Difference Between Emo vs Goth
From time immemorial, art and culture have been evolving. Art and culture define people’s way of life. A good example of this trend is the punk rock movement of the late 1970s. That movement culminated in many millennials trying to grasp the difference between Emo and Goth.
If you are one of those young people who don’t seem to understand the distinction between the two subcultures, you have nothing to worry about. The reason is that this guide will break it down for you in detail. You will not need to do further research to learn more about them after going through this piece. As always, we will start with the definitions.
Definition of Emo
Emo is a music genre that has its roots in punk rock with a mix of hardcore and emotion-triggering lyrics. According to art pundits, the trend gained traction in the late 1980s. In the 1990s, it witnessed a unique change with the incorporation of indie pop-punk into its emotional hardcore wordings. But then, emo is far beyond music because it shaped its lovers’ subculture.
Without a doubt, its origin is linked to people who vowed to use music to change the way people perceive them. It would later change their culture, behavior, and appearance. A close look at their culture shows that of a group of people with a bunch of expensive accessories. More often than not, the artists would rock dark skinny jeans and skirts.
To kick their outlook up a notch, they would wear studded belts and a fitting “emo” hairstyle. Its lovers are always associated with personalities who are emotional, sensitive, shy, or angry. They sing about teenage romance and pop-punk. Others combine it with some hardcore elements. Before discussing the difference between Goth and Emo, let us dissect the former a bit.
Definition of Goth
Goth is the gothic culture and music subgenre that became well-established in the 1980s. With its focus on the dark theme and nonconformism, it became a global phenomenon. It is mostly a mix of many kinds of music such as punk rock, post-punk, metal, etc. As one would expect, goth also shaped the subculture of its lovers.
Coming to its lovers’ outfits, they often wear short, layered, and dyed jet-black hairstyles. Others love to step out with deathrock styles of clothing and pale makeup. At some other time, you would see them have colored highlights and tight T-shirts.
Plus, they are obviously in love with black wristbands and skinny jeans. Those are unique features that made them stand out. There are certain names who have carved a niche for themselves in this subindustry.
Popular bands like The Cure, Joy Division, and The Sisters often come to mind. Oftentimes, its video has streaks of horror, occult imagery, religious activities, and the list is endless. As far as its origin is concerned, you should expect almost anything. It is believed to have originated in England from post-punk genre.
Main Differences Between Emo vs Goth
To understand Goth vs Emo, study the table below.
| Basis of Comparison | Emo | Goth |
| About | An emotional hardcore music and lifestyle that became popular in the late 1980s | A type of music and subculture that became well-established in the 1980s |
| Subgenre | This is classified under the post-hardcore category | Most times, it is considered an offshoot of post-punk |
| Full meanings | This means emotional hardcore | This means Gothic rock |
| Appearance | This is often associated with dark-skinny jeans, studded belts among other things | This is usually occultic or horrific in appearance and their performers wear short, layered, and black hairstyles |
| Focus | Focuses on teenage romance | Focuses on literature, supernatural things, and fantasy |
| Popularity | Mostly popular in the United States | It is known worldwide |
| Instrument used | All of them | Guitar, drums, and bass |
Difference Between Emo and Goth: Conclusion
In conclusion, you have seen the clear-cut disparity between the two subcultures and music genres. For a recap, we will summarize Emo vs Goth. While the former focuses on hardcore and teenage emotions, the latter emphasizes literature, supernatural things, and fantasy.
Emo is mostly popular in the United States. On the other hand, Goth is a known the world over. Finally, this guide has explained the terms in detail for you.
