110 Perfect Emo Instagram Captions for Your Black Heart

Emo is one of the few subcultures that has survived since the 1980s and keeps rediscovering itself. Perhaps it’s the profound universality of existential angst that ensures the vibe never dies, or perhaps it’s the intersection of self-expression and deep introspection. Either way, the emo way of life is experiencing an interesting revival on Instagram.

If you’re embarking on a journey to discover who you are and reaching out for deeper connections, your striking emo photos definitely call out for fitting emo Instagram captions. Are you not sure how to get this caption style right, or are you just exploring fresh ideas?

We’re here to help! Scroll down to find a collection of emo captions for Instagram to fit your current mood and look — and get your followers talking!

How to Write Impactful Emo Captions for Instagram

The emo vibe is hard to describe in words, because it’s more of a feeling you have to tap into, but we’ll try our best. Although many emo lyrics are deeply sad and filled with despair, there’s more to the subculture than tragedy alone. At its core, it’s about introspection, finding yourself, and discovering the depth of emotion hiding within you.

Here’s how to write hard-hitting emo Instagram captions that have the potential to spark meaningful conversations:

• Many emo captions for Instagram that hit the nail on the head are deeply poetic. They don’t necessarily have to make immediate logical sense, but they should capture the mood you’re in now, or were in when you took the picture you’re posting, perfectly. Give it a go, and you’ll soon discover that words can flow just as easily as tears.
• Aim for captions that touch on the deeper aspects of life. The emo vibe hides layers of emotion within layers of emotion, and that depth is easier to reach than you might think.
• If you’re posting fun outfit pictures, you can also simply comment on what you love about the outfit, where you got it, or how you put it together.
• Looking to add a touch of humor to your emo captions for Instagram? That works, but add a dark twist to keep the emo vibe going.
• Still stuck? Choosing meaningful quotes are also an option. Of course, you can pick lyrics from your favorite emo artists, but poets who have commented on the complexity of life also often offer words that fit the emo vibe very well.

Good luck matching your captions to your mood — and don’t be scared to copy and paste some of our ideas straight to your feed if the captions we came up with resonate with you.

Emo Instagram Captions for Selfies

1. All I wanted was love…
2. My smudged eyeliner expresses how I feel deep within.
3. Dressed to express… and to depress.
4. Ugh. Today was difficult. At least my outfit matches.
5. Without emotions, we’d just be unfeeling robots.
6. These tears could fill a whole ocean.
7. Head in the thunderclouds, feet on the muddy ground.
8. I wear my black heart on my sleeve, and it speaks in music.
9. Bitter and dark. My coffee matches my mood.
10. Feeling like a coil of turmoil wrapped in black eyeliner.

Funny Emo Captions for Instagram

11. Emo is my favorite color, and nobody can convince me otherwise.
12. Sure, I’ll wear something other than black when someone comes up with a darker color.
13. I’m not unique. I just wear what I feel like on the outside.
14. Meet me where salty collides with sad, and sway to the beat.
15. It’s not just a phase, mom. It’s a journey filled with a thousand sorrows and a million deep songs.
16. Don’t mind me. I’m just wheeling and feeling. You wouldn’t understand. It’s an emo thing.
17. Dance with the skeletons and cry with the ocean. Then, rock with the best.
18. I’m the CEO of Feeling Misunderstood, but you wouldn’t get it.
19. Even duct tape isn’t strong enough to fix my dark, broken heart.
20. We emos do have fun. We just do it while you’re not looking.

Cute Emo Instagram Captions

21. Turning broken dreams into beautiful art.
22. It’s true what they say. Life is a rollercoaster, and sometimes you just need to puke.
23. My emotions are a masterpiece in progress. They go up and down.
24. All black everything all the time, with a side of smudged eyeliner.
25. In a world filled with echoes, dare to be the silent scream.
26. When the void says hello, wave back and give it a creepy grin.
27. Heart heavy, music good. That’s how it’s got to be.
28. Feel the electricity in your veins and find sweet relief in the beats of the music.
29. Life can be a pit of doom sometimes, but at least your outfit is ready for it.
30. Radiating dark vibes and swirling emotions.

Deep Emo Captions for Instagram

31. Turning scars into galaxies and exploring life’s hidden depths.
32. They’ll stop and stare. Give them something really cool to look at, even if they don’t get it.
33. Nobody will ever understand me… but life is too short to stop trying.
34. Lost in the darkness of loneliness, found in the endless magic of music.
35. Dance like you’re a moth attracted to a burning flame, and play with the intersection of darkness and light.
36. Oh, this scent? It’s called “Total Chaos,” and if you want a whiff, you’ll have to dance with me.
37. Watering the plants of my soul with tears that will grow black roses.
38. I’m not perfect, but at least I’m not pretending. Chew on that.
39. The truth you see in me could be a field of lies. You’ll never know.
40. Headphones on, turmoil within.

Emo Instagram Captions About Romance

41. Will you be the darkness to my void?
42. When you get sucked into the vortex of love, you may never escape.
43. Love is a one-way trip that usually ends in tears…. Try to make them happy ones.
44. Feeling around the universe for a spirit that speaks to mine. Are you out there?
45. You can have the t-shirt you designed for me back, too. Was it all a lie?
46. Step into my shadow and don’t be afraid if it tries to embrace your soul.
47. Just you and me, lost in the beat of our souls.
48. When galaxies collide, they explode into chaos to form a new whole. That’s us.
49. Oh. You, too, are out there in the rain, listening to its whispers of sadness? Here, I’ve got an umbrella.
50. Finding love by the flickering light of my existence.

Emo Instagram Captions About Friendship

51. Life ends, but friendship is timeless.
52. Your vibe attracts your tribe… just like a black hole.
53. Friends don’t let friends experiment with black makeup alone.
54. Embrace the darkness in the light of friendship.
55. You’re the gooey, sweet center in the vortex of my life.
56. Vibing to the sound of despair, finding togetherness in the beat.
57. I’m broken, but at least I’m not broken alone.
58. Between the tears and the darkness, that’s where we dance.
59. Painting splashes of dark hope onto our personal canvasses of despair.
60. Yes, we’re into dark humor. No, we’re not depressed.

Sad Emo Captions for Instagram

61. Bitter, broken, lost, and alone. But that’s just life.
62. Me? I’m just dancing around alone.
63. Dark times call for sad music. At least the lyrics get me.
64. I’m not OK. I don’t know if I ever will be.
65. Life is but a cruel video game with no respawns.
66. Blood is red, my mood is blue, but at least I have you.
67. Meet me at the waterfall of my sadness, where my tears breathe new life into the universe.
68. We are all just lost spirits, wandering around the chaos of life alone.
69. Some days were made for staying in your room with sad music. This is one of those days.
70. My heart cries out for love, for understanding, for happiness. Where is it?

Emo Instagram Captions for OOTD Posts

71. Outfits speak louder than words, and this one warns you to stay away.
72. Despair on the outside, beauty within. Will you join my ride?
73. Black is the new black. Never saw this coming, did you?
74. Because on Wednesdays, we mix our black with a few pink accents.
75. I’m like a ninja whispering in the sad night sky.
76. Yes, but at least my outfit matches my mood.
77. Dark heart, cool outfit, strange dreams.
78. Time heals. Killer outfits help.
79. In the swirls of my nightmares, I find inspiration to fuel my fashion choices.
80. Smiling through the tears and looking amazing while doing it.

Amazing Quotes for Emo Instagram Captions

81. “Hope in reality is the worst of all evils because it prolongs the torments of man.” — Friedrich Nietzsche
82. “Sorry if I’m slow. Opening up to people is not a skill of mine.” — Kiera Cass
83. “I wanted to fall; good thing you pushed me.” ― Mihail Drumeş
84. “Tears are words that need to be written.” ― Paulo Coelho
85. “A sky so full of feeling it cannot bring itself to rain.” — Brit Marling
86. “So it’s true, when all is said and done, grief is the price we pay for love.” ― EA Bucchianeri
87. “What you must understand about me is that I’m a deeply unhappy person.” ― John Green
88. “Life is but a dream for the dead.” ― Gerard Way
89. “Don’t mind me. I’ll just sit here, crying over yesterday.” — PM Harrison
90. “Sadness is but a wall between two gardens.” — Kahlil Gibran

Short Emo Captions for Instagram

91. Why bother keeping calm? Life is pain.
92. There is pain in beauty and beauty in pain.
93. All the feels.
94. Emo vibes for dark times.
95. Nothing to see here. I’m just a sad guy.
96. Find me wandering around in the dead of the night.
97. Rummaging through nightmares to discover hope.
98. Feeling lost and lonely.
99. Please tell me someone understands.
100. Why me?

Creative Writing Prompts for Emo Instagram Captions

If you found recognition in our caption ideas, you might have decided to add a few of these emo Instagram captions to your feed. There is no question, though — you’ll need fresh captions soon enough, and writing your own is the best way to make sure they align with your pictures and emotions.

These prompts are designed to get you off to a handy start as you capture the fleeting feelings of the moment.

101. Nothing says emo like…
102. Welcome to my void, where…
103. Feeling like… all the time, and I don’t know why.
104. That feeling when…
105. Walk among the shadows and…
106. Nothing but darkness and…
107. When you get lost, make sure you…
108. Because every tragedy has its…
109. Numb, but also…
110. If my sadness had a name, it would just be…

FAQ About Emo Captions for Instagram

What can I do to make my emo captions for Instagram even more impactful?

The emo subculture has always been characterized by deep introspection and an embrace of the more difficult parts of life. Don’t shy away from showing your authentic self, but at the same time, never feel like all your emo captions have to be sad. Emo captions are all about depth and feeling, and that can include positive emotions.

What are some good emojis for my emo Instagram captions?

While this is subjective, we think some of the best emojis for the emo vibe are 🖤, 😔, 😭, 💀, 🌧️,  😶‍🌫️, 🥀, and of course 🎶.

Can you recommend some popular hashtags for emo captions for Instagram?

No problem! Good emo hashtags include #emolife, #darkvibes, #soulsearching, #blackhearted, #eternaldespair, and #emocommunity.