Kingdom Hearts fans who want to prove to their now-elderly parents that the emo movement of the late 90s and early 2000s wasn't just a phase can now do just that. XIII Cheers for Sweet Revenge: Kingdom Hearts Goes Emo, a remix album of 15 songs from across the series blended with "sounds reminiscent of My Chemical Romance”, is out today on streaming services. You can even pick it up on CD or the superior cassette tape format via Bandcamp, perfect for making a mixtape for that special someone.
Performed by video game music label GameGrooves, producer Allen Brasch said of the project: "What started as an April Fool's Day joke three years ago has culminated in one of my favourite GameGrooves albums to date." It's pretty incredible stuff, and Disney tracks like "Let It Go", in particular, benefit from the screamo treatment.
Emo kids were always going to gravitate towards the Kingdom Hearts series, with members of the subculture sharing creator Tetsuya Nomura's propensity for studded belts, spiky hair, and melodrama. Decades later, now you can once more relive your glory days with this mesmerizing blend of emotion, nostalgia and magic.