I've developed a slight obsession with emo music...

Contrary to popular beleif, emo isn't all about sadness. This just happens to be the emotion that envokes a lot of artistic qualities in people, albeit this is not ALWAYS completely true for everyone. But think about it, a lot of songs have been written in ALL genres about being dissentful, about things not working out with a lover, about how you are being held down by some sort of authority, about how your girl/guy left you or cheating on you, about violence and just things of a "negative" nature in general.

Emo is actually about ALL emotions. Happiness is an emotion, and so is being angry. Sadness is an emotion, and so is excitement. It is about all of those things. About not holding yourself back from expressing those things. If you are sad, be sad! It is natural, emotion is an important thing! But if you are happy, be happy! One needn't be monotone! Feel emotions, and realize they are there for a purpose and not to be shut out!

And contrary to popular beleif, most emo kids do NOT in fact cut themselves. This reputation comes from them appearing to be sad, and often are accused with being goth knock-offs. Although some emo kids do cut themselves, there are also people of about every sub-culture that cut themselves. I have never purposely inflicted pain on myself unless I got someting out of it (peircings, for example), and I don't know any other people into emo that have either.

 

Exactly!

 

Yeah Rites of Spring!Thats what I mean when I say old emo is more like punk. Did not know that it had a lable of its own. Sad that Rites of Spirng only had one album though.