Melodigging logoMelodigging name
emoplugg

Emoplugg

United States · 2020s
SadDancingDreamySentimentalChill

Your digging level

For this genre
0/8
🏆
Sign in, then listen to this genre to level up

Description

Emoplugg is a micro-genre of internet-born rap that fuses the melodic melancholy of emo rap with the bouncy, bell-led swing of plugg/pluggnb production.

Songs typically pair glossy, detuned bell or mallet leads, rubbery 808 glides, and skittering hi-hats with vulnerable, tuneful vocals delivered through heavy Auto‑Tune, doubles, and airy ad‑libs. Compared with classic plugg, emoplugg foregrounds confessional hooks, wistful chord loops (often minor with wistful modal mixture), and clean, lightweight sound design that leans closer to hyperpop/digicore sheen than to gritty trap.

The result is a bittersweet mix: danceable and bright on the surface, yet lyrically anxious, heartbroken, and nostalgic—tailor‑made for SoundCloud, Discord collectives, and TikTok feeds.


Sources: Spotify, Wikipedia, Discogs, RYM, MB, user feedback and other online sources

History

Origins (late 2010s → early 2020s)

Emoplugg grew out of overlapping online scenes on SoundCloud and Discord where emo rap’s confessional songwriting met a revival of plugg and pluggnb. Producers adapted plugg’s airy bell melodies and springy 808 patterns to softer, pop‑leaning palettes, while vocalists imported emo’s diaristic tone and melodic hooks. Early community cross‑pollination with digicore and hyperpop helped define the genre’s bright, lightweight mix and fast, DIY release cycles.

Codification and Spread (2020–2022)

By the early 2020s, emoplugg had recognizable markers: sparkling bell/pluck leads, clipped claps and rimshots, wide but soft 808s, and intimate, Auto‑Tuned toplines about heartbreak, self‑doubt, and online life. Collaborative producer networks, beat marketplaces, and remote vocal features accelerated its sound. Playlists, algorithmic discovery, and short‑form video platforms amplified standouts and cemented emoplugg as a distinct, taggable micro‑genre.

Globalization and Micro‑scenes (2022–present)

As the sound spread, regional variants emerged—especially in Latin America and Brazil—mixing local vocal phrasing with emoplugg’s rhythmic chassis. Crossovers with hyperpop, pop‑punk, and rage/pluggnb further blurred boundaries, but the core aesthetic—wistful melody over buoyant plugg swing—remains a reliable identity. The scene continues to operate on internet time: rapid EP drops, producer‑driven aesthetics, and community‑built mythologies.

How to make a track in this genre

Core tempo, groove, and drums
•   Tempo: commonly 130–150 BPM. Keep a gentle swing or straight grid with occasional off‑grid ghost hats for bounce. •   Drums: tight, plugg‑style kits—rimshot/clap on 2 & 4, crisp open‑hat lifts, thin crashes. Use rolling 1/16–1/32 hi‑hat glitches and sparse perks.
808s and bass
•   Use a soft, rounded 808 (or short reese) with long glides and stepwise slides to outline the key. Accents should complement the kick rather than overpower it. •   Sidechain lightly to the kick and keep sub energy centered and clean.
Harmony and melody
•   Progressions: minor keys with bittersweet turns (e.g., i–VI–III–VII, i–iv–VI–V). Two to four chords looping is common to spotlight vocals. •   Leads: bell/mallet/pluck patches (think clean, glassy tones) carrying short, hummable motifs. Layer with airy pads or quiet guitar arpeggios for warmth.
Sound design and arrangement
•   Keep mixes bright but lightweight: highpassed pads, minimal mid‑mud, gentle saturation, and short rooms/plates. •   Arrangement: 4–8 bar intro (lead motif), 8–12 bar hook, 12–16 bar verse, frequent hook returns; total length ~1:45–2:30.
Vocals and writing
•   Delivery: melodic rap/sing‑rap with heavy Auto‑Tune (moderate retune), doubles/octaves, and breathy ad‑libs for width. •   Lyrics: candid and youthful—heartbreak, uncertainty, digital life, late‑night ruminations. Keep hooks concise and earworm‑oriented.
Mixing tips
•   Prioritize vocal intelligibility; carve bell/lead frequencies to leave a lane for the voice (2–5 kHz control). •   Tame harshness with dynamic EQ/multiband on bells and hats; soft‑clip drum bus lightly for modern loudness without grit.
Workflow
•   Start with a 2–4 chord loop and a simple bell motif. Add 808 pattern and hat bounce, then craft a hook melody and write to it. Build the arrangement around hook impact.
How to make diary plugg melodies #flstudio
How to make diary plugg melodies #flstudio
Geam
how to make emoplugg vocals in FL (free presets)
how to make emoplugg vocals in FL (free presets)
jonah shows u how to make music
HOW TO HYPERPOP VOCALS
HOW TO HYPERPOP VOCALS
ivexy
[BEST METHOD] how to make, mix, and master an emoplugg song from start to finish
[BEST METHOD] how to make, mix, and master an emoplugg song from start to finish
yashio

Best playlists

The Sound of Emoplugg
The Sound of Emoplugg
Every Noise at Once
Emoplugg
Emoplugg
Chosic
Emoplugg Mix
Emoplugg Mix
Spotify
Best of Emoplugg
Best of Emoplugg
volt.fm
loveplugg / cuteplugg / pluggnb / kplugg / emoplugg / 90s rnb
loveplugg / cuteplugg / pluggnb / kplugg / emoplugg / 90s rnb
Spyy x Jimmy (SpyRoxxy)

Main artists

mental
mental
blxty
blxty
coldspades
coldspades
blackwinterwells
blackwinterwells
miraie
miraie

Top tracks

Locked
Share your favorite track to unlock other users’ top tracks

Upcoming concerts

in this genre
Influenced by
Emo Rap
Emo rap blends the confessional lyricism and melodic sensibility of emo and pop‑punk with the rhythms, production techniques, and flows of contemporary hip hop and trap. Songs often feature sung‑rap deliveries, heavy use of Auto‑Tune, minor‑key progressions, guitar loops or samples, and 808‑driven drums. Themes typically center on heartbreak, loneliness, anxiety, substance use, and self‑reflection, presented in direct, diary‑like writing. The sound crystallized on platforms like SoundCloud, where artists embraced lo‑fi aesthetics, short song lengths, and highly personal cover art and branding. Emo rap’s crossover appeal brought rock textures back into mainstream rap and helped pave paths for a new wave of genre‑fluid pop, punk‑rap energy, and internet‑native micro‑scenes.
Pluggnb
Pluggnb is a melodic internet-born branch of Southern trap that fuses plugg-style production with R&B-leaning, sung rap approaches. It is characterized by deep 808 basslines, sparkly or glassy synth melodies, dense and often quicker drum programming than early plugg, and vocals that emphasize melody, softness, and emotional delivery. The overall sound is frequently airy and digital, with bright arpeggios, bell-like leads, and a clean yet saturated low end designed for headphones and online playback.
Plugg
Plugg is a trap-derived hip hop subgenre that rose through online, producer-led scenes—especially SoundCloud—in the mid-2010s. It is known for minimal, “compact” drum programming, sub-heavy 808 basslines, and bright, sparkly melodic loops (often piano, bell-like keys, airy pads, or icy synth leads). Vocals are typically melodic and laid-back, leaning into Southern rap cadences and Auto-Tune, with hooks that feel floaty and repetitive over spacious low-end.
Cloud Rap
Cloud rap is a hip hop microgenre defined by ethereal, reverb‑drenched textures, soft pads, and minimal drum programming that creates a floating, dreamlike atmosphere. Beats tend to be sparse and space-conscious, with airy synths, distant vocal samples, and gentle 808s supporting raps that are often introspective, deadpan, or emotionally detached. The sound crystallized online in the early 2010s through platforms like DatPiff, Tumblr, and SoundCloud, pairing Southern rap rhythms with ambient and chillwave aesthetics. Rather than virtuosic density, cloud rap prizes mood, negative space, and a sense of weightlessness, translating internet-era solitude and nostalgia into hazy, pastel-toned hip hop.
Hyperpop
Hyperpop is an internet-native pop movement known for its maximalist sound design, pitch-shifted vocals, and frenetic genre collisions. It exaggerates pop tropes—ultra-bright synths, hard-clipping drums, sugary hooks—then smashes them together with elements of club music, trap, and experimental electronica. The style favors hyper-synthetic timbres, extreme processing (auto‑tune, formant shifting, heavy sidechaining, distortion), and abrupt structural left turns. Lyrically, it swings between irreverent internet humor and disarmingly sincere confessions, often reflecting online identity, queerness, and hyper-modern life. Although diverse, the common thread is a playful, self-aware push of pop to surreal, high-saturation extremes.
Digicore
Digicore is a Gen Z–native, internet-bred pop-rap microgenre that emerged from SoundCloud and Discord communities. It blends hyperpop’s maximalist sound design with emo rap’s confessional songwriting, trap drum programming, and nightcore-style pitch-shifting. Songs are typically short and hook-forward, with heavily processed, Auto-Tuned vocals, clipped or bitcrushed textures, stutter edits, and glossy but intentionally digital artifacts. The palette often includes bright synth bells, plugg/pluggnb-inspired 808 patterns, widescreen OTT compression, and glitchy micro-cuts that highlight the music’s online, DIY origin. Lyrically, it leans into adolescent angst, online identity, relationships, and self-reflection, mirroring the hyper-connected culture that birthed it.
Trap
Trap is a subgenre of hip hop that emerged from the Southern United States, defined by half-time grooves, ominous minor-key melodies, and the heavy use of 808 sub-bass. The style is characterized by rapid, syncopated hi-hat rolls, crisp rimshot/clap on the backbeat, and cinematic textures that convey tension and grit. Lyrically, it centers on street economies, survival, ambition, and introspection, with ad-libs used as percussive punctuation. Production is typically minimal but hard-hitting: layered 808s, sparse piano or bell motifs, dark pads, and occasional orchestral or choir samples. Vocals range from gravelly, staccato deliveries to melodic, Auto-Tuned flows, often using triplet cadences.
Midwest Emo
Midwest emo is a regionally rooted branch of emo that emerged in the American Midwest during the 1990s. It is distinguished by clean, interlocking "twinkly" guitar lines, melodic bass counterpoint, and dynamic, often understated drumming. The style blends the confessional lyricism and DIY ethos of emo with the delicacy and clarity of indie rock, plus the rhythmic and harmonic playfulness of math rock. Vocals tend to be intimate and conversational, while arrangements favor open guitar voicings (add9/sus2), arpeggios, and intricate two‑guitar interplay over high‑gain distortion. While associated with college towns and basement shows, Midwest emo’s influence has spread widely, shaping subsequent waves of emo and inspiring cross‑genre borrowing from indie rock to emo rap.
Emo Trap
Emo trap is a mid‑2010s fusion of trap production and the melodic, confessional sensibility of 2000s emo and pop‑punk. Built around minor‑key guitar or piano loops, blown‑out 808s, and half‑time trap drums, it favors short, hook‑heavy songs that blur singing and rapping through Auto‑Tune. Lyrically it is candid and diaristic—heartbreak, anxiety, alienation, substance use/recovery, and late‑night introspection are common themes. The sound crystallized on SoundCloud’s DIY ecosystem: rough‑edged mixes, clipped masters, and bedroom workflows that prioritized immediacy over polish, later crossing into the mainstream via viral singles and post‑blog discovery platforms.
Has influenced
No genres found

Download our mobile app

Get the Melodigging app and start digging for new genres on the go
© 2026 Melodigging
Legal
Melodding was created as a tribute to Every Noise at Once, which inspired us to help curious minds keep digging into music's ever-evolving genres.
Buy me a coffee for Melodigging