The Emo Thread

Emo /ˈiːmoʊ/ is a loosely categorized rock music genre characterized by expressive, often confessional, lyrics. It emerged as a style of post-hardcore from the mid-1980s hardcore punk movement of Washington, D.C., where it was known as "emotional hardcore" or "emocore" and pioneered by bands such as Rites of Spring and Embrace. However, as emo was echoed by contemporary American punk rock bands, its sound and meaning shifted and changed and it was reinvented as a style of indie rock and pop punk encapsulated in the early 1990s by bands such as Jawbreaker and Sunny Day Real Estate. By the mid-1990s, numerous emo acts formed in the Midwestern and Central United States, and several independent record labels began to specialize in the genre. Meanwhile, a more aggressive style of emo, screamo, had also emerged.

Emo broke into mainstream culture in the early 2000s with the platinum-selling success of Jimmy Eat World and Dashboard Confessional. In the wake of this success, many emo bands were signed to major record labels and the style became a marketable product. By the early 2010s, the popularity of emo began to decrease. Some bands moved away from their emo roots and some bands disbanded. An underground "emo revival" emerged in the 2010s, with bands drawing on the sounds and aesthetics of emo of the 1990s and early 2000s.

The term "emo" has been applied by critics and journalists to a variety of artists, including multi-platinum acts and groups with disparate styles and sounds. In addition to music, "emo" is often used more generally to signify a particular relationship between fans and artists, and to describe related aspects of fashion, culture, and behavior. Emo has been associated with a stereotype that includes being particularly emotional, sensitive, misanthropic, shy, introverted, or angst-ridden. It has also been associated with stereotypes like depression, self-harm, and suicide.

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