From emo to nu metal: why 2000s bands are striking a chord with Gen Z in Southeast Asia

From the eyeliner-heavy angst of My Chemical Romance to the double-denim pop of Blue, reunion tours by early-2000s Western acts are selling out Southeast Asian arenas, powered by an unlikely driver: Gen Z fans who were toddlers, or not yet born, when the bands first topped the charts.When My Chemical Romance (MCR) announced its Southeast Asia tour, 60,000 tickets for their Kuala Lumpur show on April 30 sold out within hours. The rush prompted organiser Hello Universe to add a second date at Bukit Jalil National Stadium on May 1, which also sold out. The dates were later rescheduled to November 19 and 20, as part of the band’s revised Southeast Asia itinerary.In Manila, 55,000 fans snapped up tickets for the band’s November 14 show, according to concert organiser PULP Live World. Organisers also expect strong demand at Jakarta International Stadium, an 82,000-capacity venue scheduled to host the band on November 22.Music experts say the unexpected connection between bands whose frontmen are now in their late 40s and a younger cohort loosely acquainted with their music as children reflects a wider pushback against the sometimes overly produced pop culture of the moment.Members of British pop group Blue perform during a rehearsal for the Eurovision Song Contest in Düsseldorf in 2011. Photo: Reuters“Gen Z aren’t into MCR because it’s retro,” said Tang Eu Jin, music marketer and founder of TONGTONG Asia, a Malaysia-based boutique music and culture consultancy.