Pop Punk
Pop Punk Music
Pop Punk is a widely adored genre of music. Its catchy hooks and angst driven themes capture the attention of teenagers and 30 year olds alike. While its listening age is limitless, the music itself stands the test of time. Lyrical themes include heartbreak, angst, and growing up – all things every human goes through at nearly any stage of life.
Legends
Some big name bands in the genre are: Blink-182, Green Day, The All-American Rejects, The Starting Line, New Found Glory.
Upcoming Bands
Many other seasoned bands like The Story So Far, State Champs, and Neck Deep bear the pop punk title with honor. While there are endless amounts of artists in the genre, a few up and coming bands are keeping the pop punk torch lit and bright for the current and future generation. New names to watch for are Super Sometimes, The Paradox, Youth Fountain, and Hot Mulligan.
Lifestyle
Pop Punk is described less of a music genre and more of a lifestyle. Some fans adopt the “straight edge” lifestyle firmly represented in the hardcore scene of music. Many fans deck their bodies in tattoos, piercings, dyed hair, Vans shoes, black band tees, and copious amounts of other punk and emo fashion trends.
“I don’t listen to punk any more, unless it’s right before I play. Not that I don’t like it, it’s nostalgic. But, it’s for kids and it should be… it’s not art, it’s expression.”
- Pop Music 56%
- Country Music 45%
- Hip Hop Music 26%
- Rock Music 56%
Live Music
Whether it be garage shows, small venues, or stadium tours, live concerts is a huge part of pop punk music. Warped Tour used to be the lifeline of the genre (similar to the likes of Coachella) only tailored more specifically to pop punk, rock, and hardcore artists. The new music festival When We Were Young carries the blood of Warped Tour while incorporating a strew of similar beloved bands of adjacent genres.
I’ve been to dozens of live shows and have seen countless bands perform.
Some of my coolest friends were made through a mutual love of pop punk music and local gigs.
Supporting local music is one of my favorite past times, allowing me to meet hometown heroes like the guys in Prefect, and the rising pop punk legends in Super Sometimes.
Pop punk music is diverse, with punchy melodies or soft acoustics, it’s the perfect soundtrack for any part of life.
Live Music Creates Bonds
At WWWY 2022, I was in the massive crowd singing along to The Used. While trying to navigate my way out of the sea of people, I became stuck. In this moment, The Used was playing “Take It Away” singing “take my hand” on repeat. While these words rang out, a hand grabbed mine and pulled me through the people I was stuck in. She danced there with a smile on her face, a beer in her hand, with my hand in the other singing the lyrics “take my hand!” It was the most perfect moment in music I’d ever experienced. That random girl saw my need to get out of the crowd and she took it upon herself to help me through. There is nothing better than bonding with a stranger over a love of music.
Tom DeLonge of Angels & Airwaves
