as we're the open minded

I turned 13 in 2008. The Myspace era was coming to a close and Facebook became the new preferred social media platform. The music I had found in my preteen and early teen years majorly shaped my current music taste at 21 years old. Like for most people, middle school and high school were not easy times. The music that I came across on Myspace and the early YouTube years reflected the real emotions and struggles that I faced. It made me not want to only listen to songs like Gold Digger, Ms. New Booty, Smack That, My Humps, I Kissed a Girl, or whatever else was playing everywhere. I craved music that I could relate to. I needed music with true emotion behind it. 

Anyways, here are the songs that got me through my preteen and early years and shaped who I am today. They’re in no particular order. 

Move Along

All American Rejects, Move Along - 2005

It Ends Tonight

All American Rejects, Move Along - 2005

How to Save a Life

The Fray, How to Save a Life - 2005

Wake Me Up When September Ends

Green Day, American Idiot - 2004

Stay Together for the Kids

blink-182, Take Off Your Pants and Jacket - 2001

Adam’s Song 

blink-182, Enema of the State - 1999

Face Down 

The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Don’t You Fake it - 2006

Hate Me

Blue October, Foiled - 2006

Welcome To My Life

Simple Plan, Still Not Getting Any - 2004

I’m Just a Kid 

Simple Plan, No Pads, No Helmet…Just Balls - 2002

I’m Not Okay (I Promise) 

My Chemical Romance, Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge - 2004

Famous Last Words 

My Chemical Romance, The Black Parade - 2006

The Great Escape

Boys Like Girls, Boys Like Girls - 2006

Therapy

All Time Low, Nothing Personal - 2009

Scars

Papa Roach, Getting Away With Murder - 2004

Papercut 

Linkin Park, Hybrid Theory - 2000

You Be The Anchor That Keeps My Feet On The Ground, I’ll Be The Wings That Keep Your Heart In The Clouds

Mayday Parade, A Lesson in Romantics - 2007

Unwell

Matchbox Twenty, More Than You Think You Are - 2002

In Too Deep 

Sum 41, All Killer, No Filler - 2001

Meant to Live 

Switchfoot, The Best Yet - 2008

On The Brightside

NeverShoutNever!, The Summer EP - 2009 

circa 2005 emo punk rock: a playlist from your youth

yellowcard - ocean avenue sum 41 - in too deep blink-182 - what’s my age again? good charlotte - the anthem fall out boy - this ain’t a scene, it’s an arms race green day - american idiot my chemical romance - helena (so long & goodnight) harvey danger - flagpole sitta paramore - misery business fall out boy - dance, dance panic! at the disco - lying is the most fun a girl can have without taking her clothes off 3oh!3 - don’t trust me blink-182 - all the small things jimmy eat world - the middle the all-american rejects - move along sugarcult - memory simple plan - perfect linkin park - in the end good charlotte - girls & boys wheatus - teenage dirtbag lit - my own worst enemy jack’s mannequin - dark blue bowling for soup - almost boys like girls - the great escape lustra - scotty doesn’t know all time low - dear maria, count me in mayday parade - jersey rise against - swing life away papa roach - scars three days grace - never too late we the kings - skyway avenue blue october - hate me the starting line - the best of me taking back sunday - you’re so last summer … plus a whole lot more, like, a LOT more

Brendon Urie: *wore a rainbow flag the day after a shooting on stage and dared homophobes to shoot him if there were any of them on his concert*

5sos: talk about mental illness and do music about it, criticize capitalism and society as well as toxic relationships

Twenty one pilots: don’t even get me started. Great personalities with deep meaningful lyrics and damn good music; still humor and always positive on hinting on staying alive

Got7: give up half of their clothing when it rains and protect their fans from the rain; do random ‘stages’ on the street when they meet fans, perform at hospitals for free, support women on #metoo

Fall out boy: own fund for over 20,000 children for education, food & more

B.A.P : criticize war, education systems, politics and their own agency, unicef ambassadors since they’re 16-20 yrs old

Fewjar: do 24hrs+ live streams and donate for sth new every year

BTS: talk about literally every issue they can find like beauty standards, racism in the government & police, education, capitalism etc etc, collab with unicef, mental illness discussions & self love appreciation AF.

Stray Kids: Literally say FUCK IT, attend NY pride privately all together (yes, all nine), discuss topics as bullying, homesickness, mental illness and healing process, fight any kind of beauty- and gender standards

Simple Plan: Do MVs with their fans, a lot of them being about succeeding over depression, a song about how music can save lifes

EXO: openly support homosexuality, feminism and gender neutrality, help out at children’s hospitals and donate, fuck gender expectations in any kinda way

Linkin Park: A lot of mental illness discussion and donations & suicide preventions

Imagine Dragons: promote love, peace and kindness, positivity and self love

Monsta X: Pro-black, learn languages of EVERY COUNTRY they have a concert in, step out of their limousine with flowers for their waiting fans, playing gay roles in their own music videos

One Direction: songs about toxic relationships, #rainbowdirection, songs for the fans, hs totally supporting women & lgbtq, unicef collabs

Cross Gene: any kind of creative dance & multilingual support, discuss and criticize pressure of society and beauty standards (weight), one of them played a gay character in a drama

SHINee: go on after a suicide of their own not even a YEAR ago, unicef ambassadors since 2010, donated all of their money of this year’s concerts to a selfmade foundation for mental illness and creative youth, share literal light as in candles with their fans, joined fans as they did a shinee flashmob

Them: