Today’s music scene, littered with everything from ballads to boy bands and Bad Bunny to Boygenius, seems to have attractions for all types of people. A select group, the whiny white boys, have even secured an entire genre named after them. More accurately, whiny white boy music is a broad term that incorporates indie rock, midwest emo, punk and any other genre you can think of that sports a whining lead singer. 

What makes assessing which artists fit under this label so challenging is its overall lack of definitive characteristics. I was only recently introduced to the term whiny white boy music and am by no means an expert, but the label’s ambiguity seems to extend to even the most knowledgeable music connoisseur. Groups like Modern Baseball, Lincoln, Mom Jeans and The Front Bottoms are popular picks within the label of whiny white boy and are also categorized as midwest emo. To help navigate these blurred lines, “Most midwest emo is whiny whiteboy music but not all whiny white boy music is midwest emo,” Wisconsinite Rachel Johnson, a midwest emo enjoyer and CWU junior, said. 

For those of us still confused, consider whiny white boy music a genre-transcending label. A case could be made for many groups or standalone artists to fit the bill. Noah Kahan, America’s new folky-pop sweetheart, could be considered a whiny white boy artist despite not being a member of any of the aforementioned genres. 

All of us, even those who won’t admit it, can appreciate the moments in life when listening to a boy, whose voice leaves more than a little to be desired, pick up an acoustic guitar and sing a sad song is just what we need. Is it the type of music that I’d queue up while on aux in a packed car? Definitely not. Is it the type of music I’d recommend to anyone who self-identifies as a Swiftie? Definitely not. But there is a time and a place for the whiny white boys.