emo了 gives a sudden low mood a little distance without denying it. A song, an old photo, or a familiar place disappearing can tilt the evening, and the borrowed label lets the speaker admit the feeling without turning the chat into a diagnosis.
The register is casual; the feeling does not have to be. That is why a good response often follows the actual reason—sit with it, change the plan, or ask what happened—rather than joking that the speaker will be fine in five minutes.