Hot Topic in 2022 seems to cover every possible interest related to gaming and pop culture.There’s still plenty of music merch for sale as well, though the selection is different now, too: Instead of the once-famous “band tee wall,” the store’s perimeter is blocked out with cubic shelves containing music tees of every popular genre, from Top 40 to death metal. It used to be blood red and written in heavy metal font. The store’s sign is white, hard-edged, and simple. But once you ascend a few escalators and wind your way around some ongoing construction, there it is: The alternative music and culture retail outlet that once hosted in-store visits from pop-punk and emo icons like Paramore and that now boasts an elaborate display pyramid of Funko Pop dolls, anime-themed swim trunks, Obi-Wan Kenobi tokens, and various Squishmallows collectibles. You wouldn’t even realize it was there if you didn’t know exactly where to look. Grab your Telecasters and Manic Panic and join us in the Black Parade.Īt the corner of Hollywood and Highland, a Hot Topic is tucked away on the second floor of the Ovation Hollywood shopping center. Welcome to Emo Week, where we’ll explore the scene’s roots, its evolution to the modern-day Fifth Wave, and some of the ephemera around the genre. In case you haven’t heard, emo is back, baby! In honor of its return to prominence-plus the 20th anniversary of the first MCR album-The Ringer is following Emo Wendy’s lead and tapping into that nostalgia. My Chemical Romance is touring again, Paramore and Jimmy Eat World are headlining a major festival this fall, and there’s a skinny, tattooed white dude with a guitar dominating the charts.