#Emo

4 items

Close-up portrait of a person with a classic emo swoop haircut holding a rose
Trends 2004–2009

Emo / Scene-Kid Wave

The mid-to-late-2000s youth subculture built around emo and pop-punk bands like My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy, Panic! at the Disco, and Dashboard Confessional. The look: long side-swept bangs over one eye, black skinny jeans, band tees, studded belts, thick eyeliner, Converse, and dyed or straightened hair. It lived on MySpace through dramatic high-angle selfies and Top 8 drama, shaping a generation's teenage aesthetic.

Video thumbnail — Fall Out Boy - Sugar, We're Goin Down (Official Music Video)
Celebrities 2003–2009 peak

Fall Out Boy

Pete Wentz's swoopy black fringe, Patrick Stump's soaring voice, and song titles that ran on forever. "Sugar, We're Goin Down" ruled TRL and Warped Tour, making Fall Out Boy the pop-punk face of the MySpace era.

Video thumbnail — The History Of HOT TOPIC
Fashion 1989–present

Hot Topic

The black-walled store at the end of the mall where the music was too loud and the T-shirts had bands your parents had never heard of. Studded belts, band merch, hair dye, and a smell of incense you could identify from thirty feet away. For a certain kind of teenager, walking in felt like finding your people.

Video thumbnail — My Chemical Romance - Welcome To The Black Parade [Official Music Video] [HD]
Celebrities 2001–2013 peak

My Chemical Romance

The eyeliner-and-marching-band emo icons behind The Black Parade. Formed in New Jersey after 9/11, MCR gave every mid-2000s teenager an anthem — "Welcome to the Black Parade," "Helena," "I'm Not Okay" — and a look.