Everyday new aesthetics emerge, whether it is a new aesthetic entirely or a spin off on something that was once popular. This is mainly due to social media apps like Tik Tok. This is where the new title of “Midwestern emo” comes from.
The Midwestern Emo phenomenon started back in around 2020-2022 when “Twin Sized Mattress” by the Front Bottoms started blowing up on Tik Tok. The Front Bottoms started making music officially in 2007. “Twin Sized Mattress” was released on the album titled “Talon of the Hawk” released in 2013, and many factors facilitated its instant fame.
In around 2007-2010 emo music in general began to fall off with many bands breaking up or changing their sound. For example, My Chemical Romance released “The Black Parade” in 2006, and did not return with a new album until 2010 called “Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys.” This new album had a totally different sound, it was a 70’s inspired power-pop album, and while it was still a great success, it was not the emo genre people once knew. So, with bands like The Front Bottoms releasing music that had a similar feel to traditional emo music, it brought a huge crowd to them. However, this genre did not only reach the emo fans, it reached people who did not like rock music. They made this reach because the vocals and melodies are more tolerable. Not everyone can listen to someone screaming in their ears while also listening to 3 other instruments. Midwestern emo music became much more popular as it increased its listener range.
Contrary to popular opinion, midwest emo music is not a group of bands from the midwestern United States. Midwest emo, also known as “Emo Revival”, is a mix of traditional emo rock and indie rock. Most midwest emo bands follow the trends of softer vocals and melodies with the occasional yell, fast tempo, or loud instruments. Popular midwestern emo bands include The Front Bottoms, Mom Jeans, Modern Baseball and The Flat Stanleys.
Midwestern emo music got its name from a plethora of different sources. It could be because the moodiness and the constant switch ups in vocals and melodies match the temperate and unpredictable nature of midwestern weather. However, that is just one theory out of many.
Why should someone even consider listening to midwest emo music? To start, the lyricism is unmatched. Most songs from this genre deal with heavy topics such as loss, addiction, love and heartbreak. They capture this emotion all while having a nostalgic sound. Listening to this music feels like walking through a park on a rainy day in the fall. Most songs are super catchy and enjoyable to listen to. This genre offers something for everyone and they really capture the feeling of being alive in catchy songs. Some recommended songs from this genre are “Death Cup” by Mom Jeans, “Tears Over Beers” by Modern Baseball and “Me vs. Your Friends” by The Flat Stanleys.
For student Colton Dorsey midwestern emo is his genre of choice. “I really like Midwestern emo,” Dorsey said. “It’s just always been my favorite music genre because my brothers showed me Mom Jeans, which is one of the main music artists that is Midwestern emo. But it’s just, like, really helped me when I listen to music and I listen to music all the time. It’s just super inspirational and I’ve thought about even making songs myself, but it’s just super nice to listen to, and I recommend it to others.”
