The difference, by ear
Emo-pop takes the subject matter and rebuilds it around a radio chorus. This has no choruses to speak of.
Both are sung cleanly, but emo pop is a little faster: 130 to 170 bpm against 100 to 150. To hear the difference, play American Football next to Jimmy Eat World. Both grew out of emo, Midwest emo first and emo pop five years after.
In figures
Midwest emo
Where it sits
Rock › Punk rock › Hardcore punk › Post-hardcore › Emo › Midwest emo
In short
Open tunings and interlocking arpeggios, odd meters and lyrics about autumn and empty rooms.
How it sounds
- Open tunings and two guitars playing separate, interlocking lines.
- Odd meters used discreetly, with no display of technique.
- The occasional trumpet, slow tempos, and lyrics about places and seasons.
Key acts
- American Football
- Cap'n Jazz
- The Promise Ring
Start here
The pickAmerican Football - Never Meant. That opening guitar figure is a whole 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.
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