Brand New and Their Influence on the Emo Movement
Created for my upper-division Writers in Context course in 2023, this multimedia presentation maps the arc of Long Island band Brand New—from their 2001 pop-punk debut to their 2017 swan song—and shows how each album helped reshape successive waves of emo. By pairing close lyrical analysis with genre history and live-performance aesthetics, I argue that Brand New’s evolving sound bridges hardcore roots, Midwest-emo intricacy, post-hardcore experimentation, and the current revival. Slide-by-slide annotations, audio excerpts, and original sleeve-art photography make the deck both scholarly and accessible, positioning it as a model of critical music writing for academic or editorial audiences.
When you ask people what "emo" is, many will picture something like this.
But if you went to shows, kids looked more like this.
Your Favorite Weapon found cult-like success and launched Brand New into the emo DIY scene. The song “70 Times 7” is a diss track Jesse Lacey wrote aimed toward Taking Back Sunday’s lead singer, John Nolan, who supposedly hooked up with Jesse’s girlfriend. The band is quoted as being ashamed of this album, as they did not want to be pigeonholed into the genre of pop-punk.
Deja Entendu is their only album that was certified gold. It has since been placed on numerous lists as one of the greatest albums of the decade and from the emo genre.
The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me is now credited as one of the most important and influential albums in the genres of alternative rock, post-hardcore and emo by fellow musicians, critics and music writers.
Daisy was the band’s first top 10 album, but it received mixed review from lifelong fans who thought it progressed too far from their original sounds.
Science Fiction was Brand New’s only Number One Album on Billboard 200.
- Ian Cohen of Pitchfork remarked, "popular guitar music in 2017 has been undeniably shaped by Brand New, a band who has served not just as damaged role models but as a formative musical influence." - Spin declared that "Brand New didn’t just became a band, they became a lifeline and sanctuary for thousands upon thousands of messed-up kids." - Brand New also influenced the new wave of downbeat hip hop. Lil Peep sampled Brand New's "The No Seatbelt Song" on his track "Crybaby" - Pop singer Halsey has referred to their third album in particular as a major influence and Lacey as "largely responsible for why she writes with such detail."
