My name is Laken, and I'm a child of the '90s. You know what that means: I had an emo phase. Yup, I was totally that kid who pretended that I was in a sad music video while I stared longingly out the window of the school bus. I had Fall Out Boy and My Chemical Romance playing on loop on my Zune.
Fast forward to 2022, and I've expanded my definition of emo. What's more emo than unapologetically expressing big, painful feelings?
There's something so cathartic about listening to angsty music. Let me introduce you to an unexpected emo queen: Dolly Parton.
Now I KNOW Dolly's big smile and bedazzled clothes don't scream "emo." Her bouncy blonde wigs are very different from the straight-ironed side bangs that Pete Wentz rocked during the "Sugar, We're Goin' Down" era. But Dolly's music can be just as heartbreaking as the breakup songs I blasted after my Homecoming dance. Dolly talks about how tears are "good for the soul." She even made Stephen Colbert cry just by serenading him with a sad song. If that's not emo, I don't know what is.
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Here are eight of Dolly's saddest songs that give me ALL the feels and that give me flashbacks to my emo roots.
1. "What a Heartache"
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"You led me to believe that I was special in your life, and I left my heart wide open for the fall." If I didn't know better, these lines sound a lot like some moody lyrics from Evanescence.
2. "Just Someone I Used to Know"
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This song gives me big "Gives You Hell" vibes.
3. "Barbara On Your Mind"
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A song about unrequited love and being betrayed by a cheating partner? Feels kinda like Paramore lyrics.
4. "When Someone Wants to Leave"
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This song reminds me of a twangy version of "I Miss You" by Blink 182.
5. "Letter to Heaven"
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A song about tragedy, unexpected death, and irony? Seems pretty emo to me.
6. "When Life is Good Again"
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I'll let the lyrics speak for themselves; "When life is good again / I'll be a better friend / A bigger person when / Life is good again."
7. "The Cruel War"
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When I think of emo music, I think of breakups and star-crossed lovers. This song certainly fits the bill.
8. And "9 to 5"
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This one may not be the first song on your emo playlist, but hear me out. Dolly rages against unfair bosses and the monotony of a droll work week. That sense of existential hopelessness and dread is totally emo.
What are your favorite emo songs? Share your suggestions (and your angst) in the comments below.
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