When you imagine someone who listens to pop- punk, what do you see? Do you imagine someone with emo-style, knee-high Converse, or maybe even someone with a ridiculous amount of black eyeliner? That’s what someone who would typically listen to bands like My Chemical Romance, Paramore, or even Green Day. But if you had seen me, a girl who strictly walks around drowning herself in the color pink from head to toe, enjoys getting her nails done, and others would describe as “girly-girl,” you probably would’ve never expected that me and the emo girl have nothing in common, but funny enough… we do!
I began listening to pop-punk during my sophomore year of high school in 2024. I was first introduced to Pierce the Veil and their song “King for a Day” through friends and TikTok. At first, I didn’t like the screaming in my ear. I thought it was a bit obnoxious. But once I listened to Pierce the Veil’s “Carapherneila,” I really began to enjoy pop-punk rock. Once I started to enjoy the genre, I started getting song recommendations from other friends, my own research, and even one of my teachers from high school who eventually became like an older sister to me. I started listening to Sleeping with Sirens, Spiritbox, Dance Gavin Dance, and smaller artists like Ghost Runner on Third and eventually became a fan of this genre of music.
When I found out some of my friends listened to the same music as me, it shocked me! But this made me realize one thing: music genres don’t have a look. I feel like now, a lot of people have a tendency to associate music with an aesthetic or a certain style. It’s not necessarily a bad thing; I find myself doing the same thing. If anything, it’s a new way of getting to know someone on a deeper level and having a bond despite your slight differences. So yeah, I might wear pink and be girly, but I’ll always love pop-punk rock even if people may not expect it.