The Rebirth of Emo and Pop-Punk

After their seven, six, and five year hiatuses respectively, Pierce The Veil, Paramore, and Fall Out Boy have all announced their comeback albums set to release this year. For anyone into the emo/pop-punk scene, this is huge news. Especially since Pierce The Veil and Paramore are releasing music on the same day. This begs the question, why did these bands simultaneously decide to make their return in 2023? 

I believe that this is because of a resurgence of pop-punk music in the mainstream. With songs like “good 4 u,” by Olivia Rodrigo (which was influenced by Paramore’s Misery Business) becoming mainstream and Avril Lavigne making her return to the punk scene in 2022, it only makes sense that more pioneers of the genre would soon make their return. 

Travis Barker, endowed drummer of Blink-182, has been a huge influence to the revival of emo and pop-punk music. He has been handing out features like Oprah hands out cars; Everybody gets one. Barker’s work on “t r a n s p a r e n t s o u l,” by Willow was one of his most notable collaborations. It managed to bring the long forgotten teen-angst sound back to the spotlight. 

When indie/pop artists, like Willow and Olivia Rodrigo, dabble in a genre that isn’t commonly listened to by a general audience, it leads to other artists and listeners exploring that genre. When you start looking for more music that sounds like what you hear on the radio, it will lead you to finding the groups that are making their comebacks. 

The new appreciation for this style of music couldn’t have happened without the popularization of “alt,” on social media. Seeing people with dyed hair, piercings, black clothes, fishnets, layered belts, funky hats, etc., on TikTok and Instagram has become a lot more common over the last two years. Listening to emo, pop-punk, rock, and metal artists just comes along with being “alt,” or any subsect of that community. 

Along with concerts becoming safe to attend again, all the cards are in these musical trailblazers favor. With the increased admiration and demand for this type of music and the ability to perform live, it is the perfect time for these artists to return.If you want to be part of the emo revival, Paramore and Pierce The Veil are releasing their albums, This Is Why and Jaws of Life, on Feb. 10. Fall Out Boy is returning on Mar. 24 with their album So Much (for) Stardust. You better be tuning in. XD