Among Emo-Revival excitement, K-pop fuels a fresh front for the genre…
It’s fair to say that the Emo scene has been buzzing with anticipation and elation in 2022. With greats My Chemical Romance and Panic! At The Disco returning and Paramore‘s come-back single, many are labelling this unusual year as: ‘Year of the Emo.’
While former Emos mourned their beloved bands’ silent periods in previous years, South Korea’s vibrant, innovative K-pop soloists and groups alike have been breathing new life into the popular genre that refuses to die out completely.
Melding the heartfelt passion of Emo with the fresh and boundless youthful energy of K-pop’s angle on the genre, the result is grungy spontaneity with a polished finish.
So sharpen your eyeliner pencils and don your skinniest black jeans as we embrace a top 10 selection of new era emo emerging in K-pop.
10. Happy Death Day – Xdinary Heroes
A more recent K-pop group to debut on the scene, Xdinary Heroes’ ‘Happy Death Day’ brings buckets of Emo energy as they hit a myriad of bitter emotions on this release. The track unearths the raw and ugly side of birthdays that we often keep buried down deep inside of us on our special day. Reflecting on sour childhood birthdays, the song highlights fake appearances: “Everybody’s missing a thing, celebration with no feelings.” A uniquely eerie quality presents itself in the composition, with clown imagery popping up often in the songwriting.
Ridiculing and fighting against society’s standard, vocals are delivered in a characterised tone, playful and also punky as if taunting the listener. Led by fierce chants and interspersed with quiet, whispered vocals in the pre-chorus before another outburst of violent shouts and cries, the track handles both sensitivity and rebellion in equal amounts.
This is the group’s only single currently, but we have high hopes that Xdinary Heroes will continue with their flamboyant style and Emo branding.
9. 0X1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You) feat. Seori (Emocore Mix) – TOMORROW X TOGETHER
Does the title give anything away perhaps? This Emocore mix of TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s ‘0X1=LOVESONG’ pulls at heartstrings with its sincere delivery, and the Emocore mix heightens its intensity and impact instrumentally.
TOMORROW X TOGETHER are undoubtedly leading the new wave of Gen Z Emos, with their rock heavy instrumentals and lyrics surrounding the young and broken-hearted, the quintet headline the K-pop/Emo hybrid, making a name for themselves with their distinct flavour in K-pop.
Spoiler alert: this isn’t the last you’ll be seeing of TOMORROW X TOGETHER on this list. With their cinematic sound that thrusts you into your own coming of age movie, we can’t help discussing another act (or song,) in their Emo inspired story.
8. Good Night – Rolling Quartz
A bone-chilling cover of K-pop girl band Dreamcatcher’s ‘Good Night,’ Rolling Quartz are another group of fresh faces to be pushing a gritty sound and haunting lyrics to the forefront of the K-pop world. Layering passionate vocals over an erratic and dynamic driving beat, this track is a firecracker spilling sparks of ferocity.
The group’s discography isn’t very busy yet due to the girls debuting in 2020, but hearing female voices roaring in the genre and killing it in instrumentals too is something we treasure and would love to see more of in the industry! Rolling Quartz are one of the hottest new talents to keep a close eye on.
7. Sorry – The Rose
The Rose take a sensitive and stripped back approach in their representation of Emo. With floods of graceful yet firmly gripping guitar work on show among their discography, the quartet embody sincerity with their “sad-boy” aesthetic and themes in their lyrics.
Frontman Woosung’s tender crooning particularly shines on ‘Sorry,’ an authentic song highlighting feelings of regret and isolation.
‘Sorry’ is definitely a staple of the tender and softer side of the Emo stereotype. Its reflective nature and moving instrumental building up to a crescendo point is the perfect outlet to release any tension and tears from within to.
6. Attention, please! – ENHYPEN
‘Attention, please!’ is not a title track on rookie-giant ENHYPEN’s album DIMENSION : DILEMMA, but it could easily function as one with its catchy hook and headbang inducing arrangement.
Cocky and assured sonically, the lyrics however reveal an uncertainty beneath the surface in the pursuit of love and attention from a crush: “I want all of the popularity and love / Oh, no! I don’t know what to do / Twisted dreams.”
This B-side is a mature serving of Emo Pop-Punk excellence from the young stars, proving that TOMORROW X TOGETHER aren’t the only boyband shaping a new generation who are discovering Emo and feeding into its thick and intricate web with their input and ideas.
5. Danger – BTS
A more old-school entry, global superstars BTS pack bite on 2014 track ‘Danger.’ Beginning with a thumping bass that swells with fire as the song hits climax, this angst-riddled track details the breakdown of a relationship – the seven members sing to a selfish and toxic partner who refuses to clearly communicate their feelings, the relationship thus in ‘danger’ and under threat entirely.
A fighting song, the Emo undertones grow stronger as the song progresses – desperation straining through passionate vocal execution.
The song burns with a traumatic struggle as a barrage of questions are spat through sharp rap: “Where did all the love stories go? / TV dramas don’t make any sense / I grab my hairs hundreds of times / You look calm, you dump me.”
‘Danger’ is the title track on the band’s first studio album Dark & Wild, perfectly encapsulating the album’s distressed and gloomy concept.
4. NEED (ooo-eee) – LØREN
Rich, husky vocals like a glass of whisky effortlessly plant themselves over an electric and distorted beat here.
Joined by chant-along echo moments in the chorus, this track is dirty in the most classy and modern sense. Lyrically, the song has a concrete and poetic edge with colourful imagery popping out in a seemingly black and white washed world: “Cold hearts / Black tar / Wrong cause (and a little bit of sadness) / Crowbars / Neon cars / Dead stars (and a little bit of madness).”
LØREN doesn’t even have to try, an Emo essence drips from every nook and cranny of his being on this song – ‘NEED’ is a delightfully grimy package that Emo fans are sure to devour.
3. Scream – Dreamcatcher
Arguably the most experimental soundscape on the list, ‘Scream’ by Dreamcatcher is shadowy and brooding, with the track’s narrative taking inspiration from witch hunts.
Like a palpitating heart, this is one of Dreamcatcher’s most frantic and fast-paced arrangements, with elements of operatic vocal display bleeding through, adding light and shade to the song’s complexity.
Dramatic and devilish, ‘Scream’ nods to the theatrical side of Emo music and culture which populates much of the West.
2. I hate you – WOODZ
‘I hate you’ is a certified banger of a Pop-Punk/Emo crossover. Released this year, soloist WOODZ has fully leant into Emo aesthetics and themes in his music after experimenting with the sound on previous releases.
A heavy and hopeless feeling greets listeners on ‘I hate you.’ Though you may not speak Korean, the trapped and fed-up mood that WOODZ is able to emote through vocals alone commands your attention long before any of the brilliant chaos lets loose.
The chorus is a liberating explosion of acceptance celebrating a new found glimmer of hope – a feel-good track that proves there is recovery post-heartbreak and that misery isn’t permanent. The punky-party vibe takes infectious to another level on this single.
1. LO$ER=LO♡ER – TOMORROW X TOGETHER
The broken boys return with their charm and untameable fervour on ‘LO$ER=LO♡ER.’ The emotionally charged lyrics which were inspired by The End Of The F***ing World and the idea of two soulmates ending up together at the end of the world itself sates our craving for a juicy Emo narrative to sink our teeth into and daydream along to also.
A slick arrangement which builds to a thrilling breaking point of sorts musically, this track strikes the optimum balance of heavy and light. The crisp and cutting choreography complements the song well on the chorus and is easy to follow too, which is always a plus. Having lashings of boyish bravado and a raw vulnerability simultaneously, we simply adore how expressive and creative TOMORROW X TOGETHER are. Shattering toxic masculinity with its teachings of bottling up emotions is, after all, at the core of Emo values and the genre as a whole.
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