11 Best Emo Covers of Pop Songs Everyone Loves

Emo bands covering pop songs just seems to make sense.

This is especially true for third-wave emo bands that started popping up in the early 2000s. Identified by their slick production and (sometimes) Hot Topic-ready fashion choices, these bands often worked from a pop-punk-rooted foundation.

The hints of pop were well established by the time the first Punk Goes Pop album dropped in 2002. For the first time, music fans were served a hearty dose of punk and emo bands all covering pop songs on the same album.

There was an audience for emo covers of traditional pop acts such as NYSNC and Jennifer Lopez. And, in turn, some pop music fans likely discovered their own corner of emo through this album.

More Punk Goes Pop albums followed, ending with vol. 7 in 2017. The entire series provided several memorable emo-fied covers that made overplayed pop songs sound fresh again.

Here are some of the best emo covers of pop songs, including some of the top tracks from the Punk Goes Pop series.

Silverstein, ‘Apologize’

Original artist: OneRepublic featuring Timbaland (2007)

Why this cover works: The number one reason this track works as an emo cover is that it really is an emo song at heart. Strip away the over-produced pop music and the high-pitched vocal tones and you are left with lyrics that could be just about any emo song from 2006-2013.

“I loved you with a fire red / Now it’s turning blue and you say / Sorry like an angel / Heaven let me think was you, but I’m afraid.” How is that not a song you heard on the Kevin Says stage while attending the Warped Tour in 2011?

Bayside, ‘Beautiful Girls’

Original artist: Sean Kingston (2007)

Why this cover works: A case could be made for Bayside performing this one better than Sean Kingston did in 2007.

Kingston’s original heavily relied on vocal effects and samples from Ben E. King’s 1961 classic “Stand By Me.” Bayside need none of that, thanks to Anthony Raneri being able to sing and his bandmates being able to … well, actually play their instruments.

The cover is still recognizable as “Beautiful Girls,” it’s just that there’s a little more musicianship to appreciate.

Further Seems Forever, ‘Bye, Bye, Bye’

Original artist: NSYNC (2000)

Why this cover works: Further Seems Forever are most often recognized as the band Chris Carrabba was in before he found success with Dashboard Confessional. And if you were to start a hypothetical emo boy band, Carrabba would likely be a top draft choice.

But this version of NSYNC’s “Bye Bye Bye” was done after Carrabba departed Further Seems Forever and it might be better off because of that. Jason Gleason’s vocals have a little more teeth to them, giving this fairly poppy cover more of an edge than one might expect to get from an NYSNC tune.

nothing,nowhere., ‘HOT TO GO!’

Original artist: Chappell Roan (2023)

Why this cover works: Joe Mulherin, better known as nothing,nowhere., is a screamo vocalist, a rapper and sometimes a mix of both at the same time. His most successful avenue has been simply asking, “Will it emo?”

As part of an ongoing series, Mulherin gives popular songs an emo makeover by adding vocal and guitar tones that will sound familiar to fans of the genre. More often than not, Mulherin discovers just about everything can, in fact, emo.

That even includes a pop hit that comes with its own dedicated dance. While the lyrics to “HOT TO GO!” aren’t exactly your standard emo fare, Mulherin slathers on a heavy coat that will have you thinking about the song in a much different way.

The Starting Line, ‘I’m Real’ (Remix)

Original artist: Jennifer Lopez (featuring Ja Rule) (2004)

Why this cover works: Part of the charm (?) of Jennifer Lopez’s 2004 hit was hearing gruff-voiced rapper and future Fyre Festival co-founder Ja Rule ask “what’s my motherfuckin’ name” in the opening lines. And while The Starting Line opt for much less impactful “What’s my name,” the song does fortunately recover after stumbling out of the gate.

The remix of JLo’s song kept it mostly within the world of pop with some rap parts interspersed. The Starting Line take the song and put it directly in the middle of the intersection of emo and pop punk.

The sway we first heard accompany JLo in 2004 is long gone. The Starting Line replace it with an uptempo pop-punk beat while also allowing for some breathing room to let the song’s emotion come to the front.

Pierce The Veil, ‘Just the Way You Are’

Original artist: Bruno Mars (2010)

Why this cover works: Bruno Mars has a knack for making songs for wedding receptions, with some occasionally making their way into the ceremony. “Just the Way You Are” is no exception.

But let’s say you are an emo couple looking to tie the knot while also doing something a little more your style. Pierce The Veil have just what you need for your walk down the aisle.

This cover stays fairly true to the original, which was already fairly emo in its lyrics, while also giving it a bit more of a rock edge. It’s safe enough for grandma to hear while she watches you head to the altar, but also just the right amount of emo-ness to show your guests your true music taste.

Framing Hanley, ‘Lollipop’

Original artist: Lil Wayne (2008)

Why this cover works: What Framing Hanley did with this cover is a lesson on how to capitalize on a pop culture moment. Lil Wayne’s “Lollipop” blew up shortly after it was released in 2008. Framing Hanley had an emo version of the song ready to roll before the end of the year.

And while their ride on the wave of Lil Wayne’s popularity in the moment certainly helped people learn about Framing Hanley for the first time, they also deserve some credit for pulling off this cover.

Not much about Lil Wayne’s lyrics is inherently emo. Neither are the beats used on the track. The fact that Framing Hanley was able to take all of that and turn it into a gem of an emo cover is quite admirable.

Silverstein (featuring Camm Hunter), ‘Runaway’

Original artist: Kanye West (2010)

Why this cover works: It’s a way for you to enjoy a great Kanye West song without feeling like an awful person for listening to Kanye West. Oh, and Silverstein nail that haunting piano part in the song’s opening by playing it on guitar.

Free Throw, ‘Same Drugs’

Original artist: Chance the Rapper (2016)

Why this cover works: If you know nothing about Chance the Rapper, it’s important for you not to assume the original version of “Same Drugs” is a rap song because, you know, he is “the rapper,” after all.

“Same Drugs” is more of a piano-based ballad with Chance the Rapper peppering in Peter Pan references as he tells a story of growing apart from a childhood friend. There are also some sweet lines directed at his own young daughter along the way.

The song has heart, and that is what Nashville-based emo band Free Throw look to maintain on their cover. They keep the piano backbone of “Same Drugs” while welcoming in a Midwest emo guitar twinkle or two.

This cover is not over-the-top or corny. It’s just an emo band properly respecting an artist outside of their genre who wrote a sweet song about his youth and how that may affect his own child someday.

All Time Low, ‘Umbrella’

Original artist: Rihanna (2007)

Why this cover works: Rihanna’s “Umbrella” ventured into earworm territory when it arrived in 2008, thanks to its bouncy “umbrella, ella, ella, eh, eh, eh” chorus that you could probably hear her singing in your head as you read this sentence.

All Time Low also know a thing or two about writing a catchy song that sticks with you well after you hear the final note. Here, they are given an already-established pop hit to sink their teeth into as they accentuate every “ella” and “eh” with punchy guitars and drum beats.

Who knew it was possible to drive Rihanna’s song even farther into your brain?

Ready to continue your trip down emo memory lane? Here’s how some of the biggest emo acts looked in the 2000s compared to today.