In the last few years, emo culture has experienced a resurgence of sorts. Suddenly everyone’s shopping at Hot Topic and Zumiez again like it’s 2006. However, the regrowth in popularity of being emo or “alt” for alternative, does not come without the early beginnings of e-boy and e-girl culture.
Old rock and emo bands such as Bring Me The Horizon, Pierce The Veil and My Chemical Romance are making a comeback. These bands are associated with emo culture, which was mocked and viewed as “uncool.” Oftentimes, they were for the “weird kids,” and yet, most bands of the emo culture have been releasing music and back to touring on a bigger level than before.
Finding emo culture and spaces has been much easier thanks to the internet, especially on TikTok. In its original inception in the 2000s, people were not exactly kind to emo groups, even online. There are many misconceptions about how emo people act, what kind of music they listen to, and their hobbies. Now, that has started to change.
In the beginning stages of its revival in 2020, TikTok was the driving force behind the popularity of the term “e-girl.” Although it’s supposed to mean “electronic girl,” it typically describes someone who wears mall goth or emo fashion. E-boys also exist, but are sometimes called “soft boi” or “sad boi.” Together, they are e-kids.
This popularity on social media started to make the emo culture mainstream, with the e-kid aesthetic leading the charge. However, in the present day, the e-girl/e-boy subculture has fallen into the main category of just being emo or alternative.
In terms of fashion, the e-girl takes from emo and grunge looks with a mix of Asian streetwear. E-girls often wear pleated skirts, band tees under striped long-sleeved shirts, cargo pants, platforms, sneakers, chains, and chokers. However, instead of wearing only black like most emos do, they also combine it with pink, white, purple, or green. Additionally, makeup consists of winged eyeliner, heavy blush, and drawn-on designs (usually hearts).
Unlike emo or alternative fashion, there are a range of e-girl aesthetics. This could mean mixing the e-girl aesthetic with pastel colors like pink, purple, or blue. Sometimes, they go for a grungier look rather than a scene attire. For that reason, the e-girl aesthetic comes from a range of different origins, depending on an individual’s specific style.
E-boys tend to take fashion more from skate culture and grunge fashion, also with some Asian streetwear. E-boys often wear oversized clothing, from their shirts to their pants, also donning chains, necklaces, painted black nails, and earrings. They also dye their hair similar to e-girls, ranging from styles of messy, long hair, or dreadlocks.
Depending on the aesthetic niche, e-boy fashion can also take on elements of hip-hop streetwear. This is where emo rap and the “sadboi” aesthetic is more popular, taking after emo rappers such as Lil Peep, Trippie Redd, and Juice WRLD. The style of emo rappers also takes after the older 2000s emo and alternative subcultures. With rap being the mainstream, emo rap is a popular subgenre that brought more popularity to the e-girl/e-boy aesthetic.
Some emo rappers such as Trippie Redd, MGK, and e-boy icon Huddy have gone from emo rap into the new pop punk revival. Some of these artists are considered modern-day rockstars, blending emo rap and pop punk in their music. Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker has producer credits on songs by these artists, turning him into a respectable name in the pop punk world.
That doesn’t mean 2000s pop punk artists aren’t making a comeback either. Avril Lavigne, My Chemical Romance, and Fall Out Boy are attracting young emos and “elder emos” alike, selling out shows regularly. New bands such as Meet Me @ the Altar and Yungblud are the newer faces of the genre from the 2020s.
Since the 2020s, the popular nostalgia for the 1980s is slowly dying out. Rather, the nostalgic decade has transitioned to Y2K, and emo is a big part of it. Gen Z has bought into the fashion trends, early internet culture, and music of the 2000s. It’s no wonder 2000s-theme events are becoming a popular attraction now, especially when 2000s icons are hosting.
E-boy and e-girl culture has come and gone, but not completely. You won’t see it everywhere like it used to be. Instead, it has circled back to an emo revival reminiscent of the 2000s in fashion, music, lifestyle, tattoos and piercings, and entertainment in a modern digital age.
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