Is there a New Emo Trinity?
A very good question, dear reader; all I have as an answer is:
Uhhhhh, maybe?
You see, a lot of musicians/bands now have a sound that leans towards what is associated with pop-punk and have sizable followings. But the thing is, there’s a lot more than 3 of them.
The most common names thrown around by “new trinity” folks are Twenty-Øne Piløts and Halsey, but I’ve also seen Troye Sivan and Melanie Martinez in there.
The two most prevelent versions are Fall Out Boy, Panic! at the Disco, and Twenty-Øne Piløts; and Twenty-Øne Piløts, Halsey, and Panic! at the Disco.
These two keep with the trinity format and the most mainstream artists. Now, I don’t believe in a new trinity anyway, but I don’t like either of these theologies. You don’t simply replace someone that “died” with someone new and cool. You just don’t do that. As for the other one; yes, Panic! is different now because it is literally just Brendon Urie and the three sound very similar, but it seems like a weird version of that Mean Girls scene where the mom goes “I’m not a regular mom, I’m a cool mom,” because despite all the changes, Panic! still belongs in a different “generation.”
I’ve seen an “Emo Quartet” floated that was simply the Original Trinity with TØP stuck on, which seems like that one kid that thinks they’re cool because they hang out with the older kids. If you haven’t noticed, I don’t like this whole intermingling of eras even though FOB and Panic! have evolved their sound to close to what is happening now.
And the most interesting proposition I’ve seen was the Emo Pentagon: Fall Out Boy, Panic! at the Disco, Twenty-Øne Piløts, Tryoe Sivan, and Melanie Martinez (this was before Halsey became big). While I appreciate the creativity, I once again don’t like the mixing.
In the end, I don’t think it’s possible for there to be a new trinity. The Original Trinity is what it is because they were the Big Three (and why you still hear ~10 year old songs on the radio). Now, the only whippersnappers with much airplay are Twenty-Øne Piløts and Halsey, and 2 =/= a trinity. Most old fans also won’t stand for a mixing of the generations, so this is an invention of “the youth.”
Kids these days, am I right?
Is there such a point in organizing the bands this way? It does feel a bit micro-manage-y.
I didn’t realize that Troye Sivan was considered emo??? I don’t think he is personally. I really like how this post is focused on the cultural shift itself rather than a single band or artist that’s changing.
Yeah, I saw him and was like “what are you doing here?”