June 21st, 2007Emotional Sounds
Originally written July 12th, 2006
This article, although fairly dated by now still features some interesting thoughts I had at the time and I have updated this article slightly specially for view on Conviction Conjunction. Here’s a self proclaimed logical retort on all the critics of the new age “emo”, “emotional”, “screamo”, or otherwise hardcore music. It starts like this:
Get off your throne of intolerance and take a look at what emotional music actually is. The term “emo” in terms of music is actually a fallacy within itself. What music isn’t emotional? Every song should have some type of emotional response on the artist or on the listener, otherwise the “artist” hasn’t really done their job? That’s why they are called artists. Think about any song, then think about how that makes you feel, that’s an emotion tough guy. Okay let’s move on…
You might be saying well, all emo music is gloomy, depressing and only deals with the bad things about life. Sure the trend may be set that way. But artists do what works, what corresponds with the current trends of today, otherwise we would never had “eras” of different music. Although, in contemplation I think we as a musical culture are getting very diverse in that aspect. Think about the 70’s. What do you think of when you ponder on the music from that era? Disco and rock and roll probably come to mind. What about the 80’s? Lot’s of pop rock, synthesizers and hair metal. What about lately? Hmmmm… rap is pretty big, there’s lots of dance music, lots of techno, brit pop is also very “in” right now, emo is slowly dying off but still in the race or evolving into something new. But sure, emo music was definitely a big part of the 2000’s and LOTS of bands capitalized off that.
In a phrase to cut these lips: emotional music if anything is more real than any other music (spoken like a true emo). We have all been hurt, we have all shed pain. Why can’t these ideals have their own soundtrack? What right do you have to listen to Shikira and say that emo music is too depressing. Shikira’s songs, like a lot of other popular dance artists are driven on other (although quite relative) emotions. All music is emo, all music is emotional. We are are humans, we have emotions, why try so desperately to cover them up? Nihilists i’m looking at you… naw just joking.
That’s another thing, the emo music scene itself also contains another misclassification called “emos” who are the people that listen emo music. Emo people listening to emo music. Can anybody say blatant over exaggerated generalization? I mean, we don’t call people that listen to power metal, “power metals”, or what about rap, we even refer to them as “rappers” or “gangsters”, definitely not “raps”. Why aren’t the people that go to rave clubs called emos? I mean, they are happy, they are always signing and dancing (usually under the influence, but besides the point). Last time I checked happiness was an emotion, which “emo” is supposedly short for.
Hate the scene, hate the music, you’re only driving closer to the ideals and stereotypical notions you applied to what is emo. Hypocrite.
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