music is to blame.: 20 Years Of ‘The Black Parade’: Why Emo Will Never Die

This month marks the 20th birthday of, arguably, the most recognisable emo album of all time: ‘The Black Parade’. Lately, there has been a resurgence of everything from the 2000s, including emo culture. This begs the question: is this another nostalgia cycle, or a genuine revival? The enduring relevance of My Chemical Romance and their music suggests that this goes deeper than just nostalgia. 20 years later, ‘The Black Parade’ is still resonating with teenagers, just as it did in 2006. This is, of course, aided by My Chemical Romance’s ongoing Long Live: The Black Parade tour, which sold out across the UK this summer, proving that the band’s cathartic and emotional songs still strike a chord with their audience. However, the tour was about so much more than just the music; it was a spectacle to behold. It allowed fans to step into the world of ‘The Black Parade’ and fully experience the narrative.

In the 2000s, ‘The Black Parade’ had a hand in shaping an entire generation of misfits. It gave people an identity that set them apart from the norm defined by pop music, giving a voice to their feelings of alienation and vulnerability. They achieved this through the album’s main concept: the dying patient being led to the afterlife while reliving their memories. This gave listeners the patient to identify with, someone who was facing their own internal struggles. It created a community where being sad or misunderstood was normalised, and for a lot of teenagers this would have been the first time they felt accepted. Those who felt different now had somewhere that they belonged, and My Chemical Romance was at the front, leading the charge. 

The lyrics of ‘The Black Parade’ capture brutal and crushing feelings, with lines such as “A world that sends you reeling / From decimated dreams” from ‘Welcome to The Black Parade’, symbolising the feeling of your future and dreams being snatched away, and “If I’m so wrong / How can you listen all night long?” from ‘Disenchanted’, showcasing the frustration of being misunderstood. These are lyrics that fans resonate with and that allow them to understand their own experiences and feelings, similar to the patient.

20 years later, listeners continue to navigate an uncertain and constantly changing landscape where social media forces algorithmic conformity down their throats. The album is more than just sound; it is a rebellion. Gerard Way’s lyrics are the battle cry leading the revolution against the curated norms of society, encouraging listeners to “Do or die, you’ll never make me / Because the world will never take my heart” from ‘Welcome to the Black Parade’. The need to rebel is a fundamental part of the human experience, woven into our DNA. Not everyone will use emo music as their outlet, but the genre does provide a safe space to express defiance and validate feelings of being an outcast. People will always question the status quo, ensuring the desire to rebel will always endure. This proves that the messages of emo music are timeless and will continue to resonate just as powerfully today, just as ‘The Black Parade’ did 20 years ago, and undoubtedly echo across the decades to come.

This is why emo, and My Chemical Romance, can never truly die. It may fade in and out of society’s consciousness, but there will always be people living life on the outside, seeking somewhere to belong and be understood. Vulnerable and personal lyrics will always have a place in music. While studded belts and swoopy fringes may have been left behind as questionable fashion choices of the past, that was just the outward presentation of the genre. ‘The Black Parade’ is about so much more than that. It is an understanding of mental health, vulnerability and what it means to be an outcast in a society that demands compliance. These struggles are not limited to trends or decades; they are the fabric of what it means to be human, what it means to be alive. These feelings are timeless; therefore, there will always be a place for ‘The Black Parade’.

Isla Heartford

Image: ‘The Black Parade’ Official Album Cover