A sub-genre of indie rock defined by walls of distorted guitar, buried vocals, and heavy effects pedals.
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Shoegaze (originally shoegazing) is a subgenre of indie and alternative rock characterised by ethereal soundscapes, obscured vocals, and extensive use of guitar effects and distortion.
A sub-genre of indie rock defined by walls of distorted guitar, buried vocals, and heavy effects pedals. Saw a TikTok revival via bands like Julie and Wisp in 2023–2024.
"Spent the whole week in my shoegaze revival era."
'Shoegaze' is a music genre that originated in late-1980s Britain, characterised by walls of distorted guitar effects, swirling sound textures, ethereal vocals and a contemplative atmosphere. The name comes from musicians appearing to stare at their effects pedals (on the floor near their shoes) instead of engaging with audiences. Bands include My Bloody Valentine and Slowdive. Currently enjoying a Gen Z revival on TikTok. Harmless musical vocabulary.
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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How fans, critics, and pop stars talk in 2024–2026 — from Swifties and the BeyHive to brat, Chappell-coded, sad-girl indie, and amapiano.
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(British, music genre) A subgenre of alternative rock music popularised in early 1990s, characterised by a dreamlike sound making much use of effect pedals, and by a detached or introverted performance style.
The state of having discovered shoegaze music and subsequently reorienting your entire inner life around its hazy, wall-of-sound emotional landscape. Being shoegaze pilled means you now reach for Loveless or Souvlaki instead of anything with a clean melody when you're feeling something too big to name. It often marks a turning point in someone's relationship with their own interiority — suddenly silence seems loud, sadness feels beautiful, and eye contact during conversations feels slightly unnecessary. A gentle but total rewiring.
An aesthetic mode defined by the visual and emotional vocabulary of shoegaze music culture — think washed-out film photography, oversized cardigans, ambient sadness, and an overall vibe of being beautiful while disappearing. Shoegaze core as a fashion and lifestyle aesthetic borrows heavily from early-90s indie scenes: muted palettes, layered textures, and a studied disinterest in being noticed. It's the anti-attention-seeking aesthetic — which, paradoxically, attracts a lot of attention. Popular on Tumblr revival accounts and slow cinema appreciation feeds.
It has also been called metalgaze and art metal, highlighting its connection to shoegaze (an indie music style related to post-rock) and art music, respectively.
'Shoegaze' is a music genre that originated in late-1980s Britain, characterised by walls of distorted guitar effects, swirling sound textures, ethereal vocals and a contemplative atmosphere. The name comes from musicians appearing to stare at their effects pedals (on the floor near their shoes) instead of engaging with audiences. Bands include My Bloody Valentine and Slowdive. Currently enjoying a Gen Z revival on TikTok. Harmless musical vocabulary.
'Shoegaze' is a rock music subgenre originating in late-1980s Britain, characterised by dense, distorted guitar walls, swirling sound textures, ethereal vocals and a contemplative atmosphere. The name reflects musicians' tendency to stare downward at effects pedals during performance rather than engaging with audiences. Pioneering bands include My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive and Ride. Enjoying a Gen Z revival on TikTok in the 2020s. Register: informal-to-semi-formal, music journalism. In formal writing the term is recognised. A common learner mistake is to read it as a fashion or aesthetic; it is a music genre.
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“Shoegaze (originally shoegazing) is a subgenre of indie and alternative rock characterised by ethereal soundscapes, obscured vocals, and extensive use of guitar effects and distortion.”
“It has also been called metalgaze and art metal, highlighting its connection to shoegaze (an indie music style related to post-rock) and art music, respectively.”
“The widespread acclaim of Deafheaven, who succeeded Alcest in combining black metal and shoegaze (a fusion nicknamed blackgaze), made this global post-metal underground more visible.”
“The term was coined by music executive Andy Ross and was later used by the British music press to describe shoegaze bands' motionless stage presence, during which musicians directed their look down toward their effects pedals.”
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To perform in the shoegazing style.
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