London’s Barbican Centre has announced a new exhibition on emo culture titled ‘I’m Not Okay (An Emo Retrospective)’, exploring why bands such as My Chemical Romance and Fall Out Boy resonated so deeply with a generation of teenagers.

A free exhibition open now at The Barbican Music Library, fans of the genre will be able to visit until January 15, 2025.

Focusing on the pivotal era of the emo scene that took place from 2004-2009, the exhibition features personal photos snapped on early digital and mid-00s phone cameras, taken from old hard drives and Photobucket accounts. 

A collaboration between the Museum Of Youth Culture and City Of London Corporation, the creators have shared:

“The exhibition examines how this scene intertwined with internet fame and drama, with teens expressing their angst through confessional lyrics, tight jeans, and dyed black hair. ‘I’m Not Okay’ delves into how Emo became a positive force for acceptance, addressing issues of sexuality, mental health, gender, identity, and belonging. It was one of the first subcultures to bridge the physical and digital worlds, laying the groundwork for today’s digital youth quake led by TikTok and Instagram…

“‘I’m Not Okay’ offers an unfiltered look at a moment when youth culture was cute, raw, vulnerable, and unapologetically different, and is situated at the heart of the Emo scene whilst touching on concurrent movements like Scene, Indie Electro, Pop Punk, and Screamo.”

You can find out more about the exhibition and how to visit here.