I’m sure at one point, we all went through a phase that made us look back and think, “why did I ever act like that?” For some, like me, that was the emo/scene phase. If you went through this phase, I’m sure you remember the rainbow studded belts, the thick eyeliner that you thought looked cool at the time, but really made you look like a coal miner, the bright eyeshadow, and the thousands of band tees you wore to make sure everyone knew what you listened to. All of these things were statement pieces and made us stand out in the crowd. They gave us an identity throughout high school.
The emo phase wasn’t very popular in my school. Everyone started recommending music to me and I was trying to make new friends after having just moved to the area, so I started listening to rap. I never really liked the music, but it was what everyone was listening to at the time, so I tried to get into it. It lasted about a year until my one best friends told me about a band called Sleeping with Sirens. I fell in love with them along with Pierce the Veil, Falling in Reverse, Bring me the Horizon, and so many others. I began watching music videos and saw what other people wore that liked that kind of music. My mom dropped me off at Hot Topic and I began buying a bunch of band shirts and bracelets. I bought ripped skinny jeans and a black and white studded belt. My entire wardrobe changed and I looked like an obsessed fan girl.
Some people say this is just a phase, but for me, it was more of a door opener. I still don’t like rap. I have learned to control the crazy thick eyeliner and I don’t dress in all black like I used to, but I still listen to the same music. I live for concerts and my boyfriend and I go to Rock on the Range in Columbus Ohio every summer along with Warped Tour. I’ve met real band members and have made many memories through the music I listen to. These memories range from crying over meeting Andy Leo from Crown the Empire in a local McDonald’s, to seeing Bring me the Horizon live and being noticed by Oli Sykes. Maybe I’m still just a crazed fangirl like I used to be, but I love who I am and believe that phases are not just embarrassing moments. Phases can unlock an entire world that you never even knew existed.