10 Dead Giveaways That You’re A Former Emo Kid

You may have left your purple hair and My Chemical Romance tees back in 2008, but you’re not fooling anybody! There are some sure-fire signs that someone used to be an emo kid, and we’ll tell you all of them, here!

We know your dirty little secret! You may be a blazer-wearing, blowout-getting, perfectly manicured professional adult now, but in 2007 you were miserable at best, writing sins not tragedies, and spelling cute without the ‘e’. That’s right, you were a total emo kid! There’s no reason to be ashamed that you followed Death Cab into the dark, but you left that life behind. Now you’ve made the great escape, and you’re just a “normal person,” but we can still tell that deep down, you’re still a secret emo. Here are 10 telltale signs that you wore black all through high school. Scroll down to take the quiz!

1. You listen to rappers like Lil Uzi Vert, Drake, and Kanye West. The music may sound different, but the messages are just as deep and emotional! Just look at these lyrics from “XO Tour Llif3” and tell me it’s not emo: “I don’t really care if you cry. On the real you should’ve never lied. Should’ve saw the way she looked me in my eyes. She said baby I am not afraid to die.” We’re glad that you’re still expressing your feelings through music, even if it’s rap instead of rock.

2. You’re really into makeup. Emo kids started young with the exaggerated eyeliner and bold lipstick. As you matured, you started honing their craft by watching YouTube tutorial videos. Now you may have traded a kohl-rim for a cut-crease, but you’re still wearing your style on your sleeve.

3. You have a box full of concert tickets somewhere. If you were emo in high school, then going to concerts – whether in your church basement or at a huge venue – was the highlight of your life. Those memories can’t just be thrown away! If you have a huge stash of tickets under your bed, we bet they’re all from emo shows.

4. You go to music festivals. I mean, come on. Coachella is really just the grown-up version of Warped Tour or Taste of Chaos. It may be multiple days with some camping and maybe some extra glitter, but hey, going to Bonnaroo means you still like being around your fellow music fans. That sense of community was what emo was all about!

5. You have a soft spot for cartoons like Hello Kitty and Adventure Time. Hot Topic was always stocked with these characters for some reason – everything from socks to hair clips to jewelry! Of course, now you might have a figurine on your desk or a planner with that friendly little kitty on it, but even if it’s more understated, deep down the colorful figures still bring you irrational joy.

6. You rock chunky heels. Okay, so you’re not as edgy as you once were, but certain fun pieces in your wardrobe still get you excited and make you feel a little dark and brooding. Chunky platform heels, a spike necklace, or even a black choker can still make you giddy!

7. You own a record player. Music was your LIFE when you were emo, and it instilled a deep appreciation that will last a lifetime. Maybe you buy Lady Gaga’s Joanne on vinyl now, but you still have a stack of the “oldies” that you put on when you’re feeling mopey.

8. You still have your iPod. It literally took you YEARS to curate that massive library, and you can’t bear to get rid of it even if you rarely ever use it. Once and a while you may even turn it on and reminisce while The Used, Bayside, and From First To Last blast out of it.

9. You can’t turn down a sticker. Why, oh, why do your instincts refuse to let you walk away from a booth at a convention without a whole handful of the things? You probably won’t even stick it on anything, but it brings you back to the time when your high school agenda was littered with band stickers and it makes you feel all warm and fuzzy.

10. You own a guitar, but you don’t play guitar. Hey, most emo songs only had three power chords, so you felt pretty good about yourself after just a few guitar lessons. Then you realized you’re going to have to learn more than just Blink 182 songs to be in a band, so you gave it up. But you still think the instrument is pretty so you can’t just give it away!

HollywoodLifers, do any or all of these telltale former emo giveaways apply to you? Do you have any to add? Let us know!