For our podcast Guestlist, Stubru presenter Rik De Bruycker goes behind the scenes at AB. This month he explores the revival of emo.

From early 2000s nostalgia about Olivia Rodrigo to the new festival “When We Were Young”, emo is back. What began in the ‘80s as an underground movement within hardcore punk, is now tearing through the charts and infecting mainstream pop music like a fresh virus. 

Model/presenter Femke Fatale and Eppo Janssen (Pukkelpop/Cornflames) discuss things like teen angst, the commercialization of the genre, and MySpace. Rik De Bruycker speaks to rapper Kleine Crack and organiser Benjamin Beutels (Mclx, Faded, Alternatve Society) talks about Lil Peep in the Charlatan, Xanax and the crossover between guitar music and emo-rap. 

And further: 

• “Pop punk, over- or underrated?” according to Andries Beckers (Willy, welcome to the AA), Nina de Jong (Emo Night Antwerp) and Margaux Amant (StuBru/De Afrekening)

• The musical tip comes from AB‘s Artistic Director, Kurt Overbergh