The difference, by ear
Both are 2000s commercial descendants of punk with big choruses. Emo-pop is theatrical; easycore is cheerful.
Emo pop is sung cleanly where easycore is part sung, part screamed, and a little slower: 130 to 170 bpm against 150 to 190. To hear the difference, play New Found Glory next to Jimmy Eat World. They share a root in punk rock, and emo pop came first, by eight years. United States appears in the origins of both.
In figures
Easycore
Where it sits
Rock › Punk rock › Pop punk › Easycore
In short
Pop punk with hardcore breakdowns glued into the middle. Sweet chorus, hammer at the end.
How it sounds
- Pop punk verses and choruses interrupted by a hardcore breakdown.
- Modern production with guitars tuned lower than in classic pop punk.
- Sung vocals alternating with short shouts.
Key acts
- New Found Glory
- Four Year Strong
- A Day to Remember
Start here
The pickA Day to Remember - Homesick. The most effective sweet-to-brutal switching in the genre.
Full page →Emo pop
Where it sits
Rock › Punk rock › Hardcore punk › Post-hardcore › Emo › Emo pop
In short
The emo formula with a radio chorus and polished production. The version that reached MTV and the shopping mall.
How it sounds
- Choruses built for radio, with dense production and heavy compression.
- Nasal vocals with a lot of words crammed into each phrase.
- Distorted guitars mixed under the voice, pop punk style.
Key acts
- Jimmy Eat World
- Fall Out Boy
- My Chemical Romance
Start here
The pickJimmy Eat World - Clarity. The album before the success is the good one.
Full page →