much is that it reminds us of how alt subcultures have been taken over by consumerism. Like, being punk or grunge in the 70s-90s actually meant something about your political beliefs and morals. I was emo in the early 2010s, when the popularity of the subculture had kind of died down, but I feel like there was still an element of shared culture, experiences, and beliefs, especially on platforms like tumblr. A lot of these subcultures were explicitly anti-capitalist, and served as a safe space for people that were queer or had mental health issues. So, I think people are frustrated at the fact that these "industry plant" musicians can just decide to become emo/punk one day, and buy the clothes from shein, without having to learn about the values and histories of those subcultures. I don't think it's fair to put all of the blame on these musicians, but I understand people's frustration that being emo/punk has become more about aesthetics and what clothes you buy than an actual lifestyle. Especially when most of these new emo/punk musicians aren't doing anything new with the genres. Like, I think a lot of people forget just how diverse these genres used to be. When I was emo, my favorite bands were My Chemical Romance, Panic at the Disco, and Pierce the Veil, and even though they all fall into the "emo" category, they have incredibly different sounds. But yea, considering the fact that the unofficial emo slogan was "It's not a phase, it's a lifestyle", this whole thing just makes me feel kind of sad.

Tik tok is coming for every music genre I feel.

Just wanted to let you know from a massive pop punk fan, I love your song at the end! It's a certified (by me) bop

I think it's important to note that while many of the most recognized pop-punk/emo bands may have been "industry plants" a huge amount of them actually made good music and gained a following before getting signed and pushed, which is very much not the case with a lot of new acts who are releasing their first songs only after having a contract. I think that's another reason why a lot of it feels so detached and superficial. Furthermore, I can be certain, but it seems a lot of the tiktok musicians seem to be just a vehicle, not writing their own stuff, just singing what the label had written for them. Sure, "old emo" may have had a bunch of writers or producers chipping in ideas, but much of it was actually written. There's a story about Blink being forced to write First Date and Rock Show for the label to sell a couple more pop-driven songs, but people still like those songs (although maybe less than others), because Tom and Mark are talented writers. I think Olivia Rodrigo is a good modern day comparison. Some of her stuff is poppier, more label-directed, sure, but she still writes her own stuff about her own experiences (as far as I know). Also, the old guard may have also been "industry plants" but they were still far more punk than the new generation. They actually tried to push boundaries and fight back against the labels, even in small ways (think Simple Plan writing Addicted, specifically trying to get a vulgar word past censors or even Fall Out Boy being smart asses and titling a song Thnks fr th Mmrs because the label said to shorten their song titles). One last thing, a lot of the old emo/pop-punk bands truly did come from shitty little towns and were outcasts, so even if it's pushed by a label, it's more believable when they say it. TL;DR A lot of Old Emo earned their spot becoming popular before being signed to big labels and a lot of newer stuff feels disingenuous because artists aren't writing for themselves or don't really believe what their own songs are saying. PS I don't hate all newer emo/pop-punk. there are still a lot of good modern acts (Magnolia Park, Meet me at the Altar, Yours Truly, etc)

The new Paramore album was exceptional. It wasn’t trying to be a nostalgia act, it was just really good made by people who care.

The microphone not picking it up and gabi not giving a shit makes it even more emo.

living for the mic cutting in and out of you singing

Love that you featured @Honey Revenge because I sae them live and they're so genuine. 🤘🏾

One thing to point out is that the emo aestetic we're seeing on ticktock feels like the most extreme version of it. A lot of the biggest bands in emo at that time weren't that deep into alternative fashion. It was a lot more self conscious than that, like they had the skinny jeans and the eyeliner and the fringe, but like there was way more restraint, because they were people experimenting and dabbling in an aestetic. There was a lot more variety i felt, it feels like every new emo act i see is like instantly full black veil brides

Emo is happening everywhere in basements and living rooms, tiktok emo is so far removed from what emo really is that its basically a joke. Thats not a “REAL EMO IS ONLY THE DC HARDCORE” thing, but theres a certain genuineness that emo requires, that the goobers on tiktok aren’t pulling off.

I love a Gabi music analysis video. You have such a good faith approach to it and have so much fun with it. And we get Gabi music?!?! Yeeees!! Your music, parodies, homages, all of it is so fun.

you articulated so well everything I’ve thought about all of this. super well done

honestly i think people are overlooking how many pop-punk bands tried and failed to blow up at the same time as fall out boy and panic and the like. an artist who was posting all their work on myspace was likely trying to do the same thing as artists posting now on tiktok. sometimes people just make bad music. you dont need to listen to someones music just because they tell you to. being subject to an advertisement doesn't mean you have to give it your attention.

When youve been in the alt scene for over 20 years its really easy to spot whos wearing an "emo costume" and who actually looks like that on a daily basis.

thank you for speaking what I already noticed but havent organized my thoughts, this is kinda awesome

the beginning bit of playing iconic emo bangers made me so nostalgic for middle school. im still alternative, but i haven't listened to some of those in years

4:45 Here I am once again insisting that Check Yes Juliet is actually a great song.

i agree that labels have always been responsible for pushing pop punk artists out there, but in the early noughties they were being discovered by playing shows in their local scenes, or later on by posting their music online on myspace. the music was the discovery, which led to the artist being signed. now, with tiktok, the artist is the discovery. labels are looking for the full package, and the music is secondary. artists have always had to put themselves out there to get signed, but now they have to continue that self promotion even after that point. the artists aren't the problem, the labels are.

Wow I only heard the song at the end once and it is already stuck in my head. Good job! I like the tongue-in-cheek sarcastic lyrics... reminds me of the generic country song parodies people make. This is the first video of yours I have seen, time to watch more!

Ngl the cutting audio mixed with the lyrics fading in with that emo lyric font got me real quick. But this video in its context is great.👍🤣

31:41 i know this song is mostly satire but "this empty bottle and your glass lips" is actually such a raw line what the hell lmao

Gabi you’re so real for dropping a song that’s simultaneously a banger but also sounds like it debuted on The Suite Life of Zack and Cody

I unironically think your voice is amazing 🥰

Hi Gabi, I feel like I watched way too many videos from you, even though I've only subscribed a few days ago, but the kind of throw-away-songs (that's what they feel like) are really good. Also, I related to this video very much, so thanks for that as well! Keep it up.

The way I saw the title and immediately said “I bet tx2 is there” 💀💀💀

u can't bring up old tøp song lyrics and attack me like this im still very impressed by Tyler's songwriting 😭

not only is the video great, but holy fuck you captured something with your song at the end. It's like parody, but also somehow more authentic than anything else I've heard since I was just a kid and my life was a nightmare in ohio.

Okay hearing that dude say he knowingly made cringe to piss people off and push his music is actually punk rock as hell. I gotta respect that hustle

the only thing i'm afraid of is that i hated the music when it came out and now i love it... so in 10 years will i love the current cringe emo music?

I'll say if you really wanna support the current wave of emo going on right now, some bands I recommend include: Hot Mulligan, Ben Quad, Home is Where, Sweet Pill, Carly Cosgrove, Koyo, Mom Jeans, and Arm's Length. Granted some of these are a little more toward the indie or midwest-type emo than pop punk.

The mustang in the back tells me how awesome your playlist is

giving me life at the parts the mic didn't pic you up girlie 😭😭😭

hi gabi, we're yet another modern emo/pop punk band getting lost in the noise. just want to say thank you for this video. it's super accurate from our experience and it's nice to have the landscape of things so well presented. it's a weird time man. use trends to get traction, but be original, promote your music, but not too much. i think most modern bands accept we're never going to be the next nirvana or mcr, there's just so much oversaturation and those with money or connections are only getting bigger slices of the pie. i know it all sounds rather doom and gloom, but there's a beautiful irony here. it all gives us something to get really emo about. and hopefully that leads to great music. sure it won't get listened to by the masses, but as a kid all it took was one great song by one great band to keep me going. that's what matters.

Thank you for this video! I was a little emo teen in the early 2000s and the whole point was not giving a shit what other people think. The "new" emo/alt scene especially on tik tok is so heavily pushed it loses all it's authenticity

i like a lot of tx2 songs cause i just find them funny. they never make it into a genuine emo playlist, but they rule my playlist of songs that don’t sound bad but make me laugh

Instagram Reels has shockingly recommended me a ton of great indie bands in the last couple of months. Like actual produced and polished stuff compared to the slapdash aesthetic thievery of TikTok pop-punk/emo stuff. It almost feels like a new version of MTV, but on my phone.

The emo song "we are prince and princess.." whatever is basically the same song as kings and queens by 30 seconds to mars.. We are the kings and queens of promise...

MGK branching suddenly into emo punk music wasn’t that surprising to me because the only reason I knew he existed was cause of his collab on sleeping with sirens song alone from yeeeeeaaars ago lol

I liked your song. Pretty cool. I loved how the lyrics had almost all the tropes you talked about earlier in the vid. Had me cracking up and jamming at the same time 😂😂

Not me LITERALLY practicing the vocals and chords to "Lying Is The Most Fun A Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off" MOMENTS before watching this video. I STILL have the ultimateguitar tab open. HUMILIATING

Really enjoyed this video. Great work Gabi.

Great video and the ending song is a legit banger

Alright well thank you for that absolute banger at the end. Really shows the difference in writing that people can have when they lived through the genre. Well said all around.

I agree w/ other comments that it definitely feels like they're putting on a costume. all the classic punk bands used what they had and a style naturally emerged, 00s emo & pop punk typically only had one guy that really committed to the Look. Like ffs the lead singer of one of the biggest pop punk bands was known for wearing a trucker hat & their little sister band went full 70s beatles overnight. Even the Clash was doing reggae half the time. It's not so much the sound or look as the authenticity of their beliefs, emotions & messages, and we live in a progressively more inauthentic and irony poisoned culture where it's more hard to come by

your mic cutting out while you're singing is so fucking funny it's sending me LMFAOOOO

MGK linked to pop punk goes even further back. In 2011 the twins from good charlotte under the name the madden bros created a mix tape and he was on at least 1of their songs and I remmeber them talking about him alot

your choreography is flawless! Just awesome :D :D :D

9:54 I'm from the same town as a major pop punk band, and every time they had a line like (example) "pull me out of this sinking town," I was like... but I like this town... :(

The outro song ATE. Hardest emo song of the summer???

The song ya made (BTW so random, I love it 😅) is giving me major early 2000s teen drama movie vibes...like play it in the back of one of the Olsen twin films 🎥

Just found your channel. Time to sub and binge. Hurray!

As an "elder emo", the only problem I have with tik tok and emo music as like a whole is that the people who bullied me for liking this type of music are now getting into it BECAUSE of tik tok its just kinda annoying to witness that :/

23:00 actually you can hear clearly whose song is if you're a sound engeneer. MKG drums are INSANELY compressed, while Blink's are not.

the mic not picking up your singing is so funny :D

Thank you so many people use could care less instead of couldn't all the time ahhhh

I just saw Fall Out Boy and Jimmy Eat World perform here in Portland. The audience was freaking amazing and the show was a fever dream.

ur emo song is lowkey a bop. also, i agree, there is defiantly some amazing talent on tiktok. i found an indie band by the name of "Tiger really" i really enjoy thier music. its fresh, but also emulates old emo in a way.

I’ve been going to pop punk and emo shows since 2008 and I still gotta give my flowers to my favorite band ever, The Maine. They started their own label, their own festival, they co founded Sad Summer as an answer to the lack of warped tour, just opened for FOB’s arena tour, and still, no one knows who they are lmao but seriously, the community they’ve built is unlike anything I’ve seen in this music scene. They have all the success of being active touring musicians without any of the bs that comes along with it and it’s been so impressive to see and I’m just so proud of them. 8123 means everything to me 🥹

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by the way, i wanna add that johnnie guilbert was not a tiktok musician at all and has been doing music since before tiktok. johnnie didn't get popular off of tiktok. if you're familiar with the alternative/emo scene back in the early days of youtube, johnnie got popular because he lived with bryanstars and made videos with him. bryan interviewed HUGE bands. suggesting he is a tiktok musician kinda upsets me because he's actually an authentic emo, being emo since at least the early 2010s.

Glad someone is putting respect on Mika's name!!!! So many bangers

You just "roasted" some of my favorite albums and artists in this video xD I love what MGK did on Tickets to my downfall. And I was so positively surprised by Demi Lovatos Rock album, etc. I personally like, that so much new Music of the pop punk/emo/etc. genre is being produced but I also get it, that some people might find it boring or generic at this point. I also agree with your point so strongly that people get bored when artists keep doing the same shit their entire career. That's one reason why I love BMTH so much. While they stay within Rock/Metal grounds most of the time, they still try a lot of new things! BTW props to the very fitting song in the end! Very cool

oh my god finally someone talking about this. great video

I dated one of these guys and he invited me to his concert, serenaded me, then after the show introduced me to his girlfriend LMAO

_"i'll CRASH my car and RUN AWAY WITH YOU"_ goes so hard it instantly made me think of someone and made me shiver with the angst of wanting to fuck off with them that I hadn'tn't felt since back then way to go gabi

ok off topic maybe, but I luv ur mustang guitar in the back

you made me think about the hardest metal song i know. i...i don't think i could answer that on the spot...