Black People in 'Alt' Music Subcultures by Francesca Sobande

Black life in / and “Alt” Music Subcultures

Chris Lau Manson

Francesca Sobande

Written by

Illustrated by

WhatFollows

Overview

In collaboration with the Museum of Youth Culture, this project explored the cultural memory and archived experiences of Black people in “alternative” (“alt”) music subcultures (UK and US). It looked at the recent history, naming, and perceptions of specific (sub-)genres, such as “alt” R&B and baddiecore Additionally, it considered the lore of other types of music, including rap and yacht rock.

The research focused on the recollections and representation of Black people in / on emo, hardcore punk, nu metal, post-hardcore, and screamo. As part of this, genre overlaps and origins were discussed The work also addressed different ideas of what archives are and can be, while tackling the (digital) politics of popular concepts of “cringe” and “cool”.

All of that led to creating this free (fan)zine. Several pieces in it are accessible through the Museum of Youth Culture’s website. I visited the DC Punk Archive in April 2025, so insights from their collections feature here too. More information about the project is available at: francescasobande.com/black-alt-zine

Thanks for checking this out!

Francesca Sobande is a writer + reader in digital media studies (Cardiff University) in Cymru (Wales). Her books include The Digital Lives of Black Women in Britain (2020), Consuming Crisis: Commodifying Care and COVID-19 (2022), and Big Brands Are Watching You: Marketing Social Justice and Digital Culture (2024). She is co-author of the Black Oot Here book (2022) and graphic novel (2023), and Look, Don’t Touch: Reflections on the Freedom to Feel (2025).

Chris Lau Manson is a mixed Scottish-Hakka Chinese artist based near Glasgow Originally from Hong Kong, he uses his twin heritages to tell speculative fiction stories laced with magical realism that speak to how traditions can help strengthen us, while traditionalism can hold us back

BlacknessandMetal:From NuMetaltoBaddiecore

JadaPinkettSmithandherbandWicked WisdomposeforphotosatClub RevolutionJanuary18,2006inFt Lauderdale,Florida (PhotobyLarry Marano/GettyImages)

“Numb”bybelovedbandLinkinPark includesthememorableopeninglyric: “I’mtiredofbeingwhatyouwantmeto be” Thesong’ssentimentssignalnu metal’simage:capturingthepainand powerofformsofdisconnectionand disillusionment,pairedwithasearchfor thefreedomtofeelandthefeelingof freedom.Numetalcreatedanoutlet throughwhichpeoplecanexpressangst andotheremotionsviamusicthatdraws ondiversesonicstyles–fromfunk, grunge,andhip-hoptometal,R&B,rap, andmore Somediscussionand documentationofnumetal’shistory acknowledgestheinfluenceofBlack cultureandcreativity–namely,rap(àla “rap-rock”) However,asaddressedinthe researchandwritingofLainaDawes, rarelyistheworkofBlackwomen focusedoninnarrativesaboutmetal

Previously,Iresearchedthedigitallivesof BlackwomeninBritain.Thisincluded reflectionsontherelationshipbetween music,media,theinternet,andnostalgia Whilethinkingaboutmyonline experiencesasateenager,Iwroteabout “miningXangaforthelatest‘noughties’ emoandposthardcoremusicdemos,

in-betweenwistfullybrowsingFueledby RamenbandmerchandisewhenFallOut Boyhadjuststartedtogracethecoverof Kerrang!magazine” Thosememories mirrormylongstandinginterestindigital andpopcultureportrayalsof“alternative (alt)”rock.Buildingonthat,inthispieceI turnmyattentiontonumetalandits offshoots(eg,baddiecore)

R&B,RockandRoll,andBlackWomen

Beforereflectingonthenatureofnu metal,it’simportanttorememberthat rock’srootsareinrhythm&blues(R&B) Statingthisisstillsometimestreatedas controversial Itcansparkcritical responsesthatwhitewashrockandtryto positionitas“post-racial”–freeofany connectiontoracialpoliticsandracism, despitethewell-established“Rock AgainstRacism”and“Love(Rock)Music, HateRacism”movements

AviewfromthecrowdofAntiNazi LeagueplacardsandbannersasPoly StyreneofXRaySpexperformsonstage attheRockAgainstRacismfestivalin VictoriaPark,London,UK30April1978. (PhotobyDavidCorio/Redferns)

Asspotlightedbytheinsightfulresearch ofMaureenMahononBlackDiamond Queens:AfricanAmericanWomenand RockandRoll,throughouthistory

dynamicsofraceandgenderplayedout inarecordingindustryorganized accordingtoanothersetofboundaries: genrecategories”.HBO’s2024Yacht Rock:ADockumentarypicksuponthis point:theindustryoftenframesBlack women ’smusicasR&Bbydefault, regardlessofanartist’ssignaturesound andself-definition Althoughthemusic industrytendstotreatgenrecategories asthoughtheyarefixed,clearly,theyare shiftingandsymbolisepowerstruggles, suchashowsomemusic(eg,R&B)is reframed(asrock)byandforthe(white) mainstream

AgainasMahon’sworknotes,thereare many “...differentwaysthatartists,bands, musicians,andfansdo(anddon’t) embracecertaingenrelabels ” Indeed, “thevocallaborofAfricanAmerican womenpropelledrockduringwhatis nowcalledthe‘classicrockera’through cross-racial,cross-genderexchanges thathavebeenlittleremarkeduponin historiesofrock”.

whichtacklesinequalitiesintheindustry –theintersectionsofracism,sexism,and misogyny(asMoyaBaileypoignantly termedit,misogynoir)andtheirimpact onthecareersanderasuresfacedby Blackwomensingers Focusingonthis inrelationtonumetalandadjacent genrescandeepenunderstandingof suchmusic’sracialandgenderpolitics

NuMetal,NewMedia,andBlackness

AsaddressedinLainaDawes’vitalbook, WhatAreYouDoingHere?:ABlack Woman'sLifeandLiberationinHeavy Metal,musichasaprofoundimpacton people.Itcreatesemotional connectionstogenresandthe messagesandcommunitiesattheir heart Numetalisnoexceptiontothis However,likemanygenres,numetalis bothridiculedandcherished–yielding funnymemes,earnestonline commentaries,andeverythingin between.Embracingboththespiritof humourandsincerity,hereIdiscuss dynamicsbetweenblackness,digital culture,numetal,andmetalcore

Alignedwithrecentmediaand marketingnostalgiaforthe2000s,the historyandloreofnumetalhasreceived renewedattentioninthe2020s Unlike whenthegenreemergedneartheend ofthe20thcenturyandthestartofthe 21st,numetalnowexistsinaworld wheresocialmediameansmuchmore thanbloggingandthelikesofMySpace. Inotherwords,thenoiseandnoveltyof numetaltodayincludesdigitalcontent acrosssitesandplatformssuchas Discord,Instagram,TikTok,X(formerly, Twitter),YouTube,andmuchmore

Thisisalsohighlightedinthe2013 documentaryfilm20FeetfromStardom

Thismeansthatnumetalmustgrapple withitsrelatively“new”nostalgicstatus andasocialmediasaturatedsociety Additionally,numetalmustmakesense ofthepoliticsofitspastandpresent, includinghowinterconnected oppressionsimpactthat.Fromits embraceofgutturalvocalstoits articulationoffearsand“fightorflight” feelings,numetalbecametiedto

expressionsofattitudeanddisaffection Theseincludedystopianand technology-infusedimagesandideas thatmarkedtheturnofthethird millennium(think,themythofthe millenniumbug).Numetalisnotthe onlytypeofmusictodealwithsuch emotionsandenergies,includingthe harmsofnumbnessanddesirestobe freeofit Butnumetalisquiteuniquein expressingthisatthecrossroadsofone century’sendandanother’sbeginning, whilebouncingbackandforthbetween genreboundariesandhowtheyhave beenraciallyconstructedandgendered

Inmanyways,blacknessisatthecore ofmetal,whichhasitsrootsinrock (akaR&B).Associatedwithaesthetics basedonshadesofblack,metalmusic andsubculturesareoftenthoughtof as“dark”,whilealsobeingsomewhere thatdark-skinnedpeopleexperience racism,colourism,xenophobia,and otheroppressions Therearemany examplesofwhitesupremacist strongholdswithintheworldofmetal, buttherearealsomanyexamplesof howthecontributionsandcultureof Blackpeoplehaveshapedmetaland itscountlessinnovativedirections

Theblacknessofmetalisaboutalot morethanthemonochromaticoutfits andstagingsetupsthatareoftenpartof it Fittingly,theMuseumofYouth Culture’sArchivesincludememorable imagesofBlackpeopleinmetalspaces inthe2000s.Thesechallengecertain stereotypicalperceptionsofnumetal andwhoitappealsto,whiledepicting itspredominantlywhiteaudienceinthe UK Amongthesearevividphotographs of“NuMetalMoshing”inBrighton(2001) byRebeccaLewis,capturingnumetal’s “newmillennium”identityandsomeof theearly(ish)daysofsuchmusic

BeyondtheRapVersusMetalBinary

AsMattKarpeputsitinthebook,NuMetal:ADefinitiveGuide:

[a]formofalternativemetal,theterm ‘aggrometal’wasalsoassociatedwiththis intriguingnewmovementwhichquickly becameknownas‘NuMetal’ Combining elementsofheavymetal,alternativerock, funk,grungeandhip-hoptocreateasonic soundscapeofrawpowerandemotion, numetalwasprimarilybasedonguitar riffswheredown-tunedandoftenseven stringguitarsbecamecommonplaceinan attempttocreateamuchheaviersound.

Inotherwords,themusicalbricksfrom whichnumetalwasbuiltincludethe creationsofBlackpeopleacross numerousgenres,suchasthe powerhousepunkandspeed-metal musicofthebandBadBrains.

Tothisday,therearecommentaries aboutthe“crossover”appealofmusic thatreceivesinterestfromgroupsof peopleusuallydeemedtobedisparate, oftenduetotheirvariousracialand culturalidentities Attimes,theconcept of“crossover”pushesideasaboutmusic basedonsimplisticassumptionsabout raceandgenres,suchasreductive perceptionsofwhois(not)metal.To returnoncemoretoNu-Metal:A DefinitiveGuide,Karpestatesthat“[u]ntil AerosmithcollaboratedwithRunDMC andAnthraxteamedupwithPublic Enemy,itwasunheardofthathip-hop andheavymusiccouldevercome together”.

LANDMVRKS(aFrenchmetalcoreband thatincludesrap),joinedbyMatWelsh fromWhileSheSleeps,atSlamDunk FestivalinHatfield,England,May24, 2025.FlorentSalfatiiswearingaSlipknot t-shirt (PhotobyFrancescaSobande)

Frequently,theimpactofnotonlyrap andhip-hop,butofBlackcreativity,cool, andaestheticsingeneral,isdownplayed inconversationsaboutnumetalandits branches Infact,therehavebeenmany timeswhenhip-hopandraphavebeen treatedasbeinginoppositiontometal and“alt”rock.Butboththehistoryof metalandthewiderrockspherethat madeittelladifferentstory Ratherthan viewinghip-hopandrapassimply pepperingthemealthatisnumetal,Isee themastheblueprintforwhatwouldbe numetal’snewness,edginess,andoverall appeal.Theymakethedish,notsimply seasonit

Re-meme-beringNuMetal

Digitalculturehasalwaysbeenpartofnu metal,particularlyasthismusicpopped upwhenopportunitiesto(i)legally downloadmusicbegantoblowup (Limewireknows)

Numetalisnowinfluencedbymany moretechnologiesandthe temperamentsofalgorithmsand onlineusersthatanimateoragitate them.AsJenessaWilliamswritesina MuseumofYouthCulturepieceon “TracingMusicFandomPractice ThroughTheInternet”:“Asthe2000s becamethe2010s,aboominmusical socialmediausecontinued.Fan-led tastemakingwasbecomingmore prominentinthegenerationof‘viral’ hits,butsowasartistengagement, abletoreplytofanmessagesor distributeblogpostswithmoreease andcreativitythanpreviously possible”.

Sincethen,andasJoyWhiteaffirmsin LikeLockdownNeverHappened: MusicandCultureDuringCovid,the internetandmusichavebecomeeven moreentwined Thishasresultedina delugeofdiscussionsanddescriptions ofmusicthatstemfromthepowerof digitalremixculture,suchasmemes, GIFs,andfancamedits It’sinthis digitalworldthatsocialmediaprofiles andpostsaboutnumetalmerge referencestoandfromotherdigital/ popcultureplaces.So,numetalmight become“verydemure,verymindful”, atleastforamomentwhennumetal fansandsitespickupontheviral mediaofdynamiccontentcreator JoolsLebron

Putdifferently,theinternetisatthe centreoftheculturalmemoryand contemporaryrepresentationofnu metal,suchasengagingsocialmedia postsandoverallworkbyTheNu MetalAgenda InthewordsofAndy Bennettonsubculturesandyouth,“by theearly1970s,thereisclearevidence thatyouthcultureitselfwasbecoming quiteconsciouslyself-referential”. Morethan50yearslater,selfreferentialexpressionsofyouthculture arethebackboneofmuchdigital culture,whereachorusofin-the-know contentcombinesirony,levity,and socialcommentaryconnectedto experiencesofyouth–thenandnow.

What’soldisnewagain,andthis includesnumetal

Havingreallygrownasagenreand subcultureatthecuspofthe2000s,nu metalisaswellknownforitsrelationship withthenoughtiesasitisknownforits beatswhichconnecttomusicfrom before Maybethismakesthecruxofnu metalafeelingofDuality(anodto Slipknot’s2004song)–countingdown towardsanewerawhilealsobeing impactedbythemagneticpullofthe past.So,wewitnesssocialmediatrends suchaspeoplecomicallypairingLinkin Park’s2007“WhatI’veDone”(theclosing musictothe2007Transformersfilm) withthefinalscenesofothers,including, insomecases,iconiconesthatare canonicallyBlackfilms.Essentially,nu metalisalotlesssiloedthanitoncewas. Digitalculture’sdevelopmentmeans thatmuchonlinecontentcannotbe containedbytheconventionsofasingle generation,musicscene,site,or subculture Inthiscollagelikedigital world,new(sub-)genrelabelssprout:cue baddiecore.

BaddiecoreandBlackWomen

IntheresonantwordsofRosemaryLucy HillonGender,MetalandtheMedia, “[m]usicisagenderedexperience”.To oncemorebringinthepivotalworksof DawesandMahon,itisaraced experiencetoo AsI’vereflectedonin earlierwritingonBlackartistsinmetal and“alt”music,“Blackalternativemusic isundoubtedlypartofblackhistory,but thegenre[of“alt”music]continuestobe associatedwithwhiteness.Black women,inparticular,arerarely recognisedfortheirworkinthisgenre, duetothedominanceofwhiteandallmalebandsinmainstreamalternative musicscenes”.Despite,orperhaps preciselybecauseofthis,recent iterationsofmetalincludethetongue-in cheeksub-genredescriptor“baddiecore –spurredonbysocialmediaposts,such asatweetbyStrayfromthePath’s drummerCraigReynolds,who namechecksBadOmens,SleepToken, andSpiritboxasbeingamongthebands framedasbaddiecore.SleepToken’s afrobeats-ishtrack“Caramel”(including whatitsnameconnotes)exemplifiesthe sortofmusicthatislabelledbaddiecore

Ofteninjest,theterm“baddiecore”is intendedtodescribeformsofmetalcorethatareperceivedashaving strongsexappeal,oranoverallsound and/oraestheticthatisthoughtofas hypersexualised(aka“thirsty”)

AsIdiscussinmoredetailinLook, Don’tTouch:Reflectionsonthe FreedomtoFeel,co-authoredwith layla-roxannehill,baddiecoreisaterm thattypifiespartsoftheracial,gender, andsexualpoliticsofmetal,including itsengagementwith,anderasureof, themusicofBlackwomen In practice,thelabel“baddiecore”isused inresponsetometalcorethathasa soundwhichcallsbacktothedulcet tonesanddemureyetdramatic demeanourofstrandsofR&Bandhiphopwhichwaspreviouslyreferredto as“bedroom”music Basically, “baddiecore”kindoffeelslikeawayof saying“black-ish”metalcore,while overlookinghowblacknesshas shapedrock,metal,andtheideaof beingabaddie

Theterm“baddie”(aderivativeof “badbitch”)isassociatedwithBlack Americanculturalexpressionsandis especiallyusedinreferencetoBlack womenwhoareperceivedasselfpossessedandembracingastrong senseofself-regard

MoonchildSanelly(whohasfeatured onMTVAfrica’s#BaddiesAfterDark)at ClwbIforBach,March17,2025in Cardiff,Wales.(PhotobyFrancesca Sobande)

Thesignificanceoftheconnectionbetweentheterm“baddie”andBlackwomen isapparentwhenrecallingthat,asDawesnotes,“[e]speciallyforblackwomen, whoareoftentoldfromanearlyagethatwehavetobemoreawareofhowothers perceiveus,howweappearinsocietyisoftenmoreimportantthanassertingour individuality” Thismeanstheabilitytoembodybeinga“baddie”ishardfoughtfor byBlackwomen,whofacestiflingsocietalprojectionsoftheir/ourpresumed strengthandstoicism(asMeganTheeStallionincisivelysingsonthetrack “Anxiety”,“badbitcheshavebaddaystoo ”)

Whenaccountingforthis,andthefactthatthelabelof“baddiecore”ismainly usedinrelationtopredominantlywhiteand/ormalemetalcorebands,itmakes theveryconceptof“baddiecore”seemlikeyetanotherthatsymbolisesthe unacknowledgedracial,gender,andsexualpoliticsofmetaland“alt”rock Insum, itsignalsthewaysthatBlackcultureandcreativity,especiallythatofBlack women,continuestobebothhyper-visibleandinvisibilisedinsuchmusic WhatisbaddiecorewithoutbaddiesBlackwomen?

Assub-genrelabelsincluding“baddiecore”andotherskeepcroppingup,being memed,andaremulledover,continuingtoteaseoutandtacklethepoliticsofall thingsmetalremainscrucial Thenagain,toharkbacktoLinkinParklyrics,andto rephrasethemasaclosingquestion:intheend,doesitreallymatter?

Bibliography

Bailey,Moya(2010)Theyaren’ttalkingaboutme TheCrunkFeministCollective, 14March

Bennett,Andy(2020)Hebdige,PunkandthePost-subculturalMeaningofStyle.In HebdigeandSubcultureintheTwenty-FirstCentury:ThroughtheSubcultural Lens,edstheSubculturesNetwork,Cham:PalgraveMacmillan,11–27.

Dawes,Laina(2012)WhatAreYouDoingHere?:ABlackWoman'sLifeand LiberationinHeavyMetal NewYork:BazillionPoints

hill,layla-roxanneandSobande,Francesca(2025)Look,Don’tTouch:Reflections ontheFreedomtoFeel.Edinburgh:404Ink.

Hill,RosemaryLucy(2016)Gender,MetalandtheMedia:WomenFansandthe GenderedExperienceofMusic Basingstoke:PalgraveMacmillan

Karpe,Matt(2021)Nu-Metal:ADefinitiveGuide Gloucestershire:Sonicbond Publishing.

Sobande,Francesca(2022)Blackartistsdon’tjustmakehiphop–whyrecognition ofmetal,punk,rockandemobyMoboislongoverdue TheConversation,29 November

Sobande,Francesca(2020)TheDigitalLivesofBlackWomeninBritain Cham: PalgraveMacmillan.

TheNuMetalAgenda[website].

White,Joy(2024)LikeLockdownNeverHappened:MusicandCultureDuring Covid London:RepeaterBooks

Williams,Jenessa(2023)TracingMusicFandomPracticeThroughTheInternet. MuseumofYouthCulture,1September.

“BlackAlt”,SocialMedia, andMusicSub-Genres

Irememberthemomentwhen“Novacane”by FrankOceandroppedin2011.Itwaslikeabreath offreshairandatallglassofwateronahot summer ’sday.Iwasjustbeginningtonavigate mytwentiesandfeelingadrift,whenthedebut singlecutthroughthebackgroundsoundoflife andconnectedtome Itstilldoes

ReleasedfromhismixtapeNostalgia,Ultra, “Novacane”establishedFrankOceanasanartist whoexpressesaconstellationofemotions,a stirringsound,andastrikingspirit Thesingersongwriter’screativitycan’tbecontainedbythe musicindustry’sconstrainingconventionsand constantdemandformoreandmoremusic SparkingheadlinessuchasVibe’s“10EmoLines FromFrankOcean’s‘ChannelOrange’ForAMan orWoman”,Oceaniswellknownforhismoving andplayfullyricsonthemesrangingfromlove, tragedy,isolationandambivalence,toregret,the poignancyofmemories,andtheeuphoriaof intimacy Hisworkispowerful(includingthe breath-takingbeatswitchin“Nights”).Although Oceanhasn’tofficiallyreleasednewmusicsince 2020,itsongoingingenuityandimpactisclear.

AltR&B,IndieRap,andEmoRap

FrankOceanhasbeen creditedforpavingthepath forwhatwouldbecome knownas“altR&B”(he receivedthefirstGrammy Awardfor“BestProgressive R&BAlbum”in2013) This musicsub-genre(“altR&B”/ “progressiveR&B”)brings togetherexperimental arrangements,eclectic energies,dreamydeliveries, andsubversivethemesthat movebeyondthosemost associatedwithmainstream R&B.Italsoincludesthe inimitableworkofpeople suchasGRAMMY-nominated singer,songwriter,and visionaryartistDurand Bernarr,aswellassingersongwriter,guitaristand recordproducerSteveLacy.

Butit’simportantto rememberthatR&Bhas alwaysbeendiverseandfarranging,defying discriminatoryportrayalsofit asbeingone-note.

FrankOceanperformsatthe2017PanoramaMusic FestivalonRandall'sIslandinNewYorkonJuly28,

Amongtheotherartists, musicians,andsingerswhose workhasbeenreferredtoas “altR&Band/orrap”areTyler, theCreator,theWeeknd, Solange,SZA,andmore. While“altrap”ismore commonlyused,similar labelssuchas“hipsterrap”, “indierap”,and“emorap” havealsofeaturedincertain onlineandmedia descriptionsoftheirwork. Thesetermstendtobe thoughtofasrelativelyrecent, buttheconceptof“indierap” existedbeforetheturnofthe 21stcentury

Forexample,“indierap”croppedupinthe musicjournalismandwritingofDeleFadele on“Curve:BendOfAnEra”forNewMusical Express(akaNME)inMay1991.Inthatpiece, FadeledescribesCurve’smusicasfeaturing “savagerapoverguitarsbyturnssadisticand muted,they’dcreatedanewgenre,‘indierap’(soundscrass,Iknow)” So,unlikeits contemporarycounterpartssuchas“emo rap ”,theterm“indierap”didn’ttakerootin waysspurredonbysocialmedia.Instead, thatexpressionfirstcametobeatapointin timewhenrapandrockriffingtogetherwas still“new” Duringtheyearsafter“indierap” begantobeuttered,termssuchas“emo rap ”eventuallyfollowed,whichhasbeen usedtodescribeartisticandinventivework byKidBookieandKennyHoopla.

KidBookieatSlamDunkFestivalinHatfield, England,May24,2025.(PhotobyFrancesca Sobande)

KennyHooplaperformsduringthe2023Ohio IsForLoversFestivalatRiverbendMusicCenter onSeptember09,2023inCincinnati,Ohio. (PhotobyDanielBoczarski/GettyImages)

AsdiscussedbyYasmine SummaninanarticleforRock Soundon“CelebratingEmo RapAsHipHopTurns50”,“Emo rap,alsoknownas‘Soundcloud Rap’andcommonlygroupedin withtrapmetal,isassociated withtheexplosionofartists fusinghiphoporrapwithemo andalternativegenres,using SoundCloud.comasahomefor theirwork” AsthebookFlipthe Script:HowWomenCameto RuleHipHopbyArusaQureshi emphasises,women’sworkin hip-hop,includingasrappers,is keytosuchmusicandits impact.Despitethis,rarelyisthe labelof“emorap”usedto describetheworkofwomen

Additionally,astheextensive researchandwritingofJenessa Williamsspotlights,“differing conventionsofrace,genderand respectabilitypolitics”are implicatedindistinctlydifferent publicperceptionsofemo,rap, hip-hop,andthe(imagined) peoplewhoarepartofthese genres.

Beneaththesurfaceof constructedandcontestedsubgenretermssuchas“altR&B” and“emorap”lieknottedclass, gender,racial,andsexual politics.Afterall,asTriciaRose notesintheessentialbook, BlackNoise:RapMusicand BlackCultureinContemporary America,“ popularforms containsignificantcultural traditionsandcannotbefully severedfromthesociohistorical momentinwhichtheytake place” Meaningthatwho,what, andwhensomethingor someonebecomesregardedas “alt”tellsusaboutsocietal norms,including,whatRose describesasbeing“thedeeply contradictoryandmultilayered voicesandthemesexpressedin popularculture”

“Emorap”isatermusedtodescriberap withnoticeablyemotionalmessages, andsometimes,accompanyingsounds thatevoke“emotional/emotive hardcore(akaemocore/emo)”music. Fundamentally,it’smeanttosignalthe emotionalqualitiesofmusicdubbedas such,but“emorap”isatermthatcan alsopromoteproblematicperceptions ofrapasnormallyemotionlessand abrasive.Thisrevealsmuchaboutwhat TriciaRoseoutlinesasbeing“thesocial contextwithinwhichrapmusictakes place”–acontextmarkedbythefact thatmuch“mediaattentiononrap musichasbeenbasedonextremist tendencieswithinrap,ratherthanthe day-to-dayculturalforcesthatenterinto hiphop’svastdialogue”.

Inotherwords,certainframingsofemo rapreinforceverybinaryandracistideas ofrapasnothingbutaggressiveand emotionallyinsensitive,andinstark contrasttotheframingofgenressuchas emowhichismoreassociatedwith whiteness(whitemen,specifically).This reflectsracialisedandgendered assumptionsaboutwhocananddoes experienceandemotivelyexpress softnessandsadness–sonically,lyrically, andotherwise.

SZAatPrincipalityStadiumin Cardiff,Wales,July19,2025. (PhotobyFrancescaSobande)

Rap,R&B,andhip-hopdon’tneedtobe prefacedwithotherwordstoarticulate theirabilitytosensitivelyconveydifferent emotions Theyhavealwaysbeenoutlets throughwhichmuchemotionis expressed,includingmusicandsongs suchasLEMFRECK’s“AVoicenote:Sad BoysClub”,“Free”byLittleSimz,“Desoleil (BrilliantCorners)”byLoyleCarner (featuringSampha),“HeartStatusFreestyle”byDeyah, SZA’s“Broken Clocks”,andKendrickLamar’s“Sing AboutMe,I'mDyingofThirst”.

It’sunderstandablethatpeople distinguishbetweendifferenttypesof rapmusic Still,intheprocessofdoing so,caremustbetakentoavoid reinforcingoppressiveideasaboutBlack music,art,creativity,andlife.

KendrickLamaratPrincipality StadiuminCardiff,Wales,July19, 2025.(PhotobyFrancesca Sobande)

There’salonghistoryofsub-genres emergingandbeing(re)named,soit’sno surprisethat“new”musiccategorieskeep appearing AsJoyWhitenotedinan illuminatingtalkon“Sayingsomething? Rap,grimeandUKdrillasamodeofsocial commentary”,“artistsmoveinand betweengenres,andmaynotseethese categoriesinthesamewaysthatwedo”. Mindfulofthat,whenreflectingon (sub-)genretermsusedtodescribeartists andmusicians,howthey’recategorisedby othersshouldn’tbeconfusedwithhow theydefinethemselves.

Inthiswrittenpiece,I’minterestedinthe relationshipbetweensocialmediaand sub-genrelabelsconcerningBlack creativityand“altness” So,Ifocusonterms thatusuallyare(eg,“altrap”)andaren’t (e.g.,“baddiecore”)usedtodescribeBlack people’swork.

DigitalCulture,Humour,andSub-genres

Anothermusicsub-genrelabelthat’s circulatedamidcommentariesabout“alt R&B”is“PBR&B”(“PB”jokinglyrefersto “PabstBlueRibbon”,abeerbrand associatedwithhipsters) AsEricHarvey reflectedoninaPitchforkpiecetitled,“I StartedaJoke:‘PBR&B;’andWhatGenres MeanNow”:

I“coined”itforthesimplereasonthatit’s apun,andIlovepuns ButIdidn'texactly coinittodescribethemusicitself (Its grandfathergenre,‘RhythmandBlues’,is anotherstory.ThatwascoinedbyAtlantic RecordsexecutiveJerryWexlerin1949,to replace“RaceRecords”,theoffensivename ofachartusedatthetimetorankthe popularityofmusicmadebyAfrican Americans)Instead,it’soneofthose genresthatdescribesanimaginedfanbase

Whenengagingwiththesereflectionsand thefactthatitwasaTwitter(nowknown asX)postbyHarveythatledtothegenre conceptof“PBR&B”,comparisonscanbe madebetweenthecreationofthissubgenretermandthoseof“baddiecore”and “yachtrock”.Eachlabelanditsambivalent uptakeistestamenttotherelationship betweendigitalculture,internethumour, andmusicsub-genres

Thesetermsandtheirusecan alsoreflectwhatTriciaRoserefers toasbeing“thehiddenpoliticsof popularpleasure”–again,the impactofhowthepoliticsof race,gender,sexuality,class,and technologycollideinand throughmusic.Unlikedecades agowhenthemusicindustryhad atop-downandbehindclosed doorscontroloverthegenre categorisingofmusic,nowadays, whatpeoplesay,do,andshare onsocialmediashapesit.The examplesof“PBR&B”and “baddiecore”tellussomething aboutthemorebottom-up,orat least,side-to-side,waysthatsubgenretermsarecreatedinour contemporarysociety

ButastheworkofLizPellyalso remindsus,“[b]ythemid-2010s, digitalmediaplatformsmore broadlyhadbeenconflating themselveswithdemocracyand self-expressionforyears, disingenuousclaimscomprising adefiningpropagandaprojectof theWeb2.0era”.Socaution mustbetakenwhenstaking claimsthatsocialmediacanaid moredemocraticapproachesto making,sharing,and experiencingmusic,including naming(sub-)genres.AsPelly pointsoutintheenlightening bookMoodMachine:TheRiseof SpotifyandtheCostofthe PerfectPlaylist,“platformsarenot publicsquares;they’recorporate digitalenclosureswhereyour everymoveistracked”.

Asmentioned,anotherexampleof thewaysthatdigitalcultureand humourcontributetothe constructionofsub-genrecategories isthecaseof“yachtrock”–aterm thathasbeenusedtodescribea varietyofstylesofmusiclinkedtosoft rock,smoothsoul,R&B,disco,and jazz.Havingbecomehigh-profileand receivedcommercialsuccessfrom themid-1970stomid-1980s,the musicassociatedwiththeexpression “yachtrock”onlybecamereferredto thatwayfromaround2005onwards, afterapopularonline mockumentarystylevideoseries, “YachtRock”(2005–2010) HBO’s YachtRock:ADockumentary(2024) detailssomeofthedefining momentsinsuchmusic’shistory, whilealsoponderingoverthepart thatdigitalculturehasplayedinit.

Thesub-genredescriptionsof “PBR&B”,“baddiecore”,and“yacht rock”alldiffer,butthey’reconnected bytheintenselydigitallymediated societythattheyspringfrom–a societywherejestingonlinecan contourhowmusicislabelled.

InternetSpeak,“BlackAltness”, andAcrossGenres

Lifetodayispunctuatedbysocial media’spowerfulpresence.Words popularisedbyviralvideos,remixed memes,andtrendinghashtags makeittothepagesofupdated dictionariesandannuallistsofthe mostsearchedinternetqueries.Such activityisoftenassociatedwiththe contentiousconceptof“internet speak”

Whileitmightinitiallyseemlikea straightforwardwaytodescribethe internet’sroleincontemporary communications,“internetspeak”is anineffectiveexpression.Essentially, itcanerasethelongerhistoryof words,theirmeanings,andtheir shiftingculturalsignificance

“Internetspeak”isalabeloftenapplied inwaysthatglossoverinequalitiesand theoriginsoftermsthatareframedas “newly”popular Manywordsand phrasesreferredtoas“internetspeak” (e.g.,“bet”,“it’sgiving…”,“slay”,“woke”) originatefromthecommunication styles,culturalcodes,andexpressions ofoppressedpeople(eg,Blackand LGBTQIA+communities) Whensuch terms(eg,“baddie”)arereducedtosocalled“internetspeak”,they’retaken outofcontext.Thisoverlooksthe innovationsofpeopleimpactedby injusticesandhistory’swhitewashing “Blackalt”–anabbreviationof“Black alternative(ness)”–isnotaphrasethat simplygrewfromtheinternet. However,it’sgainedpopularityinways influencedbydigitaldiscourse,social media,andtheculturalimpactof Blackpeopleonline(includingBlack Twitter) Thismeansthatperceptions

and(re)presentationsofwhoandwhatis“Black alt”areentangledwiththeinternet’sintricacies andimaginaries–thewaysthatblacknessishypervisible,obscured,andimaginedonline Inrecent years,“Blackalt”hasattractedtheinterestof brandsandadvertisers.Itisanexpressionthat oftenservesasasocialmediahashtagand descriptionofart,fashion,music,andoverall“alt” aestheticsembodiedbyBlackpeopleatthe fringesofwider“alt”scenesandsubcultures

Undeniably,thereismorethanonewayto embody,embrace,andexpressasenseof“Black altness”,includinginwaysthatmaylookand soundverydifferenttowhathasbecomemost linkedtoitinmarketplace,mass-media,and musicindustryspheres Thatsaid,stapleelements ofprominentideasandimagesconnectedtothe conceptof“Blackalt”are:(1)avividandeclectic personalsenseofstyle(evenifitmaysometimes mostlybemonochromatic),(2)anexperimental approachtomusic-makingthatmovesacross, betweenandbeyondgenrecategories,and(3)an attitudethatsurpassesstiflingassumptionsand expectationsrelatedtoBlackart,creativity,andlife

2025BritAwards;ALTBLK ERA(sistersNyrobi Beckett-Messamand ChayaBeckett-Messam), whose2025debutalbum RaveImmortalreached numberoneoftheUK Rock&Metalchart,and whowonthe2025MOBO awardfor“BestAlternative MusicAct”;BobVylan,who wonthefirstever“Best AlternativeMusicAct” awardattheMOBOsin 2022,andSPIDER (JenniferOsakpolorIrabor), whoseKerrang!interview withAliyaChaudhry includesanencouraging callfor“moreBlack womeninalternative music”,andwhowas joinedbySafesp8ceand Bukkyforadebut headlineshowinLondon

WillowSmithperformsonstageatthe2023Coachella ValleyMusicandArtsFestivalonApril23,2023in Indio,California (PhotobyPresleyAnn/GettyImages forCoachella)

Artistsandmusicianswhosemeaningfulworkhas influencedcontemporaryconversationsabout Black“alt(ness)”include,butaren’tlimitedto:duo NovaTwins(AmyLoveandGeorgiaSouth)who won“BestUKBreakthroughBand”atthe2020 HeavyMusicAwards;RachelChinouriri,whose musicinfluencesareindie,electronic/alternative andpop,andwasnominatedinthecategoriesof “ArtistoftheYear”and“BestNewArtist”forthe

RachelChinouririatThe GlobeonNovember8,2024 inCardiff,Wales (Photoby FrancescaSobande)

Relatedly,intheworldof digitalculture,creator Aliyahhasbeenhighlighted inpieceson,asGael Laguerreputsit,“TheBlack AltResurgence”, “Aliyahcore”,and“Black alternativefashionbaddies”

Elsewhere,andparticularlyasitreceives moreattentionwithinpopularculture,a senseofspectaclecansurroundcertain ideasabout“Blackalt(ness)” Thiswasthe casewithimagesof“altBlack”peoplethat weregeneratedbyartificialintelligence(AI) in2022 UncannyAI-generateddepictions ofBlackpeoplewerecreatedusing Midjourney(agenerativeAIsoftware programme)andsharedonsocialmedia. Thisresultedinonlinecritiquesthatcalled outthecreepinessoftheimages,whilealso amplifyingtheworkandexperiencesofreal Blackpeoplein“alt”musicscenes(eg,Tina Bell–deemed“TheBlackGodmotherof Grunge”,theBlackfeministpunkbandBig Joanie,JadaPinkettSmith’sbandWicked Wisdom,andthemusicofPinkettSmith’s daughterWILLOW–akaWillowSmith)

AsisforegroundedinthecollectionBlack PunkNow:Fiction,Non-Fiction,andComics, editedbyJamesSpoonerandChrisL.Terry, punkandaltrockgenresandsubcultures arepartofBlackhistory ButbeingBlack andperceivedasbeing“alt”–beitemo, indie,punk,goth,ormore,transcendsthe boundariesofanysinglegenre

changethenatureofblack culturalproduction”?Attempting toaddressthisquestiontoday involvesthinkingaboutthe dynamicsbetweensocialmedia andsub-genres–fromthe labellingofR&B,rap,andtheidea ofbeing“Blackalt”tothe patchworkofdifferent perceptionsofmusicandmedia madebyBlackpeople

Black“alt”creativityandwaysof livingwillnodoubtcontinueto grow,thankfully.Ultimately,being Blackand“alt”isanexpansive experience.Itisn’taboutasingle song,style,statement,orsymbol It’saboutimaginingandbeing “otherwise”–livingboldly,and dareIsay,embracingtenderness, inaworldthatoftenseeksto suppress.

BobVylanatCardiffUniversity’sStudent’s UniononOctober27,2024inCardiff,Wales. (PhotobyFrancescaSobande)

ToreturntotheprescientwordsofTricia Rose,muchcanbegainedfrom “understandingtheprocessesofculture makinginacapitalistandfully commodifiedsociety”,suchasby considering“[h]owdoesnewtechnology

Bibliography

Chaudhry,Aliya(2024)SPIDER:“I wanttheretobemoreBlack womeninalternativemusic…That definitelydrivesme” Kerrang!,18 June

Fadele,Dele(1991)Curve:BendOf AnEra.NewMusicalExpress,18 May.

Harvey,Eric(2013)IStartedaJoke: “PBR&B;”andWhatGenresMean Now Pitchfork,7October

hill,layla-roxanneandSobande, Francesca(2025)Look,Don’t Touch:Reflectionsonthe FreedomtoFeel Edinburgh:404 Ink

JGRAY(2012)10EmoLinesFrom FrankOcean’s‘ChannelOrange’ ForAManorWoman.Vibe,13 July.

Bibliography (continued)

Laguerre,Gael(2023)Aliyahcore:TheBlackAlt Resurgence.Strike,16February.

Pelly,Liz(2025)MoodMachine:TheRiseofSpot andtheCostsofthePerfectPlaylist.NewYork: Hodder&Stoughton

Qureshi,Arusa(2021)FliptheScript:HowWome CametoRuleHipHop.Edinburgh:404Ink.

Rose,Tricia(1994)BlackNoise:RapMusicand BlackCultureinContemporaryAmerica Middletown:WesleyanUniversityPress

Sobande,Francesca(2022)Blackartistsdon’tjust makehiphop–whyrecognitionofmetal,punk, rockandemobyMoboislongoverdue.The Conversation,29November.

Spooner,JamesandTerry,ChrisL (eds)(2023) BlackPunkNow:Fiction,Non-Fiction,and Comics NewYork:SoftSkullPress

Summan,Yasmine(2023)CelebratingEmoRap AsHipHopTurns50.RockSound,17October.

White,Joy(2024)Sayingsomething?Rap,grime andUKdrillasamodeofsocialcommentary Talk atDrillRap,SocialJusticeandFreedom,Cardiff University,6December.

Williams,JenessaNicole(2024)MusicFan theAgeof#MeToo:MoralityCrowdsourc RacialisedCancellationandComplicated ListeningHabitsinOnlineHip-HopandIn AlternativeCommunities[PhDThesis,Un ofLeeds].

AlloysiousMassaquoiand KayusBankoleofYoung Farhers,performingat LiverpoolInternationalMusic FestivalatSeftonParkon July22,2018inLiverpool, England.(Photoby FrancescaSobande)

B(l)ackintheArchive andOntheBeat

Asthetitleofthispiecesuggests,hereIconsider differentperceptionsofwhatarchives“lack”and thespecificsofBlackarchives By“lack”,Imean whoandwhattendstobeperceivedas“lacking” archivingskills I’malsoreferringtowhoisusually regardedas“missing”fromarchives Discussing allthat,IfocusonthevibranceofBlacklife.

Whatis(in)anArchive?

Timespentinarchivescaninvolveamixof emotionsandexperiences Theseincludewhen lookingattheeyesofsomeonegazingbackfrom aphotographthatserendipitouslysurfaces.On otheroccasions,“sidenotes”inthemarginsofa worn-outpagemightstiryou,describing memoriesofsomeoneorsomewhere“unknown”, butmomentarilyfamiliar Apartfrombeinga (web)sitethatstorescollectionsofrecords, archivesarefilledwithfeelings–thoseheldand expressedthroughephemerathere,andthose feltandsharedbypeoplewhenencounteringit.

Archivescanbeengagedinwaysthatinvolvea particularpaceortempo:choosingtospend hoursreadingthroughoneshorttextorstudying afewimages–carefullysensingtheirsubtleties andfindingyourgroovewithnote-making.In somecases,timeslows.Inothers,itflies.This writingaccountsfortheseaspectsofarchives, whileforegroundingtherelationshipbetween archivingandthecreativeworkofBlackpeople “onthebeat”,asmusicians,photographers, writers,andmore.Thisworkalsofocuseson archivingexperiencesofmusicandsubcultures.

InStuartHall’sinfluential“Constitutingan Archive”,hewrotethatanarchive“occursatthe momentwhenarelativelyrandomcollectionof works,whosemovementappearssimplytobe propelledfromonecreativeproductiontothe next,isatthepointofbecomingsomethingmore orderedandconsidered:anobjectofreflection anddebate” Additionally,asYelizZaifogluputsit in“AnArchivist’sDiary”:“[w]hetherthey’rethere bychance,outofresistance,orsimplyforthelove oforganization,therearemanyprofoundlessons tobelearnedinarchives,nottomentionthe teachingsofthearchiviststhemselves”.

Idon’trememberwhenIfirst becameinterestedin archives,butIdoremember mytimeatcertainarchives

AttheStuartHallArchivein Birmingham,Isiftedthrough publicationsonBlacklifein thepast,whilethinking aboutpresent-dayrealities Whenlookingatmaterial fromCardiffUniversity’s SpecialCollectionsand ArchivesIlearntabouthow “equalities”issueswere (un)addressedinCardiffin decadesgoneby

AttheMainReadingRoom attheLibraryofCongress andattheSmithsonian InstitutionArchivesin WashingtonDCIpencilled notesaboutthesocialand politicalhistoryof advertising,includingthe sub-textofoldphotosofallmaleboardroommeetings. AyearorsolaterinDC,I soakedupthearchived writingandimagesofBlack womenphotographersat theNationalMuseumof WomenintheArts’library.A yearafterthat,andafter muchexcitementsincefirst learningaboutit,Iarrivedat theDCPunkArchive

Eachexperiencewasdifferent.Linkingthem allwasthatwhatyousearchforandwhat makesitswaytoyouinanarchiveisaffected bydiverseand(un)controllablefactors–the kindsupportofotherpeople,howmuchtime youdo(not)havethere,andkismet.Asasiteof absencesandpresences,aswellasmemories andmyths,archivesbothreflectandretract–theymirrorandmould Archivesarealwaysin flux Theyarenotafixed“location”whereyou “discover”things–aconcept(“discovery”)that isoftentiedtocolonialideasof“possessing” Instead,archivesareshiftingspacesand sourcesofdifferenttypesofreflections, resonance,and/orremembrance.

LocatingandLearningfrom(Living) Archives

Archivestakedifferentforms.Theycanbe temporarily(ormorepermanently)situatedin buildings Theycanalsobehomedonline,as digitalspacesthatareaccessedfromlotsof placesaroundtheworld Somearchivesare seededandsustainedbyinstitutionalfunding andformalinfrastructures.Othersarethe outcomeofgrassrootscommunityefforts–youthcentres,travellinglibraries,boxesof trinketsbetweenfriends,and,astheexhibition HomeisNotaPlacebyJohnyPittssuggested, theintergenerational/livingarchivesofBlack people’ssenseofhome(s)

AwindowoftheJohnyPitts:HomeisNotaPlace exhibition(March10–June10,2023)atStillsin Edinburgh,Scotland.(PhotobyFrancescaSobande)

Describingarchiving,YelizZaifogluremarks, “[e]verythinghasalife–whetherit’sthatsilly littlebadgethatyougotatagig,yourschool plannerthatyouforgotabout,orthecherished photosofyourfamily Tocollectunconsciously istoarchive Toreminisceandsharestories withfriendsisanactofsharingoralhistories,a formofarchiving”.

Doorofthebuildingthatthe MuseumofYouthCulture ArchiveswereatinOctober, 2024,London,England.(Photo byFrancescaSobande)

Nomatterwhatcultivatesan archive’screation,allarchives canobserveandobscure Some maymoveyou Othersmay makeitdifficulttograspthe particularitiesofprecisepoints inhistoryandthelives(and loves)ofthosewholivedthen. Themoreyou“find”in anarchive,themorequestions thatmayarise AsQuestlove (drummerofTheRoots, producer,writer,filmmaker, andmore)affirmsinabookon hip-hop,“[h]istoryisnever simple.It’slayersuponlayers”. Althoughnoarchivecan articulateallofhistory’slayers, archivescanstillcreate informativeopportunitiesto learnandunderstandmore aboutthepastandthepresent. Onewaythattheydothisis throughcollectionsthat documentthedetailsofdaily lifeandthebeautyofthebanal

RenataCherlise’sbookBlack Archives:APhotographic CelebrationofBlackLife, embracesarchivingthe everyday Init,Cherlisenotes thesignificanceofsnapshots andthecaringintentionality behindkeepingarecordof momentsthatrangefrom mundanetocelebratory.

Thebookconveyssomeofthenumerous waysthatBlackpeoplerecordandrecall history,buildingabundantarchivesinthe process.Suchpracticesofdocumenting–betheyphotographic,music-oriented,or storytellingbroughttolifethroughspoken andwrittenword,contrastwithdominant societalnarrativeswhichpositionBlack peopleas“lacking” Putdifferently,while Blackhistorymaynotalwaysbeapparent inpublicarchives,thisshouldnotbe mistakenfortherebeingalackofBlack archivesoralackofarchivedcollections madepossibleduetothework,andeven, thewhimsy,ofBlackpeople Thisincludes music,suchasthatoftheuniqueUSband Death(formedin1971),whowere spotlightedinaPBSNewsHourpieceon “HowBlackmusicianshaveinfluenced punkmusic”

AmericanProto-PunkmusicianBobby HackneySr,ofthegroupDeath,playsbass guitarasheperforms,duringFunFunFun Fest,onstageatWaterlooPark,Austin,Texas, November7,2009.(PhotobyJohn Anderson/TheAustinChronicle/GettyImages)

Dependingonyourviewpoint,youmay definearchivingasinvolvingaclear-cut setofprotocolsthatcan/shouldonlybe undertakenbypeoplewithprofessional qualificationsasarchivists Alternatively, youmightthinkofarchivingmorefluidly–acknowledgingdifferencesbetweenthe approachesoftrainedarchivistsandthose ofpeoplewithouttrainingbutwhose dedicationtodocumentingstillinvolves momentousarchivalwork Regardlessof yourthoughtsonwhatanarchiveisand whoarchivistsare,thefactremainsthatthe recordingofBlacklifeandhistoryincludes muchmorethanjustwhatissystematically cataloguedandcontainedbyandwithin publicarchives Still,itisimportantto connectwithcollectionsaboutBlacklife andhistoryinsucharchivestoo

TheMuseumofYouthCulture’s Archives

InthewordsofYelizZaifogluon “theweirdandwonderfulworldof archiving”attheMuseumofYouth Culture,“[g]ettingstuckintothe museum ’sarchiveiseasythanks totheendlessopportunitiesit presents.WhethertheLosersMCC bikerjacket,‘90sraveflyers,Y2K schoolleavershirtsorthousandsof slides,thereissomuchtouncover everyweek” Relatedly,asthetitle ofQuestlove’smostrecentbook states:HipHopisHistory Such music’sinfluenceisevidentacross manygenresandindustries.So, whenstartingthisworkon representationsandcultural memoriesofBlackpeopleinrock, metal,andinterlinkedsub-genres (eg,emo,post-hardcore,nu metal),Iknewthathip-hopwould bekeytoit.

Thisprojectwasinformedbythe workofmanyotherpeoplewho haveilluminatedthemultitudesof Blackmusic,suchasAleemaGray onBeyondtheBassline:500Years ofBlackBritishMusic,JoyWhite onLikeLockdownNever Happened:MusicandCulture DuringCovid,andAnthony KwameHarrisononHipHop Underground:TheIntegrityand EthicsofRacialIdentification. SuchresearchispartofBlack archiving,and,Ibelieve,ispartof beingBlackonthebeat–doing themulti-vocalandmeaningful workofrecordingtherhythmsof Blackexperiencesandhistoriesof /inmusic.

Onthatnote,somearchiving approachesalignwiththeview that,asQuestloveasserts,“we don’twantadisposableBlack culture” Whencreatedwithcare, Blackarchivedcollectionscan helptoensurethatthelegacyof Blackcultureisrecordedforfuture generations(andforrightnow)in engaging,dynamic,and accessibleways

InthedaysbeforevisitingtheMuseumof YouthCulture’sArchivesinLondon,during myteachingasaReaderinDigitalMedia Studies(CardiffUniversityinWales),Ispoke withstudentsaboutthearchivalworkof MarionStokes(1929–2012) ShewasaBlack Americanwomanwhoselifeincludeda dedicationtoarchivingtelevisioncoverage ofnewsandentertainmentmedia,long beforeonlinestreamingservicesandsocial mediaaswenowknowit.Stokeskept “receipts”–acomprehensiverepositoryof recordings,enablingpeopletorevisitand eventuallydigitisemuchfootagethat otherwisewouldhavebecomeirretrievable

Thosediscussionswithstudentsshortly beforemyvisittothearchivesalsoaddressed theimportanceoftheInternetArchive–aUS non-profitorganisationthatwasfoundedin 1996andisafreelyaccessibledigitallibrary TheywerehackedinOctober2024,resulting inmajordisruptionstotheirworkand sparkingwiderconcernsaboutcontinued attacksonsuchinitiativesthatenablethe accessibilityofarchivedcollections Inother words,duringthetimeleadinguptovisiting theMuseumofYouthCulture’sArchives,I wasfocusingontherelationshipbetween knowledge,access,archives,power,the precariousnessofonlineplatforms,andthe recording,representation,andremixingof history

AfterwatchingRecorder:TheMarionStokes Project–adocumentaryaboutthelifeand workofStokes,Ifoundmyself(onceagain) thinkingabouttheindividualandcollective archivalworkofBlackpeople.Thismeant,to drawonthewordsofStuartHall,thinking aboutthemany“livingarchives”thatarepart ofBlackhomesandhistorieswhicharerarely recognisedinmainstreameducation AsHall explained,the“livingarchiveofthediaspora” is“present,on-going,continuing,unfinished, open-ended”.Likemusic,it’sinmotion.

WhenattheMuseumofYouthCulture’s ArchivesinOctober2024,andbeginningto browsebrilliantrecordsofmusic,personal style,groupidentity,andchangesin/tolifein Britain,ImadenotesonhowBlacklifeand cultureweredepicted.Iwasdrawntothe boldnessoftheimagesofBlack photographerssuchasJennieBaptiste HighlightingBaptiste’simpactfulworkinan

interviewwiththephotographer, EstaMaffrettwrote:“Jennie’slove formusichasalwaysinspiredher work.Shootingthe90’skidsthat werelivinginapop-culture fueledworld,sheplatformed peopleinwaysthatwere differentfromwhatthefashion magswerereproducing”.Asthe interviewalsoillustrates, Baptiste’sworkhasplayeda powerfulpartindocumenting hip-hopcultureandhas contributedtohowBlacklifeand historyinBritainisremembered

Archivesareasensoryexperience. There’sthespatiallayoutofa buildingorvehiclethatsheltersa physicalarchive There’salsothe feelofthetextureofmaterials thatyouhold,andcountless archivedsights,sounds,andstyles whichyoumightlookatorlisten to.TheMuseumofYouth Culture’sArchivesarearich sourceofthesemoments

Filledwithanassortmentof artworks,filingcabinets, literature,photoprints, technology,gamingdevices, musicalinstruments,andtextiles, youcouldspenddays,weeks, months,orevenyearsinthe archive It’snotonlysomewhere thatpresentsthechancetolearn moreaboutthehistoryofyouth culture.It’salsosomewhere which,alongwiththeMuseumof YouthCulture’sonlineSubculture Archives,shedslightonmusic genres,surroundingscenes,and theirorigins.

Whenlookingatdifferentmusic archivesandsearchingonlinefor materialconcerningBlack people’sexperiencesin“alt” musicspaces,Ienjoyedreading muchworkbyDeleFadele(1962–2018)–amusicjournalistwhose captivatingwritingintheBritish pressincludedpiecesforNME, Quietus,TheGuardian,ZigZag, andotherpublications

AsoneofveryfewBlackpeopleinvolvedin UKmusicjournalismfromthe1980s–2010s, Fadele’swritingincludedincisive commentariesonpowerstrugglesandthe musicindustry.InFadele’swords,inwriting onEcho&TheBunnymenforZigZagin November1985,“Whowillputthisvampyric Industryoutifit’smisery?” Havingbeen archivedinarangeofplaces,suchas rocksbackpages.comwhere191ofhisarticles areaccessible,Fadele’sunmatchedwriting encompassessomeofwhatitmeanstoexist attheedgesofmainstreammediaand music Writtenbysomeonewhohimself mademusic,suchaswhenintheband WelfareHeroin(e)*,Fadele’swriting expressedaprofoundappreciationofmusic andanecessaryunwaveringcritiqueofit.

Ina1987interviewwithMetallica,Fadele providescrucialcommentaryonthestateof metal,suchasitsdynamicswithmasculinity andblackness,whichalsolinktoFadele’s reflectionsonthefrequentlyoverlookedyet enduringimpactofBadBrains’speed-metal sound.Standoutstatementsfromthat interviewalsoincludeFadelecommenting onwhenLarsUlrich(ofMetallica)“startsto extolthevirtuesoftheirfirstguitarist,one Jamaican‘whocouldplayanywhiteguyout theretoshame,especiallyinthesolo department’”.Suchremarksdemonstrate howBlackjournalistshavefound‘show, don’tsimplytell’waystobringattentionto thepresenceandabsenceofblacknessin rockandtherecountingofitshistories

Morerecently,theworkofwritersand journalistssuchasLavieaThomas,Jenessa Williams,andSophieKhaveconsiderably shapedcontemporaryandindustry conversationsaboutBlackpeople’s experiencesof“alt”musicinBritainand elsewhere WritinginTheGuardianabout “howtheShotgunSeamstresszinemade spaceforBlackpunks”,Williamsbrought attentiontotheintersectionsofBlackDIY media,printculture,andmusic Basedonan interviewwithOsaAtoewhocreatedthe significantpublicationShotgunSeamstress, thepiecebyWilliamsisoneofmanyfrom herbroadportfolio,andmuchofwhich upliftsthecreativityofBlackpeople.

*Thebandnameappearsas“WelfareHeroin”in someplacesand“WelfareHeroine”inothers

Inwide-rangingwrittenwork, suchasaninterviewwithband BigJoanieforQuietus,Thomas highlights“thediversityofpunk music”andthatofBlack feminists ThroughKerrang! Radioandtheoriginalpodcast, OnWednesdaysWeWearBlack (withYasmineSumman,and previously,AlyxHolcombe),and viamanyotheroutlets,SophieK hassharedinsightsintohowthe intersectionsofraceandgender impactexperiencesof/inthe musicindustry Thiszineis informedbytheworkofsuch people,aswellasmyown experiences.Whilemyproject focusesondifferentdimensions ofblacknessandmusic,italso buildsoncollaborativeworkon beingBlackOotHere(andThere) BlackOotHere(andThere)

Graphicnovelartandcover designedbyChrisLauManson.

Fornearly10yearsI’veworked withindependentwriter, researcher,organiserandcurator layla-roxannehill.Ourprojects oftenfocusonbeingBlackOot HereinScotland,aswellasin WalessinceImovedtherein 2019,andwhichispartofmy familyhistoryandwhoIam

Wedidn’tplantofocusonarchives, butwe’veendedupspeakingabout, visiting,and(re)imaginingarchivesand theirpossibilities Havingspenttime togetheratGlasgowWomen’sLibrary, theBlackCulturalArchivesinLondon, andothers,we’vemulledoverthe contentofwell-keptaudiorecordings, flyers,letters,photoalbums,posters, meetingminutes,zines,andmore In short,archivesandarchivinghave endedupbeingfocaltoourwork,but sotoohascreativityandthespaceto dreamanddothingsdifferently.

Alongsideaccessingarchives,we’ve triedtobroadentherangeofpublicly availablearchivedmaterialonBlack Scottishhistory Thishasmeant embracingdifferentwaysofcocreating,suchaswhenworkingwith otherpeopletomakemulti-media resourcestodowithbeingBlackin Scotland Aspoetandwriter(and someonewhoQuestlovenamesas beingamongthe“forerunnersofhip hop”)NikkiGiovanniwrote,“Weneed poetry.Weneeddreams”.Wealso needmusic–arguably,thealchemyof both Thisisapparentinthelyricaland musicalmasteryofartists,bands,and rapperssuchas2Pac,Deyah,Doechii, Outkast,LEMFRECK,MeganThee Stallion,PublicEnemy,Salt-N-Pepa, LittleSimz,QueenLatifah,Cookie Crew,SZA–thelistgoeson,andthe listgoeshard

Whetherit’sthepowerandpoeticsof lyricsthatarealsoclarioncallstoaction, orthesupportivestoriesinsongsthat speaktoyoursoul–musiccancreate andconjureupasenseofconnection andfeelingsthatfuelmovestotransform theworld.Aspartofoureffortsto recognisetheintergenerationalnature ofBlackScottishhistory,suchasthe needforchildrenandadultstohave accesstoarchivedmaterialsonBlacklife inScotland,we’veworkedwithillustrator /designerChrisLauManson,Scots translatorLesleyBenzie,ScottishGaelic translatorNaomiGessesse,feminist animationcollective,LeedsAnimation Workshop,andmusicianNathanSomevi, toco-createafreegraphicnoveland animation,BlackOotHere:DreamsOUs Basedon“14year-oldOla’sthoughtsand dreamsinthisstoryaboutthe experiences,history,andlivesofBlack peopleinScotland”,thegraphicnovel includesspaceto“drawandscribble yourownthoughtsinpagesdedicated todreaminganddrawing”

Ourhopeisthatthegraphicnoveland animationresonatewithpeopleandcan supportreflectionsandquestionssuchas: (1)Howdowelearnaboutthepastwhile livinginthepresent?(2)Whocreates archivesandhowishistorymade?(3) WhatisitliketodreamofBlackScottish history?,and(4)Whydoour(hi)stories matter?

Wedecidednottousespokenwordsin theanimationasit’snotjustwordsand imagesthatarepartofBlacklife,history, andarchives NathanSomevi’sdreamy musicsoundtrackstheanimation,inthe hopeoffocusingonstorytellingthatmay beespeciallyfelt,notreadinadistanced anddetachedway. GraphicnovelartbyChrisLauManson.

ThatworkbuiltonthebookBlackOot Here:BlackLivesinScotland,co-authored withlayla-roxannehill,andwhichfeatured photographythatincludedsomeofour ownandtheworkofNajmaHussein Abukar,aSomaliborn,Glasgowbased photographer,documentingculturaland immigrantexperiences Morerecently, withotherBlackpeopleinand/orfrom ScotlandandWales(again,includingthe photographyofNajmaHusseinAbukar andthemusicofNathanSomevi),andin partnershipwithArtesMundi–an internationalartsorganisationbasedin Cardiff,weco-createdBlackOotHereand There

Ourexhibition“isnotdefinedbyasingle word,image,sound,sense,person,orpoint intime”.Insteadit:

relatestodreaming,storytelling, otherworldliness,intimacy,family,love, remembering,holding,releasing,and more Butourapproachtothishasnot meantfocusingonaspecifictheme, question,topic,orprovocation Instead, throughouttheprocessofgathering onlineandcommunicatingandcreating invariousways,wehavetriedtoembrace anopennessandthespiritofcwtch,as wecoorieintothespaceforexpressing whatevereachpersonorcollectivewas drawntoexpressing,andinawaythat theywantedtoexpressit

InScotland,theworkofSandraGeorge (1957–2013)isamongthatofBlack photographerswhoinpreviousdecades documentedBlacklife,andlifeingeneral, (t)here.DuringtheGlasgowInternational FestivalofContemporaryArtin2024,and asthefestival’swebsitenotes,anexhibition ofGeorge’sworkshonealighton“[h]er perspectiveandinsightasaBlackfemale socialdocumentaryphotographerand artist” Thesubjectsofherphotography ranged“fromBrailleclassesatRoyalBlind SchoolEdinburgh,tocapturingsessions withdisabledmusicians”,andmuchmore. Mindfuloftheenduringpresenceofsuch workandthecareatitscore,when engagingwithandwritingaboutarchives today,wemustrememberthatwereitnot forthethoughtfulnessofthosewhocame before–photographers,musicians, archivists,writers,andtoturntothelyrics

ofSlyandTheFamilyStone,“everyday people”–therewouldbenoarchives

TheFutureofBlackArchives

AsCherlisedescribesitinBlack Archives:

Tomeditateonaname,aface,orthe soundofsomeone’slaughterisan intentionalactofremembering,oran attempttoresistforgetting Remembering,orbeingremindedof, helpstoreworkourunderstandingof ouridentitybygivingusinsightintothe peopleandplacesthatshapeus Throughphotography,particularly familypicturesandsnapshots,wegeta bettersenseofourpeople,ourhistories, andourstories–weareabletoaddto, orcultivate,alanguageforthepartsof ourlivesthatcannotbefullyknown, eveniffelt

Thosewordsspeaktothesignificance andeverydaynessofBlackarchives, suchasthewaythatintentionalityis threadedthroughoutthem.

TheonlineexperiencesofBlackpeople alsoaidthearchivingofBlacklifeand history Despitesuchexperiencesand theirtracessometimesbeingfleeting, theirwarmingfireandfruitfulforce shouldn’tbeunderestimated.Black digitalarchivescanplayaprincipalrole inelementsofBlackculturalmemory

Indeed,asCherlisecommentsinBlack Archives,wearestillliving“duringa timewhentherearesomanypeople sharingmomentsfromthepastin digitalspaces”

Whilethisisnotabadthing,thereis alsoalwaysaneedformorematerial modesofarchivingandphysical spacesthatsupportthem.Online platformsandsocialmediasitescan certainlycontributetotheproduction andmaintenanceofarchived collections,buttheycanalsobevery fragile,andinsomesituations,even functioninwaysthatobstruct archiving.Wecannotsolelydependon digitaltechnology(tech)whenworking

topreserveaccountsofthepast–particularlyatapoint intimemarkedbythevolatilityofBigTechandits invasiveentanglementswithpoliticalpowersandpolicy. HopefullythefutureofBlackarchives,andallformsof archiving,fostersevenmoreintergenerationalwaysof (re)imagininghowhistoryisrecorded,alongwithmore multi-lingualandmulti-mediaformsofcreativitythat playwiththeendlesspossibilitiesofanaloguearchiving andthosepresented(butnotdictated)bydigitaltech.

Bibliography

BlackOotHereandThere[exhibition](2024)Blackin Scotland,9December

BritishLibrary[IntroducedbyAleemaGray] (2024) BeyondtheBassline:500YearsofBlackBritishMusic. London:BritishLibrary.

Cherlise,Renata(2023)BlackArchives:APhotographic CelebrationofBlackLife NewYork:TenSpeedPress

Fadele,Dele(1985)Echo&TheBunnymen:Warren Peace.ZigZag,November.

Fadele,Dele(1987)Metallica:MastersOfWhat?New MusicalExpress,21March

GlasgowInternationalFestivalofContemporaryArt [exhibition](2024)SandraGeorge.

Hall,Stuart(2001)Constitutinganarchive.ThirdText, 15(54):89–92.

Harrison,AnthonyKwame(2009)HipHop Underground:TheIntegrityandEthicsofRacial Identification.Philadelphia:TempleUniversityPress.

Maffrett,Esta(2022)JennieBaptiste:FromRaggatoray bans.MuseumofYouthCulture,25March.

Questlove(2024)HipHopisHistory London:White RabbitBooks

Sobande,Francescaandhill,layla-roxanne(2023)Black OotHere:DreamsOUs[graphicnovel].Blackin Scotland

White,Joy(2024)LikeLockdownNeverHappened: MusicandCultureDuringCovid London:Repeater Books.

Zaifoglu,Yeliz(2025)AnArchivist’sDiary.Museumof YouthCulture,29January

Acopyof“PYMCA:Amatter offact”,apublicationabout ThePhotographicYouth MusicCultureArchive (PYMCA).(Photoby FrancescaSobande)

MiwiLaLupaperformingas partoftheBrightEyesand CursivegigatSaltShedin Chicago,US,April5,2025 (PhotobyFrancesca Sobande)

KeleatTheklaonFebruary 20,2025inBristol, England.(Photoby FrancescaSobande)

FKATwigsatAviva StudiosonMarch18,2025 inManchester,England (PhotobyFrancesca Sobande)

BlackWomenBreakingOut ofGenreBoxes

AspartofmyresearchintoBlack womeninpopculture,I’velookedat therelationshipbetweenrace, gender,onscreenportrayalsof immortality,andnumetal Numetal, popularisedintheearly2000s,is knownforcombiningthemoodof metalwithriffsandhuesofrapand hip-hop.Aspreviouslymentioned,the genredrewonthecreativityofBlack artists,singersandmusiciansacross differentgenresandgenerations

AaliyahandQueenoftheDamned's Hip-Hop/NuMetalHeart

Myresearchonthishasinvolved reflectingonthenumetal-themed filmQueenoftheDamned(2002), basedonAnneRice’senduring VampireChroniclesbooks Itisalsoa loosesequeltothefilmInterviewwith theVampire:TheVampireChronicles (1994)whichfeaturedBradPittasthe keycharacterLouisdePointeduLac, whoisturnedbythealluringvampire LestatdeLioncourt(playedbyTom Cruise)

QueenoftheDamnedstarredthe singerAaliyahasthepowerful vampire/“baddie”Akasha Itwasher finalactingrolebeforeherdeathaged just22 Shortlybefore,shehadalso signedtoappearinthesequeltoThe Matrix,anothernumetalfranchise. AaliyahiscentraltoQueenofthe Damned,assuggestedbyemphasis onherimageinitsmarketing Witha 17%“tomatometer”scoreonRotten Tomatoesanda28starrankingon Letterboxed,QueenoftheDamnedis generallyseenasaflop.

Butdespitethis,thefilmremains influential,particularlyduetoAaliyah’s

poisedpresenceasahip-hopstarina fictionalandvampiricnumetalworld. ThecharacterofAkashacanbe criticisedforrepresentingstereotypical ideasofBlackwomenasbeing dangerouslyseductive Still,Aaliyah’s portrayalmadeanimpression In recentyearsthefilmhasreceived renewedattention,sparkedbythe resurgenceofnumetalandthe creationoftheAMCTVshowInterview withtheVampire(2022–present) Its muchanticipatedthirdseasonisdue toincludeAkasha Thishasledtosome f lli f h t b l db hi

MeganTheeStallionisseenoutside GauravGuptaduringtheHauteCouture Spring-Summer2025aspartofParis FashionWeekonJanuary29,2025in Paris,France.(PhotobyValentina Frugiuele/GettyImages)

TherappermadeaParisFashionWeek appearancein2025inanoutfitthat harkedbacktoAaliyah’sperformanceas Akasha ThisdemonstratesthatAaliyah’s ongoingimpactincludesestablishingthe characterofAkashaascanonically connectedtohip-hop,despiteQueenof theDamned’sassociationwithnumetal.

MoreThan‘Seen,NotHeard’

Returningtothetopicofnumetal,inthe bookKerrang!LivingLoud:FourDecades ontheFrontlineofRock,Metal,Punk,and AlternativeMusic,NickRuskelldescribes numetalasfollows:

Mixingaggressiveriffswithhip-hop indebtedrhythms,thelow-tuned, baggy-trouseredbandswhowouldbe giventhetagoftenhadmorein commonwithPublicEnemyandNWA thantheydidRainboworIronMaiden.

Expandingonthat,Ruskellreflectson howKerrang!changedwithnumetal’s arrival:

Theriseofnu-metalhadbroughtwithit thequestionofwhererapandhip-hop stoodinKerrang!’sworld Attheendof the90's,though,withtheworldsofhiphopandrockfarmorestrongly connectedthantheyhadpreviously been,Kerrang!’sremithadmoved

Significantly,bySeptember211996,Skin (ofSkunkAnansie)hadfeaturedonher ownonaKerrang!cover,having previouslyappearedonaJuly22,1995 coverthatdepictedvariousbands As musicandculturalcriticLainaDawes’ workhighlights,Blackwomen’sinfluence onmetalandconnectedsub-genresis stilloftenoverlooked.InSkin’swordsin Kerrang!LivingLoud:

Ifyoulookattherockscene,andyou lookatthemetalscene,youdon’treally seealotofbandsthatarefrontedbyme -IfeellikeI’mtheonlyone Sowhen theywantedustogoonthecover,I literallycouldn’tbelieveit,becauseno othermagazineswoulddoit.Wewere toldoverandoveragain,wecan’thave blackpeopleonthecoverbecausethis magazinewon’tsell

Kerrang!interviewswithSkininthe90s arepartofhowthehistoryofBlack womenin/androckhasbeen representedandrecorded Ina1995 interviewwiththemagazine,Skin spokeaboutSkunkAnansie’sstrong followingandthewaysthatpeople relateandrespondtotheband: There’salotofaggressionand weirdnesstoit,andIthinkbecauseof themakeupoftheband,y’know?... You’vegotablackwomanfrontinga bandthat’sheavy,alotof peopleidentifywithitbecausethey feellikethey’reontheoutsideof thingsinthesamewaythatwedo

AsSkinsingsonthe1996tracktitledas such,“YesIt’sFuckingPolitical” Describedas“destinedtobe,quite possibly,thebiggestfemaleRock singersinceTinaTurner!”,the1995 Kerrang!interviewrightlyanticipated thatSkin(andSkunkAnansieasa whole)couldgoontohaveabig impactonrock Blackwomen’s influenceonmetaland“alt”rockis huge,and,arguably,includesAaliyah’s portrayalofthecharacterofAkashaina fictionalnumetalworld

Shedoesn’tsinginQueenofthe Damned(afilmthatDeijuvhsreferred toasbeingasourceofinspirationina 2025interviewwithRishiShahfor Kerrang!,andwhosaidthatDeijuvhs has“cementedhimselfasabreathof freshairamongstthenu-metalrevival”) Yet,Aaliyah’ship-hopstardomisstilla principalpartofthefilmanditsiconic statusacrosstheworldsofmusic, media,andnewmillenniumnostalgia.

Aaliyahbeingforegroundedinanu metalfilm,pairedwiththelimited dialogueandplotdevelopmentofher character,reflectshowBlackwomenin “alt”/rockmusicandaccompanying mediaaresometimestreatedassimply theretobeseen,notheard. Understandablyeclipsedbyherwider work,QueenoftheDamnedisnot care-fullyfocusedoninmanyways Aaliyahismemorialised Statingthat Aaliyah’sroleinQueenoftheDamned isanoftenoverlookedpartofherlegacy

doesn’tdenythatithasbeencelebratedin certainspaces Forexample,withinBlack “alt”scenesandtheVampireChronicles fandom,Aaliyah’sportrayalofAkashais widelyrecognisedandrespected.Then again,narrativeswithintheVampire Chroniclesfandomdon’talwaysaddress therelationshipbetweenmisogynoirand theportrayalofAkasha,aswellasthe societaltreatmentofAaliyah.Somepeople mightscoffattheideathatAaliyah’srolein QueenoftheDamnedhasnotreceiveddue attention,butherpartinthefilmandher impactonitsassociationwithdifferent typesofmusicisnotappreciatedbyall EvenwhenAaliyah’spresenceinthefilmis praised,that’ssometimesinsurface-level waysthatbarelygobeyondcommenting onherlooks–diminishingAaliyah’s contributiontoQueenoftheDamned

AsobservedbyVasilisGkogkidisina publicationonMusicEcosystems: Expandingtheideaofmusicscenes,“The lifecycleofasongstartswithmusicians usingwhatevermeanstheyprefer: instruments,theirvoice,foundobjectsor computerstocomposemusic Theyarethe onesthatturntheirfeelingsintonotes, lyrics,melodies,rhythm” Thelifecycleofa filmanditslegacyisinfluencedbymusic. Songsbecomesynonymouswithkey scenesandnewsevents.Singersand musicianswhostarinthefilmaffectits releaseandreception Thefilmtakeson newmeaningsastimepasses,genresage, andafterlivesare(not)anticipated

Muchmusic/mediaindustry discourserarelyrecognisesthat Aaliyahbroughtasenseofhip-hop hearttothenumetal/gothicworld ofQueenoftheDamned.Inturn, shehelpedthefilmtobe positionedinproximitytodifferent musicgenres,andnotjustthose deemed“alt”–resultinginQueenof theDamned’s“crossover”appealas afilmthatmightparticularlyattract hip-hopand(nu-)metalheads, whilerecognisingthatoverlaps betweensuchfanshavelong existed Forme,Aaliyah’s involvementinthefilmsymbolises howBlackwomen’screativityand coolnessisleveragedbymusic genresandtheirmediamarketing, includinginwaysthatcan strategicallybridgeperceivedgaps betweenR&B/hip-hopandmetal

MemorialisingBlackWomenin Music

WhenrememberingAaliyah’s culturalinfluence,hermultifaceted roleinthenewmillenniumandnu metallandscapemustbemore effectivelyacknowledged,suchas byaccountingforhowshehelped QueenoftheDamnedtobenefit fromboththeheatofhip-hopand itsnodtonumetal

Morethanthat,howallBlack womeninmusicarepublicly memorialisedmustinvolvemore careandrecognitionoftheir importantworkacross,between andbeyondgenres

Whennewsspreadofthedeathof RobertaFlackinFebruary,herfans tooktosocialmediatomournher loss Legend,musician,singer, teacher–thosewerejustsomeof themanywordsusedinonline postsrightlycelebratingherlife But aslayla-roxannehillandIhave discussed,memorialisingpeopleas “icons”sometimesreducesor reframeswhotheyweretolittle morethansymbolsandsoundbites

ThereshouldbespacetonameBlackwomen’simpactonmusicandsociety,but inwaysthataffirmthemultitudesoftheirlives.Thisistouchedoninthe documentaryTLCForever(2023),asissociety’sdisregardforthegriefexperienced byBlackwomensuchasTLCmembersRozondaThomasandTionneWatkins FollowingthedeathoftheirfriendandbandmemberLisa“LeftEye”Lopesina buscrashaged30,theyfacedpressurestopushforwardwithreleasingmusic whilegrieving.

Asmentioned,20FeetfromStardom(2013)hasalsoilluminatedtheinequalities facedbyBlackwomensingers Theirsignaturesoundspropelthesuccessof manygenres,buttheyseldombenefitfromthisinsubstantialandsustained ways ThewaythetragicdeathofAaliyahwastreatedisacaseinpoint TheR&B andhip-hopsingerdiedinaplanecrashinAugust2001 Mediaheadlines mounted,includingcoveragethatreferredto“hermoviedebutlastyear”,but whichdidnotdiscussthatroleorherbroaderactingwork.Itmaybeimpossible foranymemorialmessagetofullyexpressandappreciatesomeone’sessence. However,thewaysthatBlackwomenareremembered(andforgotten)insociety areshapedbymisogynoir–theinterconnectedeffectsofracism,sexismand misogyny

Blackwomenaresomuchmorethanthebinarynarrativesprojectedontothem –strongversussoft,youngversusold,singerversusactor,survivorversusvictim andlivingversusdead.AsthetitleofoneofAaliyah’sownsongsconveys,shewas “MoreThanaWoman”

Bibliography

Dawes,Laina(2012)WhatAreYouDoingHere?:ABlackWoman'sLifeand LiberationinHeavyMetal NewYork:BazillionPoints

Gkogkidis,Vasilis(2025)MusicEcosystems:Expandingtheideaofmusicscenes. Thessaloniki:KakiousisDigitalPrinting.

Ruskell,Nick(2024)Kerrang!LivingLoud:FourDecadesontheFrontlineofRock, Metal,Punk, andAlternativeMusic London:DorlingKindersley

Shah,Rishi(2025)HowDeijuvhsisbreakingthenu-metalmould.Kerrang!,24 March.

[ThispartofthezinedrawsonmypieceinTheConversation.Thanksto AnnaWalkerfortheeditorialsupportwiththatarticle]

(Post-)HardcorePunk’sPast, Present,andPulse

Thispieceshiftsgearsfromfocusingon numetaltotheearliermusicofhardcore andpost-hardcorethatemergedfromit. Theterm“(post-)hardcore”isusedto indicatethatI’mlookingatboth hardcoreandpost-hardcore–recognisingtherelationshipand differencesbetweenthetwo.

Discussingthepast,present,andpulseof (post-)hardcore,thispartofthezine bringstogethermorethoughtssparked bytheMuseumofYouthCulture’s ArchivesinLondon(UK)andtheDC PunkArchive(US).Thanksagaintoall whowelcomedmethere!

TattooedStraightEdgernexttothe stage,Underworld,Camden,London, September2001.(PhotobyRebecca Lewis)

Thispenultimatepartofthezineisalso informedbyotherpublishedaccountsof hardcore’shistoryandhorizons,suchas AllAges:ReflectionsonStraightEdge. That1997bookwascompiledwithcare byBethLahickey,whowrote:“[m]y primaryattractiontotheunderground musicscenewasitsreverencefor individuality”and“Ifellinlovewith hardcoreforthefreedomIfeltfrom others’expectations”

PublishedbyRevelationBooks(the publishingpartofindependentlabel RevelationRecords),thebookAllAges notesthat“RevelationRecordssprung up,specializingincoloredwaxlimited edition7”sofeveryone’sfavourite bands,corneringthemarketinitially andmakingrecordcollectingthe scenester’snewfavouritepastime” Foundedin1987,RevelationRecordsis abigpartofhardcore,asarecertain principlesandsocialvalues

Whengraspingtheconnection betweenhardcoreandsocial movementsit’simportanttodiscuss theactivismandimpactofPositive Force Astheirwebsitestates,the activistcollectivePositiveForce“came fromthe1980sDCpunkandhardcore scene.Weseekradicalsocialchange, personalgrowth,andyouth empowerment” Theyareoneofmany examplesofthepoliticsofhardcore andpunkatlarge–music-centred communitiesthatstandfor somethingandactonthattoo.So,this sectionofthezineparticularlyreflects ontherelationshipbetweenhardcore andanti-imperialist,anti-racist,and anti-sexistefforts,includingsomeof theworkandsentimentsofBlack punk(s).

Thispartofthezinealsorecognises theroleofregionsandphysicalspaces inthehistoryandhereandnowof (post-)hardcoreandhowitisarchived Onthatnote,I’dliketothankAndrew Appleton(Smash!Records, WashingtonDC),AmbroseNzams (JointCustody,WashingtonDC)and folksatShugaRecordsinChicagofor welcomingmeinthosestoresandfor takinganinterestinmyworkwhenI askedtoshareversiononeofthiszine

Smash!Recordsstoresignin WashingtonDCwithacopyofthefirst versionofthiszineontopofit,April 2025 (PhotobyFrancescaSobande)

JointCustody(WashingtonDC)sticker featuringadesignthatdepictsteeth, gums,alongtongue,andeyeballs (PhotobyFrancescaSobande)

Atapointintime(still)rifewithstatesanctionedattemptstobanbooks andcensorauthors,editors,teachers, librarians,andlyricists,thenecessity andpowerofwritingshouldnotbe overlooked Thismeansthatinsights fromIssue3(Spring2021)of DemystificationbyPaulaMartinez andAmbroseNzams,andfrom inspiringdisplaysonpunkatDC’s MartinLutherKingJr Memorial Library,encouragedmetobuildon versionone(April2025)ofmyzine

“MakingZines+Connecting Communities”,partof“Upfromthe People:ProtestandChangeinDC”–theMartinLutherKingJr.Memorial Library’spermanentexhibit,April,2025. (PhotobyFrancescaSobande)

AcopyofIssue3(Spring2021)of Demystification,withacoverthat featuresapaintingbyEmmy. (PhotobyFrancescaSobande)

Accountingforallthat,thispartofthe zineaffirmstheheart,sincerity,and softnessofhardcore.Acknowledging thatitcreatedapathforwhatwould becomeknownaspost-hardcoreand emocore(akaemo),Iechoothers who’veemphasisedthathardcore’s embraceofemotion(s)isnotatodd withitsheaviness.Aslayla-roxannehill andIaffirm,“[s]oftnessisnotalways easy,steady,cushionedorcute” Indeed,softnesscanbehardtoo

(Post-)HardcoreisLocal

Hardcore’soriginsandorientations havebeenoutlinedinin-depthwriting, documentedincandidvideosand photography,depictedindetailed drawingsandvividvisualart,and expressedthroughintimateaudio recordingsandtheinfinitelycreative contentofhardcoremusicitself Since the1980s,hardcorehashadan establishedpresence,andonewhich Blackpeoplehavealwaysbeenpartof InthewordsofSeanReveroninaCVLT NATIONpieceon“LOUD&PROUD! BlackVoicesIn80sHardcore”,“from theveryfirstpunkshowIwenttoatage 13,Ifeltathome Blackkidswerethere, andwemadeourpresenceknown”

Aswellascreatingmusicthatwaspart ofthelifebloodofhardcore,asReveron states,“BlackPunksweresomuch morethanjustrecordingartists we werethefanzinecreators,promoters, bouncers,andjustfansoftheculture!” Reveron’svibrantaccountof“Black Voicesin80sHardcore”emphasises that“TheBlackPunkexperienceduring the80swasbiggerthanjustoneband”. Celebrating“boththevisibleandless visiblepunksthathadamajorimpact onourculture”,Reveron’swriting acknowledges“CarolfromDMR,an EastBayPunkgangthatnotonly promotedsomeofthesickestshowsin theBayArea,butalsoprotectedthe woman[sic]ofourscene” AsReveron’s writingindicates,hardcoreandpunk havealwaysrespondedtoand reflectedlocalenvironments

OftenattributedtothedistinctlyDC attitudeandartistryofbandssuchas BadBrains(whoLahickeydescribesas being“oneofthegreatestbandsofthe time”)andMinorThreat,hardcorehas strongtiestothecity’sunmistakable culturalidentity–thegraftofgrassroots activism,theworkoflocalmusicians, bands,andcreatives,andthecollective energiesofthosewhosustain independentgigvenues,radiostations, andmediaandcommunityhubs

Amongthenumerouspeople involvedinsomeofthatisBobby Sullivan(ofthebandSoulside–aka SoulSide),andasilluminatedby DavidEnsminger’sinterviewwith SullivanforRazorCake:

Forthirtyyears,BobbySullivanhas remainedanardentunderground messengerofpunkconscience Inspiredpartlybytheprogressive playbookofDischordRecordsand action-orientedcommunitygroup PositiveForce,whosestreet demonstrationssweptthroughthe nation’scapitalfromthemid-‘80s onward,Sullivanbecamealeading lightofundergroundmusic

StressingthesignificanceofDC’s musicscene,inaHeldLikeSound zinereviewofthe1998albumMakoto byEmpireStateGames,Christopher Porterwrote:“[b]eingapunkand altmusicfaninthelate-‘80sand early-‘90sMichiganmeantlookingto WashingtonD.C.orChapelHillfora dailydoseofrock”.Inotherpartsof theUS,hardcoreand“alt”musichas beenexpressedinwaysthatspeakto theparticulartraitsofthoseareas, includingclassdynamicsandpolitics there AsLahickeyputsit:

TheBostonscenewasverydifferent thantheNewYorksceneintermsof thatitwasasuburban,upper middle-classmovement.As opposedtoNewYork,itseemedlike aLowerEastSide,workingclass, tough-kidkindofthing LAwas kindoflikeanOrangeCountyrich kidsthing,whichwasdifferenttoo.

Thelocalnatureofhowhardcorewas /isexperiencediscommunicatedina numberofdifferentways,suchas throughtermsusedtodescribe hardcoresoundsandstyles.An exampleis“Boston-punch-trash”:an expressionthat’sbeenusedto describeastyleofdancingthat,in Lahickey’swords,“wasn’tsupposedto bedancingatall iftherewasacircle, you’dgoagainstit”.

OutsideoftheUS,hardcoregrewin settingssuchasSweden,wherethe influentialbandRefusedcametogetherin 1991.AstrongsceneinSouthWalesalso developed.MatthewDavies-Kreye(of FuneralforaFriend)wrote:

Kidscouldcometoshowsandseelocal bandslikeHondoMaclean,Midasunoand TheBlackoutholdtheirownagainst AmericanbandslikeSparta,Boysetsfire andTheJulianaTheory Thatmadealotof peoplerealisethatbandshereareactually presentingsomethinginthissceneof music;itwasuniqueandidentifiable It wasabastardisationofothersoundsthat, forsomereason,madeittotally geographicallyWelshatthattime

Davies-KreyeopensthatpieceinVicewith anodtoLahickey’sbookAllAgesandits longlastingimpact.Clearly,hardcoreand post-hardcorethriveinwayslinkedtolocal life,evenwhenshapedbythemore nationalandinternationalnatureofsuch music–whetherit’sintheUS,Sweden, Wales,orelsewheresuchasScotland(as capturedbyDecadeofGHC[Glasgow Hardcore]-AZine,andDespize’s powerhouse2024song“Scotland’s Hardcore”).Again,arelevantexample hereisPositiveForce,whoconnectlocal strugglestointernationalistsolidarities

DecadeofGHC[GlasgowHardcore]-A Zine(PhotobyFrancescaSobande)

(Post-)HardcoreisLiberationist

AsFatimaBhuttoasksinanaffecting essay,SongsofExhile:“Whatisitabout songthatthreatensdictatorssomuch?’” Discussingartistsandmusicianssuchas FelaKuti–“[v]eryfewwillrememberthe namesofthemenwhojailedhim,butno onewillforgetFelaKuti”–Bhutto

acknowledgestheirpoliticalimpact andtheliberatingpotentialsofmusic asawhole.Aspreviouslymentioned, PositiveForceisanactivistcollectivein DCwho:

organizebenefitshows,freeconcerts, artshows,filmscreenings,protests, andeducationaleventswhilealso doingdirectworkwithpeoplein need Webelieveinbuilding supportive,transformational community,wherefriendship,fun andmutualaidmixfreely

PositiveForce’sFlickraccountprovides accesstoanassortmentofarchived materialrelatedtotheirwork.

“Voteredifyouwanttoseewomen bled”stickerinWashingtonDC,June, 2022 (PhotobyFrancescaSobande)

Theresourcesavailablethroughthe PositiveForceFlickraccountinclude digitiseddocumentationofthe“Your BodyIsaBattlegroundWomen’s RightsBooklet”(thesametitleas BarbaraKruger’s1989artworkwhich isdepictedinit).TheFlickraccount alsohostsotherinformative ephemeraonissuesrelatedto reproductivejustice Inthe“Women’s RightsBooklet”isapiecetitled“No ShiningCityor1,000PointsofLight: REAGAN,BUSHANDWOMENOF COLOUR”.Itemphasisesthatworkingclasswomen(especiallywomenof colour)arepredominantlytargetedby anti-abortioneffortsandacapitalist focusedhealthsystemthatisracist andsexisttoo Onpage3ofthat publicationarestatementsabout concernsthat,sadly,stillapplyto societytoday:“[w]omenofcolourhold theirbreathwonderingwhichhealth orsocialprogramwillbedismantled ordrasticallyreduced”

Havingbeencreatedlongbeforethe June2022overturningofRoev.Wade (thelandmarkUSSupremeCourtcase in1973thatestablishedtherighttoan abortionforwomenintheUS),the “YourBodyisaBattlegroundWomen’s RightsBooklet”istestamenttothe longbattlethatorganisershavebeen fightingforreproductivejusticeforall. Onapageinthebookletis informationabouta1992show (featuringbandsFugazi,L7,Scrawl, andBikiniKill)toraisemoneyforthe PlannedParenthood(DC)Justice Fund,WashingtonFreeClinic,and FundfortheFeministMajority.That pageincludesthefollowingcallto action:

Tonightmustonlybethebeginningof oureffortstoprotectfreedominthis country.Afteryearsofonslaughtfrom theReaganandBushAdministrations andanincreasinglyhostileSupreme Court,nowmorethanever,wemust struggletoreversetheconservative,anti choice,antifreedomtideinthiscountry andpressforagenuinerevolutioninour society

Inthebottomrightcornerofaposter/ flyerfortheshowarethewords:“FIGHT FORYOURRIGHTTOCHOOSE BEFOREIT’STOOLATE” Inmore recentzinesrelatedtohardcore,the politicalpowerofitisalsoclear.This includesthe“sincelasttime…”piecein Demystification(Issue3,Spring2021).

Inthatopeningpiece,whichinvolves “RevisitingTheUngovernableForcein anuprising”,AmbroseNzamsreflects onuprisingsthatrespondedtothe racistmurdersofGeorgeFloyd, BreonnaTaylor,andAhmaudArbery inthesummerof2020 Aspartofthat writing,Nzamsdiscussesthe revolutionarysentimentsofhardcore, suchas“thewaythat‘TheySaidThat’ [byConflict]confrontsindividualismas alifelongcontomaintainclassorder, andespeciallythewaythat‘Forceor Service’mocksandtearsdownthe policewithakindofderision,snark, andhumourthattheBritishexcelat”

Highlightinghardcore’sresistant spirit,Nzamsremindsreadersofthe anti-oppressionstance,alongside humour,thatcanbeitsheart.

Lahickey’s1997accountofstraight edgehardcoreincludesmany pointsrelatedtothepoliticsofthe scene.Forexample,itaddresses strandsofhardcore’sliberationist supportofanimalrights,veganism, andanti-capitalism Inaninterview inthebookwithRichieBirkenhead (whowasthesingerfortheNew YorkbandUnderdogandwasin thebandIntoAnother,andYouth ofTodayforawhile),Birkenhead commentsontheselfrighteousnessthatcanbe associatedwithcertainpeoplein thestraightedgespace

Pointingtowardstheracialand classpoliticsofvariouspositionson /instraightedge,Birkenheadstates:

I’malsoputoffbypeoplewhoare self-righteouslystraightedgeand havesuchanairofarroganceabout themandaresoelitistwhentheir knowledgeoftheworldandwhat goesoninitissolimited Mostof thekidsI’vemetwhoarelikethat comefromaffluentupper-middle classwhitefamiliesinall-white neighbourhoodsinthesuburbs

Assuchwordsseemtosuggest,the strengthofhardcoreandits community–straightedgeand otherwise–isfoundinitsdiversity Thisisn’ttosuggestthatdiversityis activelyencouragedbyall,but hardcorehaslongbeenahometo peoplefrommanywalksoflife.

Acrosshardcoreandpost-hardcore, lotsofbands,musicians,andartists conveyanti-oppressionmessages, upholdinganti-racismandantiimperialism.Accordingly,in(the final)Issue8ofHeldLikeSound,ina reviewofThursday’saffecting2003 FullCollapsealbum,ScottIndrisek wrote:

“AutobiographyoftheNation,”lyrically,has tobeoneofthemosteffective“political” songsI’veheardinawhile,withits understatedandsubtledepictionsofall themanynicethingsthatourgreat country[US]hasdonearoundtheglobe inthepastyears.I’msureThursdayisone ofthosebandsthatgetsmadifthey’re peggedwiththe‘emo’label,and rightfullyso –they’rebetterthanthat.

Sure,somemusichasbeenthoughtof asstuckwith“theunfortunateemotag”, todrawonthewordsofJohnDavisin HeldLikeSoundzinein2000 Regardless,emohasastrongidentity andimpulseofitsown,evenifit’soften lessexplicitlypoliticalthanhardcore.

GeoffRicklyperformingsoloatO2 AcademyinBristol,England,June20, 2019.(PhotobyFrancescaSobande)

InthecaseofThursday,andaswith manybands,theirmusicalinfluences spanmanygenres Anotherexample oftherelationshipbetweenrap, (post-)hardcoreandemocanbefound inGeoffRickly’sBrooklynVeganarticle onmajorinfluencesbehindThursday’s 2003“WarAllTheTime”album:

Thesong"WarAlltheTime"is somethingIwrotethelyricstoafter immersingmyselfinNas.Heistheking ofsmalldetails Youcanbuilda cathedraloutofmatchbooksifyou’re carefulenoughabouthowyoulaythem down.

IntheyearssinceIndrisekpraisedFull Collapse,andsincethereleaseofWar AllTheTime,Thursdayhavecontinued toconveypoignantmessagesabout theviolenceofpoliticalpowersthataid andabetwarsandgenocides.Emo, post-hardcore,orathirdotherthing, thebandkeepscallingoutoppression

Whilenowadaysyoumaybemore likelytohearfromandaboutsome bandsthroughsocialmedia,zines continuetobecrucialtohardcore, post-hardcore,emo,andtheir connections InthewordsofNorman Brannon(ofTexasistheReason,New EndOriginal,andmorerecently, Thursday)inAnti-Matterzine: “[f]anzineshavealwaysplayedan outsizedroleinthewaywedefineand createourculture”.

(Post-)HardcoreisDIY

Themoodandmakingof“alt”zines mirrorstheDIYdriveofthemusicand communitiesthattheyfocuson.When lookingatarchivedmaterialonemo and(post-)hardcore,thesignificanceof zinesandtheirchartingofbands’ trajectoriesstandsouts Thisincludesa reviewofthe2000albumTheRising TidebySunnyDayRealEstate,inan issueofTheBigTakeaway.Inthat,Jack Rabidnotesthedevelopmentofboth thebandandemo:“Backwhenthe terms‘emo’or‘emocore’wereknown onlytofanzinebuyers,thispost-Nirvana WashingtonStatebuzzbandheralded anationalunderground…”.

SunnyDayRealEstateatOutbreakFest, VictoriaParkinLondon,England,June13, 2025 (PhotobyFrancescaSobande)

Aswellasimmersingmyselfin publicationslikeHeldLikeSoundand TheBigTakeaway,whenattheDC PunkArchiveIreadtheeverrelevant zineOffCenterbyPositiveForce. Communicatingthepassionand powerofmanybranchesofhardcore andpunk,OffCentercriticallytookon

topicssuchasUScapitalism,imperialism, colonialism,mentalhealth,andclimate justice,whilealsoraisingawarenessof PositiveForce’spublicmeetingsand actionsthatpeoplecouldjoinin solidarity

ThegalvanisingdocumentaryWeAre Fugazi,WashingtonDC,whichfeatures footageofsomeoftheband’slonglistof benefitgigs,includesonethatis introducedtothecamerabyamember ofPositiveForce Asmentionedinthe documentary,Fugaziraisedmorethan $250,000throughtheirinvolvementin benefitshows CarniKlirs’meticulous work,VisualisingtheHistoryofFugazi,is sharedthroughawebsitethatstates “Punkmusicistemporal&ephemeral.It representsatime&place Itexistswithin local&socialcontexts”Thecontentof thatprojectwebsiteandprintedzine depictsFugazi’spastcommitmentto cultivatingfundsfortheWashington PeaceCenter,AnimalRightsGroup, LivingCenterAidsHospice,andthe Women’sCrisisCenter,tonamebutafew groupsandorganisationsthattheyhave supported What’sstoredintheDCPunk Archiveisamarkerofthistoo When visitingitIwasstruckbythenumberand detailsofposters,flyers,photos,andnotes onfundraisergigs.

Thatarchivedmaterialprovidesa windowthroughwhichtolearnmore aboutnotonlypunkmusicandits developmentinDC,butalsothepolitics andpeoplethatpieceittogetherand keeppushingitforward(s).Aswellas platformingtheworkofFugaziandthose wholovinglydocumentedtheirgigs,We AreFugazi,WashingtonDC showcases someoftheircontemporaries Muchto mydelight,AmyPickering(oftheflame thatwasFireParty)appearsinthefilm. Pickeringprovidesthevividvocalsfor “Substitution”alongsideFugaziatagig, wherePickering’sstagepresenceand vocalprowesspiercesthroughthescreen andhitsyouhardinthebestway

Throughoutthefilmandinbetween footageofFugaziinflow,are conversationswiththepeoplewho capturedthatovertheyearswith camerasandacaringsenseofcandour

Treatingviewerstoanaccountof Fugazithatfeelsintimateand inviting,WeAreFugazi,Washington D.C.portraysboththepreciousness andpunchofhardcoremusic.The documentaryfilmpaintsapicture ofabandandscenewhotrulycare –aboutfansandfellowmusicians andartists,aboutthestateoflocal lifeandglobalissues,aboutthe accessibilityofgigs,andabout challenginginequitiesandstriving towardsabetterworld

InAllAges–abooktitlethat reiteratestheinclusivenessand intergenerationalnatureofgigsby bandssuchasFugazi–Lahickey notesthat“[i]n1983,acommon punkslogantopaintonyourjacket was‘NooneRules’” Morerecently, themovesofthebandTurnstile reflecthowhardcorekeeps resistingsystemsofoppression, suchasstructuralhierarchiesthat leavesomepeopleunhousedand withoutaccesstocare Turnstile’s May2025Baltimoregig,which involvedadebutperformanceof theirtrack“NeverEnough”(alsothe titleoftheirnewalbum)raised $35,000forBaltimore-based charityHealthCareForThe Homeless Thatbenefitgigis anotherexampleofhardcore’s commitmenttoaddressing structuralstruggleslocally

TurnstileatOutbreakFest,Victoria ParkinLondon,England,June13, 2025.(PhotobyFrancescaSobande)

Ina2023interviewwithNorman BrannonforAnti-Matter,Richie Birkhenhead(ofbandssuchas Underdog,IntoAnother,andYouth ofToday)spokeaboutsomeofthe waysthatdigitalculturehas impactedhardcoreandlocal/ regionalscenes:

whenwelastspoke[forAnti-Matter],it wasatthevery,veryembryonicstageof thedigitalage Andwhatthatdidto regionalculture,Ithink,isabittragic It killedregionalculture Theworldhas becomesohomogenizedthatyou almostcan’thavethenecessaryvacuum foraregionalculturetoform Itstill happens,don’tgetmewrong;thereare definitelylittlepocketsofincredible magicgoingoninallsubcultures Butin themainstream,it’saproblem

Muchinhardcorehaschangedsincethe earlydaysofbandssuchasIntoAnother andFugazi,andsincetheemergenceof socialmediaand21 centurydigital culture Whatseemstohavestayed consistentishowhardcorealwaysfindsa waytolookupandoutatwhoandwhat liesbeyonditsimmediatesurroundings–takingtheenergythatisharnessed withinhardcore,tryingtodosomething transformativewithit,andwith potentiallyfar-reachingrippleeffects

DevontéHynesperformingAlienLove CallwithTurnstileatatOutbreakFest, VictoriaParkinLondon,England,June13, 2025.(PhotobyFrancescaSobande)

Aswithallgenresofmusic,the boundariesofhardcorecontinuetobe hotlydebated.Turnstile’shardcore credentialshavebeenquestionedand critiquedbysomepeople Thisis capturedbytheopeninglineofa “PrematureEvaluation:TurnstileNever Enough”byEliEnisforStereogum: “Turnstilearebreakingboundaries. They’remakinghardcorepuristsangry”. AsNormanBrannonnotesinanAntiMatterinterviewwithBrendanYatesof Turnstile,“Turnstileareverymuchpartof ahardcorelegacyofmusical shapeshifterslikeBadBrains,urban culturalistslikeLeeway,andPMAstreet preacherslikeSupertouch.Whattheydo isnotcompletelyunprecedented.But thewayTurnstilehavemanagedto translatehardcoreidealismandculture toabroaderaudienceisimmensely special”.

Turnstile’smusichasincluded collaborationswithDevonté Hynes(aka BloodOrange)andHayleyWilliams,and theirmostrecentalbumhassometimes beendescribedasmorepopthanpunk Nomatterthecritiqueslevelledatthem, Turnstile’spresenceinhardcoreisclear.

ThedifferentdirectionsthatTurnstile’s musicseemstobegoinginneedn’tbe thoughtofasunderminingtheir hardcorehistory.Afterall,ifhardcoreis aspacethatsupportsmusical experimentationandgoingagainstthe grain,thensurelymakingmusicthat differstothenorm(eventhenormsof hardcore)issomethingtocelebrate

ANewYorkerarticleon“Howthe MeanestGenreGotNice”refersto hardcoreas“oncebrutishandinsular”, beforeasking:“HasTurnstilemadeit popular?” WrittenbyKelefaSanneh, thearticleisanhomagetotheimpact ofTurnstileandsomeofthewaysthat hardcorehaschanged.

Butasisdiscussedinmoredetaillater oninthiszine,hardcorehasalways beenmorethanthebrashimageofit thattendstodominatehowit’sframed inmainstreammedia.Therearemany placeswheresomeofthehistoryand currentworldofhardcorecanbe experienced Oneoftheseplacesis Smash!Records,establishedin1984 andoriginallylocatedinDC’s Georgetown

NowlocatedinAdamsMorgan(since 2006),theDCstoreishometotrovesof vinyl,videos,clothes,badges,stickers, patches,skateboardstuff,books,zines, andjustaboutanythingelsethatcomes tomindwhenthinkingaboutpunkand allthatitencompasses Simplyput, Smash!Recordsispartofpunk’slifeand legacy AssuggestedbySmash!Records’ shelveswhicharebrimmingwith printedworks,publicationsandallsorts ofmediaarekeytohow(post-)hardcore anditshistoryarerememberedand experiencednow

ShelvesatSmash!RecordsinApril,2025. (PhotosbyFrancescaSobande)

Atthispointitisusefultoturntothe wordsofAngieLarrierwhokindlyagreed tospeaktome.Angiecontributedtothe MuseumofYouthCulture’s“I'mNotOkay (AnEmoRetrospective)(2004–2009)” exhibitionwhichwasattheBarbican MusicLibraryinLondon(2024–2025) Duringourconversation,Angieshared aboutlearningofthepost-hardcore/ emobandFinchthroughalocallibrary. AngiedetailedtheDIYfeelingof searchingforandfindingmusicbefore therecentyearsofsocialmedia:

It’scrazytothinkIfirstheardemowhen IwasinprimaryschoolwhenIwas10.I remembergoingtothelibraryand borrowingFinch’sfirstalbum Iwould borrowitweeklyforapounduntiltheyjust gaveittome.IwouldputitonmyCDplayer andwasobsessedwiththesound,andalso IusedtowatchKerrang!,MTV2,Scuzz and thenonceIgotintohighschoolIsawthe emolookmoreasIbecameateenager, andthat’swhenIstartedtoexpress myselfandstartedtocutintomyhairand dyeitanddoallthatsortofstuff Thatwas morevisual…butthemusiccamereallyearly forme Thatwouldhavebeeninlike2002/ 2003

FinchatTramshedinCardiff,Wales, onNovember6,2023/FinchatSlam DunkFestivalinHatfield,England, onMay24,2025.(Photosby FrancescaSobande)

Whenlisteningbacktomy conversationwithAngieIwas remindedofthe“What’sMorePunk ThanThePublicLibrary”t-shirtsthat areavailableinsupportoflocal libraryprogrammingatMount PleasantLibraryinDC.Theyfeature adesignthatwasinspiredbythe DCPunkArchive,hostedbytheDC PublicLibrary

Angie’schildhoodmemoryreflects thatpubliclibrariesareplaces wherechildrenandyoungpeople (andofcourse,thosewhoareolder), canexperiencemusic,mediaand booksinencouragingwaysthat staywiththemfortherestoftheir lives AsIwroteaboutinapieceon theMuseumofYouthCulture’s“I'm NotOkay(AnEmoRetrospective)”:

Withinsuchretrospectivereflections arememoriesofyoungpeople’s experiencesofathirdplace Places thatarenothomeandnotaplaceof studyorwork,suchaspublicsquares, skateparksandclubnights,thathave increasinglydiminished,been unfunded,orbecomemorepoliced sincethe2000s Throughthese reflections,theshowexamineshow

placesandspaces–bothonlineandoffline–have changedsincethe2000s,inwaysthatimpactyoung peopleandmusictoday

Putplainly,collectivestrugglestocombatthe defundingandcensorshipoflibraries(andother publicspaces)haveaplaceinpunk.Sodoes embracingemotion(s)andsupportingsoftness.

(Post-)HardcoreisEmotion

Hardcorehasheart That’scapturedbythetitleof ShawnReynaldo’s2023Pitchforkarticle,“TheReturn ofAnti-Matter,’90sHardcore’sMostInfluential(and Emotional)Zine”.Thepiecefocusesonanessential hardcorezinefoundedin1993byNormanBrannon, whosaid:“Idon’tknowifanybodyevercalledAntiMatter‘softcore,’butitwascertainlyintimated”

ConnectinghardcoretoemoinaMuseumofYouth Culturepieceon“00sTeenAngst”,JakeHawkeswrote:

EmofirstdevelopedinWashingtonDCinthe1980s, bornoutofthecity’shardcorepunkscene The crucialdifferencebetweenthetwoatfirstwasthe lyricalcontent,withemocoveringintrospective topicsandemotionsinawaythathardcorepunkat thetimewasn’tknownfor

Still,therehasalwaysbeenanemotionalqualityto hardcoreandasincerityandsoftnessthatshouldnot bethoughtofasconflictingwithitsheaviness As TrevorKelleywroteaboutfor“the1990s”Issue6 (Winter2000)ofHeldLikeSoundzine,inareview of SunnyDayRealEstate’s1994“Diary”(adefiningemo album):“thereweresentimentinthesesongsthat musiciansoneithersideofthe‘core’movement couldn’thelpbutgetteary-eyedover”.Inotherwords, hardcore,post-hardcore,andemoareallspaces wheretearsmaybeshedandemotionsmaybe shared Anti-Matterwasmemorablyknownfor includinginterviewsthatinvolvedBrannon unapologeticallyaskingwhensomeonelastcried

Dynamicsbetweenhardcoreandemoaren’talways asstraightforwardasissuggested However,the wordsofJoelBegleiteronEgon’sself-released1999 albumDisillusionedLeftist,inthesameissueofHeld LikeSoundzine,capturesomeofthewaysthatemo andhardcorehavebeendistinguishedbetween:“Not screamingenoughtobehardcoreandnotmelodic enoughtobeemo”.ElsewhereinHeldLikeSound, writingaboutSunday’sBest’s“WhereYouAreNow Crank!”EP,Begleitershedslightonothertraitsofemo:

“Sunday’sBestisinthe businessofwritingemo anthems,intheMidwestern tradition.Melodicand haunting,melancholyand triumphant ” Inwriting aboutAmericanFootball, anotherbandcentralto emo ’sorigins,JohnDavis (again,inthesameissueof HeldLikeSound)stated:

“NeverMeant,”thealbum’s openingtrack,setsthe stagewiththewoven guitarsandSteveLamos’ quietlyeffectivedrumming Lamosswitchestotrumpet for“TheSummerEnds,”a sweet,sadsongthat displaysthetrio’spenchant forthemelancholy “Honestly?”startswitha mesmerizingriffand careensintodroning wavesofsound Thisisa fantasticrecord.

Emoisoftenassociated withmelodicandmoving musicthatattemptsto makesenseofmelancholic experiences,or,atleast, expresstheminmeaningful waysthatconnectto peopleandtheirtender heartsandhopes Butwho andwhatconstitutesemo continuestobecontested.

AsAngiespokeaboutwhen discussingthepastand presentlandscapeofemo:

It’sinteresting someof those[nostalgiamusic] festivals[now] someofthe bandsIwouldn’tconsider emobutthey’vebeenkind ofallmergedintoone. They’realltheirown separatething They’reall partofsomethingbutit’sall kindofbeensquashedand neatlypackagedinto somethingthatcanbesold

Thepast,present,andpulseofhardcore, post-hardcore,emo,andadjacentmusic scenesareentangled,butasAngieimplied, thedistinctdifferencesbetweenthem shouldn’tbedenied.Inmainstreammedia andmusicindustryspaces,eachtypeof musicoftenendsupbeingcomparedto another,ratherthantreatedasenoughin itself Thistooispartofthepoliticsofmusic –theindustry’sobsessionwithcompetition, comparisonculture,andcategorising musicinconfiningwaysthatbetraythe messyhistoriesofhowgenrescometobe

Withingrassrootsandindependentspaces andscenes,heartfeltappreciation, understanding,andcreationofsuchmusic overflows.Butwhenitcomestoconsumer culture,thecupofcreativityand communitycanbecontrastinglyempty Manybrandshavebeenquicktojumpon the90sand00smusicnostalgiatrainin waysthattreathardcore,post-hardcore, andemoaslittlemorethanameansto capitalistends.Themagicofsuchmusic hasneverbeenpursuitofprofit,butbands andmusiciansbenefitingmateriallyfrom theirworkshouldn’tbeseenaslimitingit either ProtectingtheDIYspiritofmuch musicneednotinvolvefetishisingprecarity

(Post-)HardcoreisDiverse

WhilevisitingtheDCPunkArchive,aswell asreadingreviewsofveryfamousbands,I learntmoreaboutlesserknownbut extremelyimpactfulones.Here’stoyou, DChardcorepunkbandFireParty!

AsacknowledgedinAndyGreenwald’s 2003book,NothingFeelsGood:Punk Rock,Teenagers,andEmo,JennyToomey (musicianandco-founderoftherecord labelSimpleMachines)describedFire Partyasbeing"theworld'sfirstfemalefrontedemoband”.Theyweretogether from1986–1990andthebandincluded NatalieAvery,AmyPickering,Kate Samworth,andNickyThomas Attheir 1987debut,FirePartydedicatedthe performancetothelateToniYoung,who hadbeenaBlackwomaninthepunk sceneandwasamemberofthebands Dove,PeerPressure,andRedC

Also,asNormanBrannonasksin abrilliantessayinAmyFleisher Madden’sNEGATIVES:A PhotographicArchiveofEmo (1996–2006):“Andifyoubelieve mostofthedocumentedhistories thattraceemo’soriginsbackto 1985,whenthepunkscenein WashingtonDC,declareda ‘RevolutionSummer,’thenwhy don’tweevertalkaboutAmy PickeringfromFireParty?”. Buildingonthatpointand namingbandsandpeople, includingFireParty’sNicky Thomas,Brannongoesontoask:

Also,whydoweseemtoglossover thefactthattheentirefirstwaveof emothatcameforthfrom RevolutionSummerwasdecidedly multiracial?.

Indeed,“whileamajorityofthemost popularandrecognizablevoicesin emoandpost-hardcoredoinfact belongtostraight,cis-gender,white men,thereisandalwayshasbeena pluralityofinvaluablecontributionsto thisscenefromwomen,BIPOC,and LGBTQ+folks”

Articulatedbyboththelyricsof theirsongsandtheresistant actionsthattheyparticipatedin, FirePartychallengedissuessuch asstructuralsexism,misogyny,and more.Theliberationistethosof muchhardcorepunk–fromantiapartheidactivismtorousing responsestotheerosionof reproductiverights–hasbeen recordedinarangeofways As discussed,thisincludesintheform ofzinesandtheirarchiving.

“Oneofthegreataspectsofthestraightedge scenewasitsfanzines”,statesLahickeyinAll Ages.But“[u]nfortunately,alltoooftenmost zinesenjoyedonlyafleetingexistence”.So archivalworkisessential,suchaswhatis donebytheDCPunkArchiveandthe MuseumofYouthCulture,andBrannon’s worktomakeAnti-Matteraccessible (includingonlinethroughSubstackwhenit returnedin2023–2024).Thissortofworkalso includesthelivingarchivesofpeopleandthe creationanddocumentingofevents,suchas DecoloniseFest,whichsinceits2017 inceptionhasbeen“anannualLondonbased,volunteer-run,non-profitDIYpunk festivalcollectivelyorganisedbyandforpunx ofcolour”.

ThearchivingofBlackpeople’sexperiencesin /and“alt”musicsubculturesalsoincludes Pennycresszine “Designedtocelebratethe often-unsungheroesinLeedscreative industriesandbeyond,localwriterJenessa WilliamspresentsPennycress,aprint anthologyofart,illustrationandwrittenwork createdexclusivelybyLeeds-basedPeopleof Colour” Additionally,thegreatworkofthe BlackWomeninRockproject,“[a]n encyclopediaofblackwomeninrock.Solo project,activefrom2011-2024",ispartof importantformsofarchiving,asisOsaAtoe’s magnificantShotgunSeamstress:The CompleteZineCollection,whichincludesa strikingintroductionbymusicjournalist, authorofWhySolangeMatters,andmember ofthebandBigJoanie,StephaniePhillips.

Asiswellestablished,hardcorepunkhas alwaysincludedbandsthatactivelystand againstdifferenttypesofoppression Onthat subject,ChrisPayne’sbook,WhereAreYour BoysTonight?:TheOralHistoryofEmo's MainstreamExplosion1999-2008features writingonRacetraitorwhooriginallyhailed fromIllinois.Theband,whofacedbacklashin responsetotheirnameandvocalanti-racist position,mademusicwithmessagesthat tackledwhitesupremacy InaDIYConspiracy pieceon“Racetraitor:PoliticsAreStillPartof Hardcore’sFabric”,interviewerMittensXVX stressedthat“[a]ttheheightofthepoliticized hardcoresceneintheUS,Racetraitorworked tirelesslytobringuptopicsofraceandclass inwaysthatfewbandsbeforethemeverhad, oftenattheexpenseofcontroversy”

Thediversityofhardcorealso includesthewaysthatithasfed intoothertypesofmusic. Hardcoreandemomaynot alwaysbefirmfriendsbutthere arelotsofcasesofthem connectingandcontributingto eachother.Forexample,the hardcoreinflectionsofFallOut Boyandtheemoband’s membersandtheirhistory.

Inacaptivatinginterviewwith NormanBrannonforAntiMatterin2024,PeteWentz(of FallOutBoy)discussedhis hardcoredays(whichonce includedbeingamemberof Racetraitor) Aswellasdrawing attentiontothehardcore undertones(andsometimes, overtones)ofFallOutBoy,the interviewfeaturessome nuanceddiscussionofWentz’s experienceof“beingbiracial” and“thechildofanimmigrant”, inadditiontohisinvolvementin makingzines Atheme threadedthroughoutthe interviewishowhardcoreisa hometomanypeoplewhoare treatedasanoutsiderandare otheredinsociety

PeteWentzperformingaspartof FallOutBoyatUtilitaArenain Cardiff,Wales,onNovember4, 2023.(PhotobyFrancesca Sobande)

SincebookssuchasLahickey’s werewritten,muchhas changedinhardcore

The“male-basedegocentricity”that Lahickeyobservedisnotacomplete thingofthepast,andthesceneisnot freeoftheimpactsofracism,but hardcoremightbethoughtofas morediversetodaythanithasever been Thatsaid,hardcore,andhowit drawsonandrespondstodifferent typesofmusicandthosewhomake it,hasalwaysbeenmoreeclecticthan mainstreammediaandmusic industrycoveragesuggests.

AsDeleFadelewroteina1987piece forNewMusicalExpress(akaNME)on “LLCoolJ:BadManBitesBack”,rapis “somethingthatcan,givenhalfa chance,easilyco-habitatewithother musics,bothonthefringesaswellas thecentre” Inthedecadessincethen, therealitythatrapandhardcore involvecountlesscreativeconnections hasbeenmorewidelyaccepted,as hasthesenseofheartand emotionalityatthebaseofboth. Acrossothergenres,Blackmusicians suchasAprilKaehavediscussedand demonstratedthewaysthatindie rock,R&B,andAmericanacan connect Furtherback,theworkof singerandsongwriterSantigold challengedideasaboutgenreboxes.

AshighlightedbyBobbySullivanin DavidEnsminger’sinterviewwith SullivanforRazorCake,connections betweenpunkandothergenresof musicwiththeirrootsinBlacklifeand culturearestilloftenoverlooked:

Punkandreggaegrewuptogether, whichwashowitwasforme It’s strangenowtoseethedisconnect betweenthetwogenres.Even fansofbothseemtohavenoideaof theconnection

ThehistoryofBlackpunkand“altness” isonemadeupofsomuchmore thanjustwhatendsuponthepages ofzinesandbooks Itisahistory enactedandexpressedthrough everydayencountersandemotions, manyofwhicharen’tconventionally documentedbutareintenselyfelt. inspiredbymanypeople’sstellar work,Ihopemyzineaidseffortsto appreciateandarchivehow“alt”

musicisshapedandexperiencedbyBlack folksacrossdifferentgenres,generations, geographies,andgenders

Bibliography

Atoe,Osa(2022)ShotgunSeamstress:The CompleteZineCollection NewYork:Soft SkullPress

Brannon,Norman(2024)InConversation: BrendanYatesofTurnstile.Anti-Matter,4 January.

Brannon,Norman(2024)InConversation: PeteWentzofFallOutBoy Anti-Matter,5 December

Brannon,Norman(2023)InConversation: RichieBirkenheadofIntoAnother.AntiMatter,12October.

Brannon,Norman(2024)Origins:InPraise ofFanzines Anti-Matter,2July

Brannon,Norman(2023)Norman Brannon:TexasIstheReason/NewEnd Original.InNEGATIVES:APhotographic ArchiveofEmo(1996–2006)byAmy FleisherMadden SanFrancisco:Chronicle Books

Davies-Kreye,Matthew(2015)South WalesWastheNewSeattle?Total Bollocks.Vice,5June.

DecoloniseFest(2025)Byandforpunxof colour DecoloniseFest

Enis,Eli(2025)PrematureEvaluation: TurnstileNeverEnough.Stereogum,4 June.

Ensminger,David(2015)AnInterviewwith SoulSide’sBobbySullivanbyDavid Ensminger RazorCake,9November

Fadele,Dele(1987)LLCoolJ:BadMan BitesBack.NewMusicalExpress,30May.

Gleeson,SinéadandGordon,Kim(eds) (2023)ThisWoman’sWork:Essayson Music London:WhiteRabbit

Greenwald,Andy(2003)NothingFeels Good:PunkRock,Teenagers,andEmo. NewYork:St Martin'sGriffin

Bibliography (continued)

Hawkes,Jake(2020)I'mNotOkay: EmoandNu-Metal.Museumof YouthCulture.

hill,layla-roxanneandSobande, Francesca(2025)Look,Don’tTouch: ReflectionsontheFreedomtoFeel Edinburgh:404Ink

Lahickey,Beth(1995)AllAges: ReflectionsonStraightEdge. HuntingtonBeach:RevelationBooks

Leslie,Jaleesa(2016)ToniYoung–Red-C BlackWomeninRock: EncyclopediaofBlackWomenin RockMusic,6September.

Martinez,PaulaandNzams, Ambrose(2021)Demystification, Issue3(Spring2021)

Payne,Chris(2023)WhereAreYour BoysTonight?:TheOralHistoryof Emo'sMainstreamExplosion19992008 NewYork:DeyStreetBooks

Reveron,Sean(2024)LOUD& PROUD!BlackVoicesIn80s Hardcore.CVLTNation,8November.

Reynaldo,Shawn(2023)TheReturn ofAnti-Matter,’90sHardcore’sMost Influential(andEmotional)Zine Pitchfork,2November

Sanneh,Kelefa(2025)HowThe MeanestGenreGotNice.TheNew Yorker,11June..

Sobande,Francesca(2025)OnHard TruthsandSoftHearts Shuddhashar, 1May.

Sobande,Francesca(2024)I’mNot Okay:emoisaliveandkickingat Barbicanretrospective The Conversation,28October

Williams,Jenessa(2019)Pennycress.

AmericanProto-PunkmusicianBobbie Duncan,ofthegroupDeath,plays electricguitarasheperforms,during FunFunFunFest,onstageatWaterloo Park,Austin,Texas,November7,2009. (PhotobyJohnAnderson/TheAustin Chronicle/GettyImages)

FuneralforaFriendatO2Victoria WarehouseinManchester,England,on October7,2023. (PhotobyFrancescaSobande)

AprilKaeperformingasthebassistof Fever333atUtilitaArenainCardiff, Wales,onFebruary16,2024.(Photoby FrancescaSobande)

TheFunnyBusiness,Fans,and Feeling(s)ofEmo,Screamo, and(Post-)Hardcore

Asdealtwithinthepreviouspartsof thiszine,differentfactorsimpactideas aboutwho,what,andwhere“alt”music is Aswasalsodetailed,theseinclude onlinehumour Otherfactorslinkedto impressionsof“alt”musicare perceptionsofits“doityourself”(DIY) ethos,suchasthebedroomculture associatedwithscreamo–aka“skramz” musicsincethe1990s How“alt”music movesthroughmainstreammedia impactsinterpretationsofittoo

Forexample,backlashfolloweda performancebyhardcorepunkband KnockedLooseandsinger-songwriter Poppyon“JimmyKimmelLive!”in 2024 Itsparkedcriticismbysome viewerswhoclaimedthatthemusic distressedtheirchildren.That highlightsthemoralpanicwhichstill surroundsaspectsof“alt”music.Italso demonstratesthatnomatterhow“alt” somemusicseems,itmaystillhavethe potentialtobeplatformedby mainstreammedia

Here,itcanberelevanttooncemore recallthewordsofRichieBirkenhead. InaninterviewwithBethLahickeyfor thebookAllAges,Birkenhead’s remarksabouthardcoretouchonthe relationshipbetweenideasconnected tocoolness,fear,andfun:

That’swhatmadehardcorecool.You usedtohavetobebravetogetintothe pit Therewasatotaldifferentfeeling It usedtobethisreallycool,dark,scary feeling,andnowit’sjustlike‘funcore,’ whichisn’tnecessarilybad That,tome,is themainelementthatwaslost thatit usedtoreallyfeellikeyouwereatotal outcastandatotalmisfitifyouwereinto hardcore Itwascompletely underground

Movingawayfromoppositional ideasof“alt”versus“mainstream” and“subculture”versus“popular”,I digdeeperintothefunnybusiness ofemocore(akaemo),screamo (akaskramz),and(post-)hardcore I alsocontinuetoconsiderhowthe racialandgenderpoliticsof(“alt”) musichas(not)changed,while discussingitsconnectiontodigital andyouthculture Additionally,I outlinehowsomeideasabout emohavealteredsincetheterms “Emo-Core”and“EmotionalCore” firstfeaturedintheJanuary1986 IssueofThrasher,shortlyafter “R l ti S ”

January1986IssueofThrasher (PhotobyFrancescaSobande)

MyChemicalRomanceperforming atStadiumMK,May22,2022,Milton Keynes,England. (PhotobyFrancescaSobande)

Mywritingonemolaterinthislast partofthezinealsopicksupona conversationaboutbeingBlack andemowithAngieLarrier,who contributedasubmissiontothe MuseumofYouthCulture’s exhibition“I’mNotOkay:AnEmo Retrospective” Whendiscussing blacknessandemo-nesshere,I buildonmypreviousreflections onthesignificanceofFrank Ocean’smusicandR&B,along withtheloreof“yachtrock”

Iendthislastpiecefrommy projecton“TheCulturalMemory andArchivedExperiencesofBlack Peoplein‘Alternative’Music Subcultures”byfocusingonthe musicofBlackwomeninrapand hip-hoponthetopicofanxiety Finally,Iclosewithsomehopesfor thefuture.Butfirst,let’sthink aboutawkwardnessandthe conceptof“cringe”.

(Not)EveryoneLovesaTryer?</3

Sexism,misogyny,homophobia, transphobia,andother inequalitiescontinuetobe pervasiveinsociety Thisimpacts musicscenes/subcultures, includingemo However,there havealsobeensomesignificant societalchangesinthedecades sincethe2007bookEverybody Hurts:AnEssentialGuidetoEmo Cultureopenedbystating:“Forthe guyswhoweareyeliner–andthe girlswholovethem” Thatline mirrorshowemohasoftenbeen dualisticallyframedasfrontedby men,butmajorlysupportedby girlsandwomenwhoare sometimesdismissivelyreferredto as“fangirls” Archivedmusic writingonemoalludestothistoo

Forexample,inaHeldLikeSound zinereviewofDashboard Confessional’s2000album“The SwissArmyRomance”,Brian Pepplerwrote:“Notetoself:ifyou

wanttoappealtothefemale persuasion,trythesensitive approach.You’rerequiredreadingwill be‘ChickenSoupfortheSoul’and ChristopherEnderCarrabba’s DashboardConfessionalCD In addition,poseinphotoshootslooking oh,solonely,anddepressed”

AsscholarandjournalistJenessa Williamswritesinanarticleon “Screaming,Crying,WritingUp: LiteraryMusicJournalismBooksas aLegitimizationofContemporary FangirlPractices”,“fangirlsare attemptingnotablereclamationof theterm,fightingbackagainst misconceptionsoftheirsuperficial engagementwithpopularculture”

Essentially,ideasaboutmusic(ians) andtheirfansareoftenconveyedin verygenderedways Asaddressed inHannahEwens’bookFangirls: ScenesfromModernMusicCulture, “marginalizedfangroupsarenever givenappropriatecredit”.When accountingfortheintersectionsof inequalitiessuchasracism, misogyny,homophobia,and ableism,itsapparentthatparticular “fangirls”areespeciallydisregarded ChrisCarrabbaofDashboard ConfessionalatO2Victoria WarehouseinManchester,England onOctober7,2023. (PhotobyFrancescaSobande)

Associologist,culturaltheoristand politicalactivistStuartHallnotedin writingonRepresentation,many modernusesoftheterm“culture” involvereference“tothewidely distributedformsofpopularmusic, publishing,art,designandliterature,or theactivitiesofleisure-timeand entertainment,whichmakeupthe everydaylivesofthemajorityof ‘ordinarypeople’–whatiscalledthe ‘massculture’orthe‘popular[pop] culture’ofanage”.

Manypopculturemessagesinclude mediathatpromoteanoppositional binaryof“cool”versus“cringe” Insome instances,asWilliamscriticallypoints out,thisinvolvesdiscriminatory framingsofgirlsandwomenas nothingbutcringe“fangirls”whoare contrastedwiththeapparently“cool” meninanarrayofbands

Frequently,“cringe”isusedtosuggest thatsomeoneorsomethingis embarrassinglyexcessive(e.g.,“too much”/“doless”/ “tryingtoohard”)or inadequate(eg,“notenough”/“do more”/“tryharder”) “Cringe”isuttered inwaysthatinvolveassortedintentions andimpacts,suchascomical sentimentsbetweenfriendsor scrutinisingasidesaboutstrangers. Somepeoplemaybemortifiedatthe ideaofbeingviewedas“cringe”, whereasothersmaythinkofthelabel asnothingbutflippant,funny,and ironically,abit“cringe”.

Inessence,theterm“cringe”often communicatesajudgement,evenif sometimessaidfondly Morethan thatthough,“cringe”canbesaidas partofunderminingcommentsthat suggestsomething,orsomeone,is datedandbehindthecurrenttimes

“IamcringebutIamfree”loveheart androsestickerbykrystansaintcat. (PhotobyFrancescaSobande) GettingOld(er)as“Cringe”

Dependingonthecontext,“cringe” canstandinforsaying“old” Some narrativesaboutwho/whatis “cringe”symbolisesocietalfearsof agingandbeingtreatedas irrelevant Assuch,EverybodyHurts: AnEssentialGuidetoEmoCulture byLeslieSimonandTrevorKelley includesachapteron“adulthood” andaspectsoftherelationship betweenage(ing),embarrassment (aka“cringe”),emomusic,clothing styles,and“expirationdates”

Intheopeningoftheirjokey-toned book,SimonandKelleybriefly defineemo:“So,whatexactlyis emo?Overtimeemohasbeen definedasatunefulstrainofpunk rockwithalyricalemphasison mattersoftheheart,butthesedays itmeansmuchmorethanthatto itsmanyfans Emoisstillakindof music,sure,butmorethan anythingit’sastateofmind”.

Theauthorssuggestthattwocore qualitiesofemoareits youthfulness(“[a]dultshavenever playedahugeroleintheemo community”)andconnectionto “tryingreallyhardtolooklikeyou don’treallycare”(aka“low-key”)

Atthetimethattheirbookwas written,thedigitalculturethatis partofsuchmusicwasina relativelyearly(ish)stage,butwas neverthelessimpactful:“[t]hese days,theInternethasbecome justasimportant–ifnotmore important–toemofansthanthe musicitself”(SimonandKelley 2007).AstheresearchofJudith Fathallahemphasises,emoisnot onlyagenreofmusic.Itisalsoa subculturedefinedbyfans The bookEverybodyHurts:An EssentialGuidetoEmoCulture mainlyfocusesonthe experiencesofyoungfansofemo –understandablegiventhatthe genrehadbarelyturned20years oldthen Decadeslater,emo’s closeconnectiontoyouthculture remains,butitsfanbaseincludes manymorepeoplewhoarefar frombeing“young”.

Intheyearssinceemomovedon fromits“firstwave”(mid-1980s untiltheearly-ish1990s)towhat hasbeendubbeditsrecent“fifth wave ”,thetongue-in-cheekterm “elderemo”hasbeenpopularised. Itnowappearsonalitanyof products,suchaspinbadges,tote bags,t-shirts,andtrinkets As impliedintheworkofSimonand Kelley,therecanbeasenseof “cringe”attachedtobeingan adultperceivedasbeing passionateaboutmusicfromyour youth.Still,emonostalgiahas surged Hence,musicfestivals suchasWhenWeWereYoung have(re)emergedinthe2020s andbecome(more)established, respondingtonostalgiathatis partofemo(anditsfans)ageing.

WhenWeWereYoungentranceatLas VegasFestivalGrounds,US,October23, 2022.(PhotobyFrancescaSobande)

Artby@TRAPXBOBonthesideofthe GooglestandareaatWhenWeWere Young,LasVegasFestivalGrounds,US, October23,2022.(PhotobyFrancesca Sobande) Inemo’scase,thisalsoconnectstothe ironicandself-deprecatinghumour thatitisknownfor.Inotherwords,as withmanygenres,emoinvolvesa mixtureofsillinessandsincerity,as expressedbyearnestdeep-divearticles aboutitandthatsometimes (un)comfortablysitalongside contrastinglyplayfulmemesthatpoke funatemoandassociatedaesthetics (e.g.,memesofJimmyButlerafterhis “ emo ”appearanceatapressjunket)

JimmyButler#22oftheMiamiHeatspeaks toreportersduringmediadayatKaseya CenteronOctober2,2023inMiami,Florida. (PhotobySamNavarro/GettyImages)

OnthetopicofonlineresponsestoButler’s emo-ness,JenessaWilliamsandIwrote:,

Fordecades,emohasbeenvulnerabletotrend basedco-optionandcorporateattemptstocash inon‘subculturalcapital’ However,asis indicatedbyButler’sforegroundingas‘Heat Wentz’inthe‘SoMuch(For)Stardust’video[byFall OutBoy],emoalsotapsintothecoolness associatedwithelsewhere,suchasthatof‘the televisualpolitics’ofBlacksportsfigures While furtherresearchneedstobedonesurrounding wavesofemoandtheirmainstream commodificationinthe2020s,theresponseto Butler’sseeminglysincereengagementwiththe genreopenedupvaluableconversationsabout theimportanceofdiverserepresentationinemo, andwideracknowledgementofBlackfanswho careaboutboth‘jock’sportsandmoreintroverted formsofmusical/stylisticexpression.

Ourworktogethercontinuestolookatthe relationshipbetweenemo,race,andgender

(Making)MusicinyourBedroom

Publicplaces(e.g.,bars,grassrootsgigvenues, libraries,nightclubs,parks,recordstores)are crucialtoexperiencesofmusic–fromhelpful, humorous,andhearteningencountersto hurtfuland,sometimes,harmfulones But privateanddomesticspacescanbejustas centraltomakingandengagingwithmusic andsurroundingcommunities.AsDavid Hesmondhalgh’sparamountresearchhas addressed:

Whileradioandtelevisioncontinueto operateaskeysourcesofoldandnewmusic intheeverydaylivesofpeopleacrossthe

world,andrecordshopsstilloffer anoftentreasuredmeansforsome toencounterandpurchasemusic, themassivenewroleofMSPs [musicstreamingplatforms]in musicalconsumptionmeanthat theyincreasinglyoperateasthe coreofthemusicindustriesandof theeverydayexperienceof recordedmusic.

InaMuseumofYouthCulture pieceon“Bedrooms,Youth& DigitalCultures:TheShifting BoundariesofTeenageSpace”, scholarSiânLincolnobserves:

[t]heteenagebedroomhaslong beenthoughtofasoneofthefirst spacesayoungpersoncallstheir own,aspaceinwhichemerging teenageidentitiesareformedand aspaceinwhichtospendtime alone,toexperimentandto explore.

Whatarethoughtofasthenorms ofchildhood,andexpectationsof howmuchtimechildrenspend insideandathome,varyacross cultures.So,whenthinkingabout bedroomculture(s)itiskeyto accountforculturalandmaterial differencesbetweenthe(lackof) spacemadeavailabletodifferent childrentobe(andplay)outside andelsewhere.

Discussinghow“youthcultures playoutinprivatespace”,while drawingonAngelaMcRobbie’s workon“bedroomculture”, Lincolncomments:“Ithoughtof myroomas ‘ myspace ’”.Such wordsarealsoresonantwhen thinkingabouthowsocialmedia tapintobedroomculture,suchas MySpace–especiallyinpast decades,andTikTok–more recentlyandduetotherapidrise ofdigitaldeviceswithbuiltin cameras.

Bringingthefocusbacktoemo, screamo,andpost-hardcore,in thewordsofJudeNoelon“The SofterSideofSkramz:Bedroom PopandScreamoCollide”:

Whenanemorenaissancecoincides withaglobalpandemic,thingsare boundtogetweird.Themovement’s fifthwave,whichcrashedontheshores oflate2019hasproventobeapetri dishforgenrefusion

Suchmusicsometimescallsbacktothe daysofsongssuchas“Emily”(2004)by FromFirsttoLast–writtenbySonny Moore(akaSkrillex)asateenager,and whichincludesthehomelyandintimate backgroundsoundofadooropening nearthesong’send.Othersongsby FromFirsttoLastinclude“Untitled HiddenTrack”(2004)whichinvolves somebriefbutunmistakablerapping, demonstratinghowgenressuchas screamo,post-hardcore, andrap sometimesdovetail.

MySpacewasoneofvarioussiteswhich FromFirsttoLast’smusicwas(andstillis) sharedthrough Indeed,asLincoln writes,MySpacewas“asignificant platformforyoungaspiringmusicians and‘bedroomDJs’asviathesitethey couldsharetheirmusicforfree,be anonymousiftheywantedtobeandnot havetoperformlive AMySpaceprofile couldbeusedtoshareinformationon themusic-makingprocess,toadvertise gigsandtopromotenewmaterial”

MorerecentbandssuchasYourArms AreMyCocoon–oftenreferredtoas “skramz”(aka“screamo”)–have continuedthehistoryofmusic-making inyouth,andoftenin/fromabedroom, withTylerOdomofthebanddebutinga 2020soloalbumthatwasmadewhilein highschool.InNoel’spiecefor Bandcamp,YourArmsAreMyCocoon arereferredtoasbeingoneof“theartists craftinghardcoretunesforlanguishing comfortablybeneaththecovers”,yet anothersignofscreamo’sconnectionto bedroomculturethroughouttheyears. AsNoelaffirms:

[t]heintenseandoftendissonant soundoflate‘90sscreamo (affectionatelydubbed“skramz”by devotees)isthesubjectofitsown kinder,gentlerrevivalbyageneration ofyoungadultswhoenteredthe undergroundthroughthemid2010s’sbedroompopboom

Suchmusicfusesmanyformsof emotionalvulnerability,including throughsongsthatdealwithgrief anddepression.Thesoundofsomeof thismusicisupbeatandeffervescent, butitslyricalcontentpowerfully processestherealitiesofpainfuland distressingtimes,without romanticisingthem Thatsaid,it’snot onlyemo/screamothathavea layeredemotionalsensitivity,sonic sadness,orsenseofsolace.For example,manyofthesongsof PinkPantheressexpressthose sentimentstoo Theseinclude“Where YouAre”(2022)(producedby PinkPantheress,MuraMasa,and Skrillex)whichfeaturesWILLOW, samplesParamore’s“NeverLetThis Go”(2005),andbreezilyblends inflectionsofemo/pop-punkwith (bedroom)pop,garagebeats,anda feelofwhimsyamidfeelingsofangst

SillinessandtheSoundsof Sincerity

Onthethemesofsadness,silliness, andsincerity,andasmentioned earlier,theHBOdocumentaryYacht Rock:ADockumentarydiscusseshow onlinehumourhelpedtheterm “yachtrock”gaintraction Thiswas duetothepopularityofaninitially niche12-episodeweb-series,Yacht Rock Theweb-seriesestablishedthe conceptof“yachtrock”longafter suchmusicfirstbecame commerciallysuccessful.Indoingso, italsointroducedthemusicknownas “yachtrock”tonewaudiences, includingthosewhoweren’talive whenitfirstbecamepopular Asisthe casewithmanyironicorsatiricalwebseries,YachtRockconveyedasenseof endearmentwhilealsomakingfunof itssubjectmatter–themusic(ians) labelledthatway

Createdatapointintimewhenthe “hipsterironicdetachmentmoment” seemedtoprevailinpopculture, YachtRockreflectshowdigital cultureandparticulartypesof humourimpactideasaboutmusic andtheirhistory

Somepeoplemightview “yachtrock” asacringetermthatiscriticalofsuch music Butothersthinkofitasjust anotherexampleofhowmusictakes ondifferentmeaningsandtitlesover time.

Theweb-seriesYachtRockwasalso launched(2005)aroundaboutwhen theAmericancomedytrioLonely Island(akaAndySamberg,Jorma TacconeandAkivaSchaffer)becamea corepartofpopculture–knownfor theircomedicsketchesandsongs, manyofwhichfeaturedcommentary onthemusicandmediaindustry This eventuallyculminatedinthe mockumentarymusicalcomedyfilm, Popstar:NeverStopStopping(2016), aboutthechaoticandfictionalpop rapstarConner“KidConner”andhis embarrassingattempttostayrelevant intheficklemusicbusiness Allofthis meansthattheweb-seriesYachtRock isnotonlytheby-productofideas aboutmusic.Italsotypifiestrending andgenerationaltypesofhumourin popcultureatthetimeitwasmade.

InHBO’sYachtRock:ADockumentary, currentGQSeniorCultureEditorAlex Pappademasspeaksaboutthe sinceritythatrockyachtisalsoknown for:“Ithinkrockyachtbecameasafe spaceforacertainkindofmanto expressemotionsatatimewhenmen weremaybejuststartingtolearnhow todothat therewassomethingabout nothavingtoputupamachofrontin quitethesameway”.

Onasimilarnote,andperhapshinting athowsuchmusicwasabitofa precursorforwhatbecameknownas emo,Questloveremarks:“hardrockis supposedtobelikethemachismo,cisheteromaleaffirmativesoundtrack music...and,youknow,yachtrockis kindofliketheoppositeofthatcause it'semo it'semotional ”

Whentalkingabouthowyachtrock touchesandmovespeople,journalist andpodcasterMollyLambertdescribes partofthemusic’slongevityasrelating tohow“thesesongsareabouttimeless issuesofwantingtoloveandbeloved, andthatnevergoesoutofstylecause that'sthehumanexperience” Adding totheconversationaboutyachtrock, musiccriticRobTannenbaumstates: “youcoulddeclarenotjustyour sensitivity...butyourtormentathow sensitiveyouare yoursenseofbeing ravagedbyhavingfeelings,whichI thinkisfairlyuniquetoyachtrock”

Whetheritisintheformofemo, screamo,hardcore,post-hardcore, yachtrock,orthecreationsofother genres,manypeoplehavemademusic thatdirectlydealswithemotionsand alltheirmessiness Indeed,aslaylaroxannehillandIhavereflectedonin ourwork,“musicispartofwhoand howwelove(andareloved),aswellas beingpartofwhoandhowweare”.

Tobrieflydetourtofilmandliterary examples,in2017’scriticallyacclaimed filmCallMeByYourName,basedon AndréAciman’sbook(2007)ofthe sametitle,thetwomaincharacters (ElioandOliver)spendtimedancing aroundtheirstrongfeelingsforeach otherduringalanguidsummerinItaly Inonescene,theaudienceis confrontedbytheprovocation:“isit bettertospeakortodie?”–questioning whetheritisbettertohideyourfeelings orembracevulnerabilitybyexpressing them,whileknowingthattheremaybe muchatstake(includingthepossibility ofheartbreak) Inareal-lifecontext, memoirist,poet,andactivistMaya Angeloumemorablysaidthat“thereis

nogreateragonythanbearingan untoldstoryinsideofyou”.Toputit differently,whilethereisvulnerability insincerelyexpressingyourself, decidingnotto*may*beamuchmore painfulchoiceinthelongrun When thinkingaboutthatwithlayla-roxanne hill,wealsofoundourselveswriting about“softness”:

Thereissoftnessinvulnerability–choosingtobeopenwithanothersoul: holdingandbeingheld,movingfrom longingtoloving.Softnessistrulyfound inglimmersofstillness,connectionsand movementsthatarefarremovedfroma fixationonmoney,materialism,orthe constantcycleofbuzzymedia.Softness canbefreeing

Indeed,therecanbemuchsoftness andvulnerabilityinbeingsincereand openaboutwho/howyoureallyare–somethingthathasbeenalludedtoin mediacommentariesontheenduring powerofFrankOcean’smusic This includesheadlinessuchas“WhyFrank Ocean’sVulnerabilityIssoRadical”by BrittJulious–justoneofmanypieces whichsignalsthatBlacksingersongwritersassociatedwithR&B,rap, andwhomovebeyondtheimagined boundariesofgenres,undoubtedly cananddocreatemusicthatis intenselyandinspirationally emotionallyopenandexpressive As previouslydiscussed,inthecaseof Ocean(andothers),thatalsopaved thewayforwhatwouldbecome knownas“altR&B”andadjacentsubgenreterms(eg,“progressiveR&B)

Onthetopicofemotionalsincerity, music,andlife,DazedCultureEditor HalimaJibrilwroteapowerfulpiece onsinger-songwriter“EthelCainsays weareinanironyepidemic–isshe right?”:“[i]nrecentyears,I’venoticed that,asaculture,westruggleto engagesincerelywithart–orwithlife (atleast,that’showitseemsonline)”. Dealingwithsimilarthemesaspartof aboldpieceon“TheEndof Seriousness”,scholarandwriterLauren MicheleJacksondescribesthecurrent stateof“thesocialinternet”

Jacksondiscussesa“strainofhumour” that“isnottoocoolforschool;it’s desperate.Itsays,LOLthat’scrazy, emphasisontheLOL,beforemoving along Thispostureofunseriousness pervadesinstitutionalandindividual channelsalike”,distancingpeople fromdealingwiththeseverityofsocial, political,andplanetaryissues.To returntoJibril’spiece:“[s]ometimes, thingsareserious.Noteverything needstobeturnedintoajoke”–from expressingconcernoraskingforhelp, tosaying,andreallymeaning,“Imiss you ” InthewordsofKeleOkereke(of BlocParty),“[t]endernessisimportant”.

“ALLISWELL!”and“IMISSYOU”graffiti inGlasgow,Scotland,February,2025 (PhotobyFrancescaSobande)

Thephysicalactofcringingcanmean tobendyourheadortoangleyour bodyinapprehension,fear,disgust, unease,oradeferentialdisplayof respect.Tocringecanbetophysically recoil–moveawayfromsomethingor someonebecauseoffeelingsof distress,discomfort,orduty As discussedearlieron,nowadays“cringe” iscommonlyusedtoimplythat someoneorsomethingis“notcool”. Commonusesoftheconceptsof “coolness”versus“cringe(y)”tellus muchabout(dis)connections betweensincerity,silliness,and self(consciousness)inourcurrent times.Self-consciousnessandangst, whichcovermuchmorethanjustthe conceptof“cringe”,canbepartof manypeople’slives

However,inequalitiesimpactwhoismost likelytonotjustbedismissedas“cringe” or “uncool”buttotrulybetreatedasan oppressedoutsiderwhoseemotionsare disregarded.

DearDiary,My(Teenage)AngstHasa MySpaceAccount

Thefearofseeming“cringe”is foregroundedindigitalcultureandwider society’sobsessionwithvisibilityand image(s) Forexample,thenormalised ideaofneedingtohavean“online presence ”,butalsonotbe“tooonline”,is pushedbymanyindividualsand institutions.

Onsocialmediasitesandplatformssuch asInstagram,TikTokandBeRealthereis contentthatpointstowardsthepressure tobeperceivedas“authentic”–apressure thattendstobecoupledwithimposing ideasaboutnotseeming“toointense”, “tooself-aware”,“tooself-assured”,“too keen”,and/or“tooserious”.Basically, dependingonwho/howyouare,you mayfacetheprospectofbeingperceived asmore “performative”,“desperate”or uncomfortably“polished”,than“natural”, “chill”,andprettymuch,someversionof “cool”.

TooncemorerevisitthewordsofJenessa Williams,“[i]ntheageofsocialmediaand self-consciousonlineself-representation”, manypeoplemaybeconcernedabout howtheyareperceived–bothonlineand offline.Itmayseemflippanttosimplysay “whocares”,butthemuchmemedimage ofGirls(2012–2017)actorJemimaKirke sayingassuchissometimesapplicable:“I thinkyouguysmightbethinkingabout yourselvestoomuch” Thenagain,given thestrongfocusonpublicimageon socialmediaandinsociety,itisno wonderthatmanypeoplefeelcertain desiresandoverwhelmingpressuresto (not)beperceived

Muchworkhastackledthetrappingsof theconceptof“authenticity”.Inthebook TheInfluencerIndustry:TheQuestfor AuthenticityonSocialMedia,EmilyHund

suggeststhat“inanincreasingly fracturedandprofit-driven communicationsenvironment,the peoplewethinkofas‘real’aremerely thosewhohavelearnedtoexploitthe industry’sever-shiftingconstructions ofauthenticity” Longgonearethe earlydaysofbloggingsitessuchas LiveJournal,andatimewhen predominantlytext-basedonline forumswerethemainstayofsocial media.

Now,digitalexperiencesinvolvean emphasisonbeing“seen”,butnottoo muchandnotfortoolong(eg,social mediafunctionsthataidseemingly short-livedcontent,suchasInstagram stories).So,asPellynotes,makingand listeningtomusictodayisoften stymiedbyacapitalistsystemwhere “artisconflatedwithcontent”,and musiciansareexpectedtobecontent creators(even,firstandforemost) WithAnamikSahaandDavid Hesmondhalgh,I’velookedatthis (andracism’sroleintypesofonline (in)visibility),aspartofresearchon “Black,BrownandAsiancultural workers,creativityandactivism:The ambivalenceofdigitalself-branding practices”.Whilemusicianscanface troublingpressurestocreateand sharesocialmediacontent, sometimesusingsuchplatformsis helpfultotheirworkandexperiences ofcreativeself-expression

ButasHundputsit:“[t]henotionthat rewardsawaitthosewhocraftan authentic-seemingpublicimagehas existedforcenturies,andithasbeen particularlysalientinAmerican entrepreneurialculture” Intoday’sintenselydigitallymediated world,perceptionsof thealleged authenticityofaperson’s(online) imagearesometimesshapedby perceptionsoftheplatform(s)that theyrepresentthemselveson Aclear exampleofthisisthebrandingof BeReal,whichevenhasanamethat marksitsintentiontobeinterpreted ashelpingpeopletocreateacandid capturingoftheirreality.

So,whenthinkingabouttheideaof“cringe” andhowitisconstructedandcontested online,itisusefultorecognisethatsome strandsofsocialmediatendtobethought ofasbeingmore“cringe”thanothers.For example,unlikeFacebookwhichis sometimesspokenaboutasbeingaspace forageing“normies”andneighbours immersedinlocallife,TikTokistypically treatedastrendy/trendingandyouthoriented,withmoreofafocusonaglobal reach.Furtherbackinthehistoryofsocial media,asLincolnobserves,MySpace–once synonymouswithmuch“alt”music–“quicklybecamethe‘cool’spacefor teenagerstobe,withBebosoonbeing regardedastheyoungersibling,akindof ‘rehearsalspace’apre-teenwouldengage inbeforeprogressingtothemoreteenage MySpace”.

Doechiiatthe36thAnnual GLAADMediaAwardsheldatThe BeverlyHiltononMarch27,2025 inLosAngeles,California.(Photo byChristopherPolk/Varietyvia GettyImages)

AstheworkofLeslieandKelleynotes, MySpaceisrememberedashaving“even haditsownrecordlabel,whichin2005 releaseditsfirstalbum:acollectionof–who’dathunkit?–mainstreamemobands”. Detailingdimensionsofsocialmediaand bedroomculture,Lincolnstates:“MySpace didn’tholditscacheas‘thecoolspaceto be’forlong” Facebook’s“coolness”would eventuallycrumbletoo

Ineffect,dependingonwheresomeone postsaboutthemselvesonline,theremay beagreaterlikelihoodofthembeing thoughtofas“cringe”duetothe (fluctuating)reputationofaparticular platform,ratherthanjustdueto perceptionsofthatperson.Itcan sometimesbeeasytolaughoffhowideas about“cringe”circulateonline,buttheways thatpeopleexperienceanxiety,including, butnotlimitedto,thefearofhowtheyare perceivedbyotherpeople,canmajorlyand detrimentallyimpactthem.Organisations suchasCardiff-basedHeadsAboveThe Waves,“anot-for-profit”,dowork“thatraises awarenessofdepressionandself-harmin youngpeople”,andawarenessof experiencesofpanicattacksandanxiety

Intheworldofmusic,inMarch2025,rapper andsongwriterDoechiireleased“Anxiety”–asongoriginallyself-releasedin2019,but whichwasrereleasedfollowingsupport vocalisedonline

Aptlytitled,itaddressesthemes relatedtoanxietyandassociated feelings,suchasbeing overwhelmedbyacutelyintense pressuresandexpectationsof you,whiledealingwith debilitatingformsofself-scrutiny. Sampling“SomebodyThatIUsed toKnow”(2011)byGotye,Anxiety (2025)mightbethoughtofas conjuringsomeofthesentiments ofthatprevioussong This includesamixofmoodsthatcan bedescribedascontemplative andmelancholicyetbolsteringin theirmelodicanddirect expressionofdifficultfeelingsof beingperceivedandpressured byothers.Additionally,“Anxiety” (2025)tacklestoxicelementsof themusicandmediaindustry–wherethewords“quietonset” maytakeondifferentmeanings contouredbystructuralsilences, suchassilencesaboutabuse, harm,andculturesofconstant overwork.

Withlyricsthatacknowledgethe tormentofhowanxietycreeps intodailylife,“Anxiety”(2025)is oneofseveralhigh-profilesongs onthistopicbyBlackwomenin recentyears.Amongtheseisa 2022songofthesamenameby MeganTheeStallion.

Thishasresultedinparallelsbeingmade betweenthetwosongs,whilealso affirmingtheimportanceandindividuality ofeach,andtheircollectiveimpactby centeringBlackwomen’sanxieties.

AsEmma-LeeAmponsahandIwroteon thesubjectof“demands,displays,and dreamsof‘Blackjoy’”,andwhendrawing ontheworkofSamaraLintonandRianna Walcotton“TheColourofMadness”:“the concerns,angst,emotions,andmental healthandwell-beingofBlackpeopleare oftenstigmatised,ifnotoutright pathologisedandpoliced” When acknowledgingthisandthatBlack people’sexperiencesarerarely foregroundedinsocietalconversations aboutanxiety,itissignificantthatboth DoechiiandMeganTheeStallionhave directlyaddressedthattopicthroughtheir creativework Suchsongsandothersare alsotestamenttohowtheopenexpression ofemotionalvulnerability–sometimesalso referredtousingtheshorthand“emo”,even ifitdepartsfromthegenreitself–isfarfrom beingsolelyreservedtothecontentof musicdeemedpart ofthe“emo”genre.

“Wewerethereaswell”:Experiencing EmoandPost-Hardcore(ThenandNow)

Asmentionedthroughoutthiszine,Angie Larrier,whocontributedtotheMuseumof YouthCulture’sexhibition“I’mNotOkay: AnEmoRetrospective”,generouslyagreed tospeakwithme Ourdiscussiontouched onthepast,present,andfutureofemo.

InAngie’swordsaboutemointhe early2000s,“thattime wewere thereaswell” Duringour conversationAngiereflectedon Blackpeople’sexperiencesof emo,punk,and“alt-ness”,then andnow:“Inoticethatonsocial media[now],sayonTikTok,Istill seethesameracistcomments [frombackthen]towardskids, saying‘Blackpeoplecan’tbe goth,can’tbeemo’…thesame thingsarereiterated…”.

Expandingonthedifferentways thatBlackpeoplein“alt”music spacesareperceived,including pressuresto(not)lookacertain way,Angiesaid:

whenIwas12/13 IwatchedAfro Punk(2003)thedocumentary andthatcompletelychangedmy perspective…onescenethatsticks inmymindistherewasalady showingabook aphotography bookofAfricanpeopleandthey hadstretchedearsandtattoos andshewassaying“I’mjustdoing whatactuallycomesnaturallyto me[whenhavingalooklikethat]”

WritingabouttheoriginsofAfroPunkintheEditors’Notesofthe bookBlackPunkNow:Fiction, Non-FictionandComics,ChrisL Terrystates:

Afro-Punkgaveusamuchneededframeworkfor conversation InthespiritofDIY,I usedthedocumentaryasa springboardtobuildaBlack communitywithinthescene It wasworking Foryearsinthemid ‘00s,Blackalternativekidsfrom allaroundthecountry[intheUS, andeventually,beyond]would eagerlyanticipateAfro-Punk events…Thebandswerethefans andthefanswerethebands

AstherelatedreflectionsofAngie highlight,Blackpeoplearepartof emo ’spast,andother interconnected“alt”genressuch asscreamo,hardcore,andposthardcore

Musiccanbeaspacetodwell,exhale, andfeelheld.AsHeatherLeigh describesitinanintroductiontothe evocativeeditedcollection,This Woman’sWork:EssaysonMusic, “Musiccatchesyou” Butbeingcaught bymusicdoesn’tmeanbeing acceptedbyeveryoneinitsscene.

IntheincomparablebookTheyCan’t KillUsUntilTheKillUs,Hanif Abdurraqibdetailssomeofthe (un)seenand(un)spokenabout momentsthatcanbepartofbeing Blackat/inpunkrock.Forexample, Abdurraqibacknowledgednot remembering“thefirsttimeIhearda racistjokeatapunkrockshow” Ina chaptertitled“Iwasn’there,Iwasborn: survivingpunkrocklongenoughto findafropunk”,andnaming oppressionwithinamusicgenreheld dear,theauthorwrote:“Butevenina genrethatpridesitselfonsimplicity, thecomplexitiesoferasureand invisibilityinpunkrockgodeep” Abdurraqibgoesontodiscussthe meaningfulnessofAfropunkFestival, statingthatwhile“Afropunkbyitself isn’tgoingtosaveus,ordismantlea racistworld”,“[w]henIleftthelast AfropunkfestivalIwentto,I rememberedthatIwasn’talone”

Thecreation,guardinganddefenseofthe boundariesofmusicgenrescanreinforce oppressiveideas,notonlyaboutmusic,but alsoaboutemotionsandpeople. Additionally,asAngie’sremarkssuggest, despitehow‘thelook’of“alt”musicis sometimesframedaswhite,manyelements ofaestheticsandstylesassociatedwithit connecttoAfrican/Blackdiasporiccultures.

AsAngiespokeabout,evenpartsofthe actualsoundofemoandpost-hardcore musicareinfluencedbygenresthat specificallystemmedfromtheworkofBlack people:“SomethingthatIdonotthinkgets spokenaboutisthatthere’salotofthose post-hardcorebandsthathadthatalmost R&Bsoundandthevocalswerelikegospel vocals,andthere’sacrossovertherestraight away Andobviouslynumetal,thecrossover wasthere” Manycontemporaryexamplesof thisexisttoo,includinghardcoreand metalcorebandswhoheavilydrawoncall andresponse(atraditionthatoriginatesin muchBlackmusicandinvokesaspiritual senseofcommunality)andbackingvocalists whoharmonicallyharkbacktoMotown

StevieWonderandsingersandfamily membersatBlackweiron9July2025,Cardiff, Wales (PhotobyFrancescaSobande)

Asamusicgenreandsubcultureassociated withdisaffectionwiththestatusquoandthe ideaofembracingbeinganoutsider,itis unsurprisingthatemoappealstomany differentpeoplewhohavebeen marginalisedinsociety,suchasdueto ableism,sexism,homophobia,transphobia, racism,classism,andxenophobia Onthat topic,whenspeakingaboutBlackpeoplein emo,Angiesaid:“Ifeellikebecausewewere sodifferentalreadyandsointerestedin something…weweremorepassionateabout it”,leadingtothecontinuedcreationof engagingandhyper-focusedmediasuchas thepodcast“BlackPeopleLoveParamore”

GraceJonesperformsonstage duringtheAfropunkFancyBallat CommodoreBarryParkonAugust 21,2015inBrooklyn,NewYork. (PhotobyRogerKisby/GettyImages)

Emphasisingtheimportanceof acknowledgingthediverse experiencesofemofans,Angie commented:“Withthingslikethe exhibition[byMuseumofYouth Culture]it’snicetoseepicturesof realpeoplethatcovermoreof likearealisticexperience cause noteverybodyhad‘thelook’you know Peoplelistenedtothe music,theyenjoyedit,butthey didn’t[all]look‘thatway’andthat wasfine.Itwasn’tallaboutthe perfecteyelinerandthatsortof stuff”

Onthecyclesofemobeing positionedas“cringe”versus “cool”,Angiesaid:

Ifeellikeitwillprobablyflipflop andflipflop[again] I’mnoticing thatgenerationallyaswell genz willsaythatmillennialsarecringe [laughs] I’mnoticingthatif millennialsorgenxareexcited aboutsomethingorreally enthusiasticaboutsomethinglike amusicfestival ontheflipside someoftheyoungergeneration tendtobelike‘that’scringe that’s nostalgia…youneedtogrowup’.

Aspointedoutbythatlight-hearted examplediscussedbyAngie,ideasabout “cringe”continuetobearticulatedin generationalwaysthataretiedtotheidea thatpeopleshouldgrowoutofcertain interests Suchperspectivesarenotalways unreasonableorsimplyareflectionofrigid societalideasaboutageing Yetsometimes theydoreinforcerestrictiveideasthatserve toupholdsimplisticnotionsofgenerations anddifferencesbetweenthem,playinginto howadvertisersandmarketerstrytodefine, fix,andtargetdifferentdemographicsto pushproductsandmakeaprofit

AsAngiespokeaboutduringourdiscussion, Blackpeople’sinvolvementinemoincludes theworkofartists,musicians,bandsand singers,notonlyfans(althoughsome peoplemaybeallthosethings,andmore) Whenrecallingexcitementwhenlearning aboutthemusicofFefeDobsonasan adult,Angiespokeabouthopingthat Blackchildrentodaycanfindand experiencethemusicandcreativework ofmanyBlackpeoplein“alt”spaces.

Undoubtedly,thereisnocompletely universalexperienceofanymusicgenre andsubculture,buttherearedominant and(often)discriminatorynarrativesabout who/whatis(orisnot)partofit.Thefuture ofemo,numetal,screamo,hardcore,posthardcore,and“alt-ness”cannotbe completelypredicted,butIechoAngie’s hopesforBlackkidsfindingtheirwayto andthroughsuchmusicandtheworldthat itispartof:

Ijusthopethatforthenextgeneration, thatsentimentaboutthemnotbeing whatever,goth,emo,punk…Ihopethat goesaway,atleasttothepointthatit’s notintheirTikTokcommentsor peoplebeingharassedandmadefun of.It’ssadtoseethat’snotreally disappearedmuch it’snicetoseethe nostalgiaandlookingbackandIhope thatpeoplepreservethatandnottwist whatthattimewasactuallylikeaswell, butI’malsoreallyexcitedtoseefuture bandsandthemusic,morethan ‘thelook’I’mexcitedtoseethe nextgeneration.

SkinofSkunkAnansieperformsat O2AcademyBrixtononMarch25, 2022inLondon,England.(Photoby JosephOkpako/WireImage)

EdithVictoriaofMeetMeattheAltar performsatPineKnobMusicTheatre onAugust16,2023inClarkston, Michigan (PhotobyScott Legato/GettyImages)

PolyStyreneofpunkbandX-Ray Spexperformsonstageatthe Roundhouse,London,England,on January15,1978.(PhotobyGus Stewart/Redferns)

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BenzobyBloodOrange,2019

BetterThanMebyBloodOrange,2016

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BirdsbyTurnstile,2025

BitebyFireParty,1996

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BrandNewColonybyThePostalService,2003

BrokenClocksbySZA,2017

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CaramelbySleepToken,2025

careless(featuringDanielCaesar)byFKATwigs,2022

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ContinentalDriftbyImanigold,2021

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Desoleil(BrilliantCorners)byLoyleCarner(featuringSam Don’tReachForMebyKnockedLoose,2024

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ForTheWorkforce,DrowningbyThursday,2003

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GoodDaysbySZA,2020

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HeartStatus-FreestylebyDeyah,2021

HeavyIstheHeadThatFallswiththeWeightofaThousandThoughtsbyLoathe,2020

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HighHopesbySweetPill,2022

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HitDifferentxGoodDays(acoustic)bySZA,2020

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HopeKillsFearbyRacetraitor,1999

howwillirestinpeaceifi’mburiedbyahighway?byKennyHoopla,2020

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ILetItInandItTookEverythingbyLoathe,2020

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Soprano(LivewithNandiBushell)byNovaTwins,2025

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StressedbyDoechii,2022

Sucks2SuckbyAlphaWolf(feat Ice-T),2024

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Sunday(Live/Acoustic)byBlocParty,2012

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TakeMeAway(FreakyFridayCover)byMeetMe@TheAltar,2023

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TheNextMovementbyTheRoots,1999

TheOneWiththeTambourine byAmericanFootball,1998

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