Be Punk Pop

Punk pop (or pop punk) is a style of punk music defined by its upbeat attitude and catchy simplicity. Punk pop was biggest during the 1990s and early 2000s, where an entire subculture developed around the sound. A punk pop lifestyle is all about having fun, and being rebellious. If this musical scene really appeals to you, there are lots of ways you can go about making it part of your life. Punk pop isn't just a type of music. It's a way you look and act as well. Once you make punk pop part of your life, there should be nothing stopping you from picking up an instrument and making some of it yourself.

Steps

Acting Punk Pop

1. Find opportunities to rebel against the status quo. All punk music is based on rebellion. Even if punk pop is fairly happy in comparison with other punk genres, you should still take a sense of rebellion to heart with you. Find opportunities in your day-to-day life to express yourself, whether or not it fits in with the status quo. At the same time, you shouldn't take rebellion as an excuse to be mean to people. Being punk pop means spreading good vibes around.
   • For a positive demonstration of rebellion, try to be outspoken with whatever you do. If you're in class, raise your hand whenever you have something to say, especially if it conflicts with the view the teacher is presenting.
   • Searching for your own style without regard to what others will think is rebellious in of itself.
2. Know your stuff. No punk popper can consider themselves part of the scene if they don't have an appreciation and knowledge of the music to begin with. If you haven't listened to much of the music yet, now's a good time to do some binging. Blink 182's Enema of the State and Green Day's Dookie are essential records to check out if you want to be taken seriously as a fan of the genre.
   • Although punk pop is usually seen as a singles-based genre, listening to albums from start to finish is a good idea if you really want to understand what punk pop is all about.
   • Music videos are also worth watching.
3. Stay fit. Generally speaking, the punk pop culture favours slender builds. A lot of punk poppers also do skateboarding on the side. This is a great form of exercise that sheds pounds while you have fun. Some punk poppers also commit to vegan or vegetarian lifestyles. If you cut meat and dairy out of your diet and replace them with the proper iron-rich alternatives, you should end up feeling much better than you did.
   • Lentils, grains and nuts are all examples of high-iron alternatives to meat.
4. Go to shows. Punk pop culture is based around the music, and the only place you can truly experience punk pop as it's meant to be heard as at a live show. Go to shows, preferably small shows at house parties or basement venues. These smaller venues lend themselves to a closer-knit group of people, and lower the risk of people coming there who might try to cause a problem.
   • Avoid drugs and alcohol when you're out at shows. If you need to rely on drugs to have fun, you're not having fun in the right way.

Looking Punk Pop

1. Wear band shirts. Band shirts are a staple for most underground music scenes. Band shirts are helpful because they let other people know you are a fan of a given band without even having to open up your mouth. Many band shirts come with distinctive and appealing artwork that's specific to the punk pop look as well, so they're a perfect place to start.
   • You should only wear shirts of bands you sincerely like. Otherwise, you put yourself at risk of being called a poseur.
2. Try on a lazy beanie hat. Punk pop and skater culture are closely intermingled. Skaters like to wear beanie hats, and you won't raise any suspicions in the punk pop scene if you go for that look too. Beanies are cozy and casual. They're a symbol of what the punk pop lifestyle is about.
3. Wear Vans or Converse sneakers. Because punk pop built up around teen culture, teen-friendly brands have become a part of the look. Shoes are important for just about every style, so the same goes for punk pop. Vans and Converse shoes are the go-to brands for punk pop. Of course, any kind of skate shoe will do. Punk pop is unlike other punk lifestyles in the sense that it embraces some of the big name corporations. If you don't feel this appeals to you, you can always configure punk pop to your personal liking.
   • Brand name shoes are known as a part of punk pop but it's not necessary. If you are on a budget, you can go to a used clothing or consignment store and raid it for new digs.
4. Consider chokers and bracelets. Chokers and bracelets are fun accessories you can dress your body up with. Punk pop is big into them with both genders. Some bracelets could be band merch as well. Rubber bracelets with band names and slogans ("Defend Punk pop") are big with this subculture.
   • Pyramid studded belts are a useful addition too.
5. Dye your hair. There aren't set rules for hair in punk pop, so long as you're relatively clean cut and take care of your appearance. Dyeing your hair is a welcome way to distinguish your look. Put streaks of some wacky colour into your hair. Be careful not to overdo it, however, as constant hair dyeing will strain your hair.
   • Hair length and style varies widely within punk pop. However, keeping your hair long and straight (if you're a girl) or getting a crew cut (if you're a guy) is a good place to start if you're unsure what to pick.
6. Get colourful. Punk pop is all about being young and expressing yourself in a fun way. For some, the skinny jeans and shirt combo will be enough. Others may want to crank it up a notch by putting some focus on the colours they wear. If you make your wardrobe colourful, your appearance will match the happy-go-lucky attitude of the music you love.
   • Accessorizes like bracelets, hair streaks and patches are easy ways to add colourful life to your outfit.

Making Punk Pop

1. Learn a basic instrument. It should go without saying that would-be musicians need to learn an instrument before their dreams of punk pop fame are tickled. Punk pop is limited to electric guitar, bass guitar, drums and vocals. If you play bass or guitar, you should consider trying to get your voice in basic shape. That way, you can front a band or sing harmonies while you play. Get a teacher if you feel you need some help getting started.
   • If you're playing guitar, you should keep in mind that punk pop is an almost exclusively rhythm-based genre. There is still a lot of room within that context to express yourself beautifully, however.
   • Punk is infamous for having most of its songs consist of three or four chord song progressions. With this in mind, the technical aspects are quite easy to pick up.
2. Form a band. A band can be easy or difficult to form depending on the company you keep. If you are friends with enough people who are passionate about punk pop, it shouldn't be hard to find people who would be interested in playing some shows with you. Failing personal friends, post an ad on Craigslist and see if you get any bites. In the meantime while you're making contacts, you can get a head start on writing your songs.
   • Punk pop names are usually tongue-in-cheek or silly, like Blink-182.
3. Brainstorm song ideas. Punk pop lyrics tend to revolve around either politics or real life. In the end, you can write lyrics about anything you like, but lyrics about your experience as a teenager will probably go over the best with your future audience. Think about life experiences you've had that really moved you one way or another.
   • For example, a childhood friend moving to another city could inspire a song about how much you miss that friend.
   • Song titles should give the listener an idea what the song is about before moving into them. It can also be taken from words in the chorus.
4. Write chord progressions with major chords. Punk pop is often referred to as "happy punk" for a reason. If you have a guitar, throw some chords together to make the backbone of your song. If you don't have much experience with songwriting, try building your new song around the structure of a classic punk pop song, keeping the same rhythm and structure but changing the chords around to suit you.
5. Write punk pop lyrics. Punk pop is simple, and the lyrics should be too. Once you have ideas for your songs, try streamlining them into pithy lines a few words long. Fill up part of a page with potential lines and pick the line that stands out the most to you. That standout should be your chorus.
   • Base your typical rhyme scheme on the common ABAB CDCD formula. Most pop songs fall into this format.
6. Sing melodies over your chord progressions. Once you have the chords and a rough set of lyrics, it's time to write some catchy melodies to fit the mood of your song. If this is your first time writing a song, don't worry about perfection at all. Just hum out a melody and fit the words to it as best you can.
   • Vocal harmonies are a great way to improve the quality of your music. Don't sweat it if you can't pull off harmonies, however. A badly done harmony isn't worth the trouble.
7. Put effort into your image. Even if you have great songs by the end of it, punk pop is ultimately about image. If you want people to have fun listening to your music, you need to practice what you preach. If you decide later on that you want to play a show, you should come there with a great attitude, wanting to show everyone there a great time. Punk pop is ultimately about spreading good feelings around.

Tips

• Music videos are worth watching because they give you an impression of the style's sound as well as its look.
• You might want to listen to classic punk artists, such as: Ramones, Clash, Sex Pistols, Black Flag, etc; to learn about the roots and history of punk.

Warnings

• Do your best not to get mixed in or confused with scene or emo cultures. They may look similar on the outside, but they're incredibly different.

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Sources and Citations

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