# Shoegaze

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Genre of alternative rock music

Shoegaze Guitarist performing with an array of effects units Etymology 1991, referencing guitarists in the genre who stared downwards at their guitar pedals Other names Shoegazing Stylistic origins Indie rock[1] alternative rock[2] neo-psychedelia[3] psychedelia[3] noise pop[4][5] dream pop[3] post-punk[6] ethereal wave[7] punk rock[8] garage rock[3] space rock[9] Cultural origins Late 1980s–early 1990s, United Kingdom Derivative forms Witch house[10] grungegaze zoomergaze Subgenres Christian shoegaze Fusion genres Blackgaze doomgaze Other topics Ambient glide guitar post-rock post-metal grunge Britpop shitgaze Wall of Sound soft grunge

**Shoegaze** (originally **shoegazing**) is a [subgenre](/source/Subgenre) of [indie](/source/Indie_rock) and [alternative rock](/source/Alternative_rock) characterised by ethereal soundscapes, obscured vocals, and extensive use of guitar effects and [distortion](/source/Distortion_(music)). Rooted in [Phil Spector](/source/Phil_Spector)'s [Wall of Sound](/source/Wall_of_Sound), [the Velvet Underground](/source/The_Velvet_Underground), and [psychedelic pop](/source/Psychedelic_pop) of the 1960s, the genre originated in the late 1980s and early 1990s mainly among British acts who based their sound on groups such as [Cocteau Twins](/source/Cocteau_Twins), [the Jesus and Mary Chain](/source/The_Jesus_and_Mary_Chain), and [My Bloody Valentine](/source/My_Bloody_Valentine_(band)). "Shoegazing" was coined in 1991 by music executive [Andy Ross](/source/Andy_Ross_(music_executive)) and first used by the British music press as a [pejorative](/source/Pejorative) for bands with a motionless stage presence and guitarists who directed their look down towards their [effects pedals](/source/Guitar_pedals). It was sometimes used interchangeably with "[dream pop](/source/Dream_pop)".

The original scene developed after the introduction of [Kevin Shields](/source/Kevin_Shields)' [glide guitar](/source/Glide_guitar) technique on My Bloody Valentine's 1988 records *[You Made Me Realise](/source/You_Made_Me_Realise)* and *[Isn't Anything](/source/Isn't_Anything)*. Concentrated in [London](/source/London) and the greater [Thames Valley](/source/Thames_Valley) region, its core acts included [Ride](/source/Ride_(band)), [Swervedriver](/source/Swervedriver), [Slowdive](/source/Slowdive), [Chapterhouse](/source/Chapterhouse_(band)), [Lush](/source/Lush_(band)), and [Moose](/source/Moose_(band)); they often attended each other's concerts, shared producers and labels ([Creation](/source/Creation_Records) and [4AD](/source/4AD)), and adopted similarly abstract approaches to album artwork. Another journalists' term of derision, "The Scene That Celebrates Itself", was applied to these musicians and adjacent non-shoegaze acts such as [Stereolab](/source/Stereolab).

Shoegaze reached its peak in 1991 with the release of My Bloody Valentine's second album, *[Loveless](/source/Loveless_(album))*, but was overshadowed by the rise of the American [grunge](/source/Grunge) scene and the following [Britpop](/source/Britpop) movement. In subsequent years, a gradual critical reassessment was driven by new listeners discovering the genre through the Internet. Numerous revivals have since emerged in the form of [nu gaze](/source/Nu_gaze) (sometimes "second-wave shoegaze") and [blackgaze](/source/Blackgaze) in the 2000s, [grungegaze](/source/Grungegaze) in the 2010s, and [zoomergaze](/source/Zoomergaze) in the 2020s. Other music styles, such as [witch house](/source/Witch_house_(genre)), have reconfigured aspects of the genre.

## Etymology

### Origins

The term *shoegaze*—originally *shoegazing*—was coined by [Andy Ross](/source/Andy_Ross_(music_executive)), who was a part-time *[Sounds](/source/Sounds_(magazine))* contributor and head of [Food Records](/source/Food_Records), the label that promoted [Blur](/source/Blur_(band)).[11] On March 15, 1991, Ross attended [Lush](/source/Lush_(band))'s concert at [the Venue](/source/The_Venue_(New_Cross%2C_London)) in [New Cross](/source/New_Cross) with his then assistant Polly Birkbeck, where Blur and [Moose](/source/Moose_(band)) also performed as support.[11] According to Birkbeck, Ross jokingly referred to Moose as "shoegazers" after noticing vocalist Russell Yates continuously looking down at his shoes during the set;[11] guitarist Kevin McKillop later explained that Yates was actually reading lyric sheets placed on the floor as he couldn't remember them.[12] According to writer Ryan Pinkard, an erroneous story claimed that Ross introduced the word "shoegazing" in a live review of the concert published in *Sounds*.[12] Polly Birkbeck and Nathaniel Cramp (founder of [Sonic Cathedral](/source/Sonic_Cathedral)), whom Pinkard interviewed for his book on shoegaze, confirmed that no such review existed in issues of *Sounds* from that period.[12]

The earliest confirmed print use of the term appeared in the May 25, 1991, edition of *[NME](/source/NME)*, where [Steve Lamacq](/source/Steve_Lamacq), announcing [Slowdive](/source/Slowdive)'s third EP, *Holding Our Breath*, referred to the band as "shoe-gazers".[13] This use predated Ross's recollection in his 2016 *[HuffPost](/source/HuffPost)* article, in which he stated that he pitched "shoegazing" to Lamacq and fellow *NME* writer Simon Williams over lunch on October 9, 1991, after *Sounds* was shut down and he no longer had a publication in which he could promote his "groundbreaking genre".[13][14] According to Pinkard, the appearance of the term in print several months earlier than Ross's conversation with Lamacq and Williams suggested a problem with Ross's timeline, with the most likely explanation being that he "got the dates wrong".[15]

### Criticism

The term shoegaze was initially used as a pejorative, which led to several musicians and journalists promptly criticizing it.[16] Ride's [Mark Gardener](/source/Mark_Gardener) stated that the term was an "English label", that wasn't known in Japan and America, he criticized the term for inaccurately representing "passionate" groups as apathetic and compared the style to [the Velvet Underground](/source/The_Velvet_Underground) who "could stand still and make a load of noise".[16] Among first-wave shoegaze bands, "shoegazing" was also divisive, even more so than the term "The Scene That Celebrates Itself", coined a few weeks later by Steve Sutherland in *[Melody Maker](/source/Melody_Maker)* on June 8, 1991, in a live review of Moose's concert at the [Camden Underworld](/source/Camden_Underworld).[17] In the 2000s, the term "shoegaze" lost its negative connotations after the genre was reassessed amid a revival driven by new listeners discovering the music on the internet.[18]

British music journalist [Paul Lester](/source/Paul_Lester) stated, "All bands hate labels, but with shoegaze, the sense of derision was factored into the name from the word go".[19] Music journalist Chris Roberts stated that the term was "a throwaway comment in the pub", adding "It's such a lame name, and it doesn't even work as an umbrella term. I mean, loads of bands from other genres look at their feet. [Pink Floyd](/source/Pink_Floyd) stared at their shoes. Does that make them shoegaze?".[19] Musician [Greg Ackell](/source/Greg_Ackell) cited bands such as [the Cure](/source/The_Cure) and [the Jesus and Mary Chain](/source/The_Jesus_and_Mary_Chain) as being "pretty fucking still on stage", noting that the Velvet Underground showcased "that kind of stoic, backlit presence".[19]

## Characteristics

### Sound

["1998-"](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:1998-_karaoke.wav)

"1998-" by dotstokyo, a [freely-licensed](/source/Free_license) shoegaze track

*Problems playing this file? See [media help](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Media).*

Shoegaze combines ethereal, swirling vocals with layers of distorted, bent, or [flanged](/source/Flanging) guitars[3] to create a wash of sound where no instrument is distinguishable from the others.[1] To achieve this, shoegaze musicians often employ a wide range of [effects pedals](/source/Effects_pedals), including [reverb](/source/Reverberation), [delay](/source/Delay_(audio_effect)), [chorus](/source/Chorus_(audio_effect)), [tremolo](/source/Tremolo), and [distortion](/source/Guitar_distortion).

According to *[Pitchfork](/source/Pitchfork_(website))*, shoegaze is "above all else" a space for exploring the outer edges of guitar texture, and emotionally it turns inward—it's "music for dreaming".[20] Although shoegaze has at times been used interchangeably with [dream pop](/source/Dream_pop), the two are distinct.[21] [Galaxie 500](/source/Galaxie_500) founder [Dean Wareham](/source/Dean_Wareham) explained the difference, noting that "shoegaze bands are more of an assault, a wall of sound", while dream pop allows "more room for melody and counter-melody, whether on vocals, keyboards, or guitars."[21]

### Visual style

According to Victor Provis the visual style of shoegaze album covers and music videos reflected its music.[22] He wrote that the genre developed "an artistic code based on close-ups of objects, to the point of losing their definition and becoming nothing more than coloured, amorphous blotches"; it also often incorporated "fusions of images, projections, colour filters, and swirling cameras".[22] Meanwhile, *[Rolling Stone Australia](/source/Rolling_Stone_Australia_%2F_New_Zealand)*, when placing *[Loveless](/source/Loveless_(My_Bloody_Valentine_album))* in its "100 Best Album Covers of All Times" list, noted that abstraction was a common visual aesthetic for turn-of-the-1990s shoegaze bands, including [My Bloody Valentine](/source/My_Bloody_Valentine_(band)), [Ride](/source/Ride_(band)), [Slowdive](/source/Slowdive), and [Swervedriver](/source/Swervedriver).[23] Slowdive's member [Simon Scott](/source/Simon_Scott_(drummer)) considered that "[Robert Smith](/source/Robert_Smith_(singer)), when he was in [Siouxsie and the Banshees](/source/Siouxsie_and_the_Banshees) playing guitar [on the 1983's *[Nocturne](/source/Nocturne_(Siouxsie_and_the_Banshees_album))* live video], was the coolest as he just stood there and let the music flood out", which was like anti showmanship.[24]

## History

### 1960–early 1980s: Roots and early influences

See also: [Psychedelic pop](/source/Psychedelic_pop)

The influences were very '60s, with the Beach Boys, the Beatles, and the [Phil Spector](/source/Phil_Spector) "[Wall of Sound](/source/Wall_of_Sound)." I think we were trying to turn that into something from our era that was more violent, more of a sonic assault.

— [Alan Moulder](/source/Alan_Moulder), producer.[25]

Shoegaze traces its roots to [Phil Spector](/source/Phil_Spector)'s [Wall of Sound](/source/Wall_of_Sound) technique,[25][26] along with the [psychedelic pop](/source/Psychedelic_pop) pioneered in the 1960s by bands such as [the Byrds](/source/The_Byrds), [the Beach Boys](/source/The_Beach_Boys), and [the Beatles](/source/The_Beatles).[27] Songs such as "[Tomorrow Never Knows](/source/Tomorrow_Never_Knows)" (1966) by the Beatles[25] and "[All I Wanna Do](/source/All_I_Wanna_Do_(The_Beach_Boys_song))" (1970) by the Beach Boys have been retrospectively viewed as early predecessors of the genre.[28] Other influences include the Velvet Underground, [the Stooges](/source/The_Stooges), [MC5](/source/MC5), and the [garage rock](/source/Garage_rock) compilation albums *[Nuggets](/source/Nuggets%3A_Original_Artyfacts_from_the_First_Psychedelic_Era%2C_1965%E2%80%931968)* and *[Pebbles](/source/Pebbles_(series))*.[29]

Additionally, writer Vernon Joynson cites [David Bowie](/source/David_Bowie)'s song "['Heroes'](/source/%22Heroes%22_(David_Bowie_song))" (1977) written by Bowie and [Brian Eno](/source/Brian_Eno), as showcasing "the type of noisy production with distorted and reverberated guitars and a dreamy hazy atmosphere all of which became key ingredients of shoegaze".[30] [Siouxsie and the Banshees](/source/Siouxsie_and_the_Banshees) and [the Cure](/source/The_Cure) are equally formative influences.[31]

### 1982–1988: Origins

See also: [Neo-psychedelia](/source/Neo-psychedelia), [Dream pop](/source/Dream_pop), and [Noise pop](/source/Noise_pop)

Often classified as [dream pop](/source/Dream_pop), Scottish band [Cocteau Twins](/source/Cocteau_Twins) paved the way for the shoegaze genre.

As a music genre, shoegaze developed in the 1980s, when a group of Scottish and Irish bands such as [Cocteau Twins](/source/Cocteau_Twins), the Jesus and Mary Chain, and—most notably—[My Bloody Valentine](/source/My_Bloody_Valentine_(band)) reimagined the sound of the [electric guitar](/source/Electric_guitar), combining contrasting sonic textures with dreamy vocals that challenged the idea of the singer as the central figure of the band.[32]

Emerging from the UK alternative scene with their 1982 debut album, *[Garlands](/source/Garlands_(album))*, on [4AD](/source/4AD), the Scottish trio Cocteau Twins had a substantial influence on the development of shoegaze.[33] Their music featured ethereal, atmospheric guitar textures crafted by guitarist and producer [Robin Guthrie](/source/Robin_Guthrie), alongside [Elizabeth Fraser](/source/Elizabeth_Fraser)'s distinctive, often unintelligible vocals, which were mixed low in the recordings.[33] Another Scottish group, the Jesus and Mary Chain, is credited as the immediate forerunner of shoegaze.[34] Blending conventional [pop](/source/Pop_music) with [noise](/source/Noise_in_music) and guitar [feedback](/source/Feedback), their 1985 debut album, *[Psychocandy](/source/Psychocandy)*, exerted a major influence on the subsequent shoegaze bands, including My Bloody Valentine, with [Creation Records](/source/Creation_Records) founder [Alan McGee](/source/Alan_McGee) noting that the latter "changed their style because of The Jesus and Mary Chain."[35]

Parallel to this, groups such as [Spacemen 3](/source/Spacemen_3) and [Loop](/source/Loop_(band)) revived elements of 1960s [space rock](/source/Space_rock) in their first albums (*[Sound of Confusion](/source/Sound_of_Confusion)*, 1986; *[Heaven's End](/source/Heaven's_End)*, 1987), exploring minimalist, [droning](/source/Drone_music) psychedelia over conventional pop structures.[36] According to [Peter Kember](/source/Peter_Kember), Spacemen 3 "could be called a shoegaze band" due to their lack of "stage moves" and focus on their own sound rather than how they were "trying to look".[37]

Across the Atlantic, American indie bands such as [Sonic Youth](/source/Sonic_Youth), [Dinosaur Jr.](/source/Dinosaur_Jr.), and [Hüsker Dü](/source/H%C3%BCsker_D%C3%BC) also helped shape shoegaze's guitar language,[38] particularly influencing My Bloody Valentine.[39] In 1988, after several stylistic and lineup changes, the group released their breakthrough third EP, *[You Made Me Realise](/source/You_Made_Me_Realise)*, on Creation Records, which showcased frontman [Kevin Shields](/source/Kevin_Shields)' newfound approach to guitar playing, known as "[glide guitar](/source/Glide_guitar)".[40] Later that year, their debut album, *[Isn't Anything](/source/Isn't_Anything)*, was critically acclaimed[41] and credited with establishing the shoegaze genre.[20]

Other late-1980s British bands such as [A.R. Kane](/source/A.R._Kane), [The House of Love](/source/The_House_of_Love), [Kitchens of Distinction](/source/Kitchens_of_Distinction), [Bark Psychosis](/source/Bark_Psychosis), and [The Telescopes](/source/The_Telescopes) were also credited with contributing to the sound that would later develop into shoegaze.[42]

### 1989–1996: Prominence and decline

#### Rise of the scene

Shoegaze began to emerge as a distinct music scene in late 1989 and came into full view in 1990.[43] [Ivo Watts-Russell](/source/Ivo_Watts-Russell) signed [Lush](/source/Lush_(band)) and [Pale Saints](/source/Pale_Saints) to his record label [4AD](/source/4AD) after seeing them both perform at the same concert at [The Camden Falcon](/source/The_Camden_Falcon) in April 1989.[44] In September 1989, 4AD released Pale Saints' first EP, *Barging Into the Presence of God*, followed by Lush's debut mini-album *[Scar](/source/Scar_(Lush_album))*. Both records produced by [John Fryer](/source/John_Fryer_(producer))—who had previously worked with Cocteau Twins—were well received by the British music press and each reached number 3 on the UK Indie Chart.[43] In December, Pale Saints and Lush played a co-headlining show in [Leeds](/source/Leeds), which received a mixed live review from *[Melody Maker](/source/Melody_Maker)*.[43]

In 1990, [Ride](/source/Ride_(band)) emerged as shoegaze's most prominent act.

In 1990, [Ride](/source/Ride_(band)) emerged at the forefront of the shoegaze movement. After signing with [Creation Records](/source/Creation_Records) the previous year, the group released three consecutive EPs—*[Ride](/source/Ride_(EP))*, *[Play](/source/Play_(Ride_EP))*, and *[Fall](/source/Fall_(Ride_EP))*—followed by their debut album, *[Nowhere](/source/Nowhere_(album))*. Their televised performance of "Drive Blind" on *[Snub TV](/source/Snub_TV)*, which coincided with the release of their first EP, helped bring the band to wider attention.[45] *Melody Maker* and *[NME](/source/NME)* critics praised Ride's blend of dense guitar textures and melodic songwriting,[45][46] while *Nowhere*—mixed by producer [Alan Moulder](/source/Alan_Moulder) after a troubled recording process[47]—became one of the genre's defining works.[20]

In February, Pale Saints released their debut album *[The Comforts of Madness](/source/The_Comforts_of_Madness_(album))*, which *NME* described as having "absolutely no stinkers."[48] That same month, Lush issued the *[Mad Love](/source/Mad_Love_(EP))* EP, produced by Cocteau Twins' [Robin Guthrie](/source/Robin_Guthrie), whose mentorship refined the band's once-chaotic sound into a polished, "beautiful, primitive" record, according to a *Melody Maker* review.[48] In April, Creation released My Bloody Valentine's *[Glider](/source/Glider_(EP))* EP, including the track "Soon", which reached number 2 on the UK Indie Chart and was later described by [Brian Eno](/source/Brian_Eno) as "the vaguest music ever to have been a hit."[49] The label also released debut EPs by [Swervedriver](/source/Swervedriver) (*[Son of Mustang Ford](/source/Son_of_Mustang_Ford)*) and [Slowdive](/source/Slowdive) (*[Slowdive](/source/Slowdive_(EP))* EP), the latter earning *Melody Maker's* "Single of the Week."[50]

Meanwhile, [The Boo Radleys](/source/The_Boo_Radleys) released their debut album, *[Ichabod and I](/source/Ichabod_and_I)*, on Action Records, which received little attention from the press.[51] [Chapterhouse](/source/Chapterhouse_(band)) followed with the *[Freefall](/source/Freefall_(EP))* and *[Sunburst](/source/Sunburst_(EP))* EPs, while Lush's [Sweetness and Light](/source/Sweetness_and_Light_(EP)) EP demonstrated shoegaze's pop potential despite *Melody Maker'*s critique of its title track as "sorely over-produced".[50] The year's end also saw Swervedriver's *[Rave Down](/source/Rave_Down)* EP, which bassist Adi Vines described as "ethereal metal" after it earned praise in a heavy metal magazine.[50]

By the end of 1990, shoegaze had gained significant underground traction. [John Peel](/source/John_Peel) included three Ride songs on his year-end [Festive Fifty](/source/Festive_Fifty) list.[52] Ride's *Nowhere* appeared in *Melody Maker'*s Top 30 albums of 1990 (#20), while My Bloody Valentine's *Glider* (#5), Ride's *Fall* (#7), and Lush's *Mad Love* (#19) featured in the magazine's year-end singles poll.[52]

#### The Scene That Celebrates Itself

One common thread the British music press used to group shoegaze bands together was that many of them came from the [Thames Valley](/source/Thames_Valley), a region including [Oxford](/source/Oxford) (home to Ride and [Swervedriver](/source/Swervedriver)) and [Reading](/source/Reading%2C_Berkshire) ([Slowdive](/source/Slowdive) and [Chapterhouse](/source/Chapterhouse_(band))).[53] These groups, along with [Lush](/source/Lush_(band)) and [Moose](/source/Moose_(band)) (both formed in [London](/source/London)) constituted the core acts of the original shoegaze scene.[54] My Bloody Valentine, however, wasn't part of the scene despite being the progenitors of the genre.[55]

[Slowdive](/source/Slowdive) performing live in 1992.

Members of the scene often attended each other's concerts, shared producers and labels ([Creation](/source/Creation_Records), [4AD](/source/4AD)), and adopted similar approaches to album artwork.[56] Notable meeting places included Syndrome, a weekly indie club on [Oxford Street](/source/Oxford_Street), as well as venues such as [the Camden Falcon](/source/The_Falcon%2C_Camden) and [the Borderline](/source/The_Borderline_(music_venue)).[57] Outside London, the bands often toured together, and when the music press eventually took notice, the scene was quickly named and sensationalised.[57]

The phrase "The Scene That Celebrates Itself" was coined by *[Melody Maker](/source/Melody_Maker)* journalist Steve Sutherland on June 8, 1991, in a review of a [Moose](/source/Moose_(band)) concert at the [Camden Underworld](/source/Camden_Underworld).[15] He observed that the audience was filled with members of similar bands, including [Damon Albarn](/source/Damon_Albarn) from [Blur](/source/Blur_(band)), [Miki Berenyi](/source/Miki_Berenyi) (Lush), Andrew Sherriff (Chapterhouse), and [Mark Gardener](/source/Mark_Gardener) (Ride).[56] Although Sutherland later noted that the term was intended as a compliment—reflecting his impression that the bands regularly attended each other's performances, which was unusual at the time—it was soon used derisively by the music press.[58]

Beyond the core groups, the scene also included artists such as avant-pop band [Stereolab](/source/Stereolab), which frequently exchanged members with Moose, [Th' Faith Healers](/source/Th'_Faith_Healers), and early [Blur](/source/Blur_(band)).[59] In addition, the press also associated [Catherine Wheel](/source/Catherine_Wheel_(band)), [Curve](/source/Curve_(band)), [Cranes](/source/Cranes_(band)), [Silverfish](/source/Silverfish_(band)), and [Pale Saints](/source/Pale_Saints) with the movement, even if they had few or no ties to the London club scene.[60]

#### The arrival of grunge

See also: [Grunge](/source/Grunge)

In 1991, after winning *[Melody Maker](/source/Melody_Maker)*'s end-of-year readers' poll for Best Band, Ride appeared on the magazine's January cover, which proclaimed them "Your Brightest Hope for a Grand New Year."[61] The group's extensive touring and the success of their fourth EP, *[Today Forever](/source/Today_Forever)*, further elevated their profile and led to an appearance on *[Top of the Pops](/source/Top_of_the_Pops)*.[62] While this moment marked shoegaze's brief entry into mainstream culture, Ride's declining sales soon underscored the genre's limited mass appeal.[63]

Following *[Loveless](/source/Loveless_(album))*, [Kevin Shields](/source/Kevin_Shields) retreated from public life and new recordings.

Early 1991 saw a wave of several shoegaze releases. In February, Creation Records issued My Bloody Valentine's *[Tremolo](/source/Tremolo_(EP))* EP, showcasing the band's experimentation with sampling.[61] Two weeks later, the label released [Slowdive](/source/Slowdive)'s *Morningrise* EP, which *Melody Maker* praised for its "mutant orchestral beauty".[64] Although [Chapterhouse](/source/Chapterhouse_(band))'s third EP, *Pearl*, received a negative review in *NME*,[65] their debut album, *[Whirpool](/source/Whirlpool_(Chapterhouse_album))*, became a commercial success.[66] In March, [Moose](/source/Moose_(band)) and [Curve](/source/Curve_(band)) debuted with the *[Jack](/source/Jack_(EP))* and *[Blindfold](/source/Blindfold_(EP))* EPs respectively, the latter noted for its unusual blend of [dream pop](/source/Dream_pop) and [techno](/source/Techno) production.[67] Meanwhile, [Kitchens of Distinction](/source/Kitchens_of_Distinction) released their second album, *[Strange Free World](/source/Strange_Free_World)*, which, despite Patrick Fitzgerald's unconventional vocal style for the genre, went on to become a shoegaze classic.[65]

Significant albums released during the first half of 1991 include [Mercury Rev](/source/Mercury_Rev)'s (*[Yerself Is Steam](/source/Yerself_Is_Steam)*), Catherine Wheel's (*[Painful Thing](/source/Painful_Thing)* EP), [Pale Saints](/source/Pale_Saints)'s (*Flesh Balloon* EP), Slowdive's (*Holding Our Breath* EP) and Swervedriver's (*[Sandblasted](/source/Sandblasted_(EP))* EP).[66]

The release of Nirvana's *[Nevermind](/source/Nevermind)* in September abruptly shifted global attention toward American [grunge](/source/Grunge). Slowdive's debut album, *[Just for a Day](/source/Just_for_a_Day)*, released the same month, received a lukewarm critical reception, marking the first sign of shoegaze's decline.[68] In contrast, [Swervedriver](/source/Swervedriver)'s debut *[Raise](/source/Raise_(album))* received stronger reviews, with Steve Sutherland describing it as "a great road movie for the ears".[69] Lush's *[Black Spring](/source/Black_Spring_(EP))* EP also performed well but was overshadowed by lineup changes and exhaustion from relentless touring.[70]

["Soon"](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Soon.ogg)

The closing track "Soon", from the 1991 album *[Loveless](/source/Loveless_(My_Bloody_Valentine_album))* by [My Bloody Valentine](/source/My_Bloody_Valentine_(band)).

*Problems playing this file? See [media help](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Media).*

Shoegaze reached its peak in November 1991 with the release of [My Bloody Valentine](/source/My_Bloody_Valentine_(band))'s *[Loveless](/source/Loveless_(album))*. Noted for its innovative production and dense, immersive sound, the album—reportedly costing £270,000 and recorded over two and a half years across nineteen studios—often tops lists of the best shoegaze releases.[71][20] In December 1991, journalist [Simon Reynolds](/source/Simon_Reynolds) introduced shoegaze to American readers as "dream pop" in *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)*.[72]

#### Decline

See also: [Britpop](/source/Britpop)

In 1992, shoegaze started to decline in popularity. Part of the growing backlash was linked to the perception that many shoegaze bands came from privileged, middle-class backgrounds.[73] *[NME](/source/NME)* reinforced this perception with a satirical column, "Memoirs of a Shoegazing Gentleman," written from the perspective of the fictional Lord Tarquin, who, in diary-like entries, described absurd situations at an elite boarding school supposedly attended by all shoegaze musicians.[74]

I think there was a genuine belief at the beginning that there was something middle class about the [shoegaze] music. I can't really say why, but it wasn't party music, let's say that.

— [David Quantick](/source/David_Quantick), journalist, *[NME](/source/NME).*[75]

In January 1992, Lush's debut album, *[Spooky](/source/Spooky_(album))*, received a lukewarm review from *NME*, which described the band as "due for a good kicking" after "a good run of press encouragement."[75] A week later, [Creation Records](/source/Creation_Records) released [the Boo Radleys](/source/The_Boo_Radleys)' *[Everything's Alright Forever](/source/Everything's_Alright_Forever)*. *NME* hailed the band's confident attitude as a refreshing contrast to 1991's "(complacen)sea of mumbles."[76] Meanwhile, Ride moved beyond their early shoegaze sound, drawing influence from such bands as [R.E.M.](/source/R.E.M.) and [Massive Attack](/source/Massive_Attack) on their second album, *[Going Blank Again](/source/Going_Blank_Again)*.[77] That year, Creation signed shoegaze band [Adorable](/source/Adorable_(band)), who were ultimately dropped after a string of Top 5 singles and the release of their 1993 debut album, *[Against Perfection](/source/Against_Perfection)*.[78] Vocalist [Pete Fijalkowski](/source/Pete_Fijalkowski) noted that after [Sony](/source/Sony_Music) partially acquired Creation in 1992, "there was enormous pressure on the label to make every band profitable".[79]

The first half of 1992 also saw the release of *[Ferment](/source/Ferment_(album))* by [Catherine Wheel](/source/Catherine_Wheel_(band)), *[Doppelgänger](/source/Doppelg%C3%A4nger_(Curve_album))* by [Curve](/source/Curve_(band)), and *[In Ribbons](/source/In_Ribbons)* by [Pale Saints](/source/Pale_Saints). Following *Ferment*, Catherine Wheel adopted a heavier, more [metal](/source/Heavy_metal_music)-leaning sound on their 1993 album *[Chrome](/source/Chrome_(Catherine_Wheel_album))*, later moving toward straightforward [hard rock](/source/Hard_rock).[80] In April 1992, the British music press began turning its attention toward the emerging [Britpop](/source/Britpop) movement, with *[Melody Maker](/source/Melody_Maker)* featuring the then-unknown [Suede](/source/Suede_(band)) on its cover as "The Best New Band in Britain."[81]

In 1992, *[Melody Maker](/source/Melody_Maker)* dubbed *[Delaware](/source/Delaware_(album)),* the debut album by American band [Drop Nineteens](/source/Drop_Nineteens), "the first decent album" in the shoegaze style.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

While facing growing hostility at home, shoegaze found renewed support in the US, where audiences were less influenced by the British music press.[82] In June 1992, American shoegaze band [Drop Nineteens](/source/Drop_Nineteens) released their debut album, *[Delaware](/source/Delaware_(album))*, which *Melody Maker'*s review ironically described as "the first decent album in a Scene style" to come from "America (Boston, to be precise), so late in the day."[83] Other American bands soon followed with their own debuts, including [Lilys](/source/Lilys)' *[In the Presence of Nothing](/source/In_the_Presence_of_Nothing)* and [Medicine](/source/Medicine_(band))'s *[Shot Forth Self Living](/source/Shot_Forth_Self_Living)* in late 1992, and [Swirlies](/source/Swirlies)' *[Blonder Tongue Audio Baton](/source/Blonder_Tongue_Audio_Baton)* in early 1993.[83]

In September 1992, [Moose](/source/Moose_(band)) released their debut album *[...XYZ](/source/...XYZ_(Moose_album))*, produced by [Mitch Easter](/source/Mitch_Easter), who had previously worked with R.E.M. The album largely departed from the band's earlier shoegaze sound, incorporating [country](/source/Country_music) influence.[84] That same month, *Melody Maker* ran a three-page feature by Paul Lester titled "Whatever Happened to Shoegazing?", which both announced Moose's new album and portrayed the British shoegaze scene as a brief, outdated phenomenon.[85]

A major turning point came in March 1993 with [Suede](/source/Suede_(band))'s self-titled debut [album](/source/Suede_(album)), which became the fastest-selling debut in British history at the time and marked the rise of [Britpop](/source/Britpop).[86] The movement accelerated in 1994 with greater successes for [Blur](/source/Blur_(band))'s *[Parklife](/source/Parklife)* and [Oasis](/source/Oasis_(band))'s *[Definitely Maybe](/source/Definitely_Maybe)*, presenting a lively, extroverted alternative to both [grunge](/source/Grunge) and shoegaze.[87] Oasis brought substantial commercial success to Creation Records, and after 1994 the label shifted its focus away from its earlier shoegaze roster.[79]

June 1993 saw the release of [Slowdive](/source/Slowdive)'s second album, *[Souvlaki](/source/Souvlaki_(album))*, which was dismissed by *Melody Maker'*s reviewer notoriously writing, "I would rather drown choking in a bath full of porridge than ever listen to it again."[32] That same month, Lush released *[Split](/source/Split_(Lush_album))* to a lukewarm reaction both critically and commercially.[88] Meanwhile, [Swervedriver](/source/Swervedriver)'s second album, *[Mezcal Head](/source/Mezcal_Head)*, had a relative success, especially with the US audiences, where they toured with such bands as [Soundgarden](/source/Soundgarden) and [the Smashing Pumpkins](/source/The_Smashing_Pumpkins).[89]

[Lush](/source/Lush_(band)) were among several shoegaze groups to adopt [Britpop](/source/Britpop) in their most commercially successful album, *[Lovelife](/source/Lovelife_(album))*.

After 1994, several shoegaze bands shifted to a Britpop-oriented sound, including Ride (*[Carnival of Light](/source/Carnival_of_Light_(album))*), Lush (*[Lovelife](/source/Lovelife_(album))*), and [Kitchens of Distinction](/source/Kitchens_of_Distinction) (*[Cowboys and Aliens](/source/Cowboys_and_Aliens_(album))*).[79] However, none of these albums maintained the bands' earlier commercial or critical standing, let alone elevated it—with the partial exception of Lush—particularly in contrast to [the Boo Radleys](/source/The_Boo_Radleys), whose 1995 single "[Wake Up Boo!](/source/Wake_Up_Boo!)" propelled their album *[Wake Up!](/source/Wake_Up!_(The_Boo_Radleys_album))* to number 1 on the UK Albums Chart.[90] Meanwhile, [Chapterhouse](/source/Chapterhouse_(band)) moved toward [alternative dance](/source/Alternative_dance) on 1993's *[Blood Music](/source/Blood_Music_(Chapterhouse_album))*,[83] while Slowdive explored minimalist [electronica](/source/Electronica) and [post-rock](/source/Post-rock) on 1995's *[Pygmalion](/source/Pygmalion_(album))*.[90]

In 1995, Creation Records owner [Alan McGee](/source/Alan_McGee) dropped Slowdive a week after *Pygmalion* was released,[91] and [Neil Halstead](/source/Neil_Halstead), [Rachel Goswell](/source/Rachel_Goswell), and Ian McCutcheon soon formed [Mojave 3](/source/Mojave_3), pursuing a light, melodic blend of [indie folk](/source/Indie_folk) and [Americana](/source/Americana_music).[92] Swervedriver were dropped while nearing completion of their third album, *[Ejector Seat Reservation](/source/Ejector_Seat_Reservation)*.[93] Ride, facing internal conflict, broke up in 1996 while working on their fourth album, *[Tarantula](/source/Tarantula_(Ride_album))*.[94] Lush, after achieving their highest chart success with *Lovelife*, ended abruptly the same year following drummer [Chris Acland](/source/Chris_Acland)'s suicide.[95] Meanwhile, [My Bloody Valentine](/source/My_Bloody_Valentine_(band)) went on a two-decade hiatus, despite having signed with [Island Records](/source/Island_Records) in 1992 for a reported £250,000.[90]

### Christian shoegaze and Tooth & Nail Records

See also: [Christian alternative rock](/source/Christian_alternative_rock)

[Starflyer 59](/source/Starflyer_59) made shoegaze immediately accessible within [evangelical](/source/Evangelicalism) Christian communities throughout the United States.[96]

[Christian](/source/Christianity) shoegaze emerged in the early 1990s alongside the rise of [Tooth & Nail Records](/source/Tooth_%26_Nail_Records), founded in 1993 by Brandon Ebel to support Christian artists working outside mainstream [CCM](/source/Contemporary_Christian_music) conventions.[97] One of the label's first signings was [Starflyer 59](/source/Starflyer_59), led by [Jason Martin](/source/Jason_Martin_(musician)). Influenced by the idea of combining dreamy melodies with the heavy guitar riffs of bands such as [Black Sabbath](/source/Black_Sabbath) and [Deep Purple](/source/Deep_Purple),[98] the band's first three albums—*[Silver](/source/Silver_(Starflyer_59_album))* (1994), *[Gold](/source/Gold_(Starflyer_59_album))* (1995), and *[Americana](/source/Americana_(Starflyer_59_album))* (1997)—displayed a strong shoegaze orientation. Despite its troubled recording process, *Gold* became a notable release, later ranking number 41st on [*Pitchfork*](/source/Pitchfork_(website))'s "50 Best Shoegaze Albums of All Time" list.[20]

Throughout the 1990s, Tooth & Nail also supported a few other shoegaze-leaning Christian groups, including [Morella's Forest](/source/Morella's_Forest) and [Velour 100](/source/Velour_100). These bands expanded the boundaries of [Christian alternative rock](/source/Christian_alternative_rock), but their experimentation often met with limited commercial success, along with frequent criticism from some conservative Christian audiences.[97] By the late 1990s, many of these groups shifted away from their early shoegaze sounds. Starflyer 59 incorporated brighter, more [indie rock](/source/Indie_rock) arrangements on albums such as *[The Fashion Focus](/source/The_Fashion_Focus)*.[99] Morella's Forest moved toward an [electropop](/source/Electronic_pop) sound, while [the Prayer Chain](/source/The_Prayer_Chain) (signed to Rode Dog Records) disbanded after their 1995 album *[Mercury](/source/Mercury_(The_Prayer_Chain_album))*. The band's guitarist, Andy Prickett, later pursued non-Christian projects, producing young shoegaze acts such as [the Autumns](/source/The_Autumns).[97] In 2001, [Lift to Experience](/source/Lift_to_Experience) made their only album, [*The Texas-Jerusalem Crossroads*](/source/The_Texas-Jerusalem_Crossroads), a Christian shoegaze album.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

### 2000s: Nu gaze

Main article: [Nu gaze](/source/Nu_gaze)

The soundtrack to [Sofia Coppola](/source/Sofia_Coppola)'s 2003 film *[Lost in Translation](/source/Lost_in_Translation_(film))* is credited with helping revive interest in shoegaze in the new millennium.[100]

Following its decline in the mid-1990s, most former shoegaze musicians moved into other careers, and the term "shoegaze" was often regarded as derogatory.[101] A gradual reassessment began in the early 2000s, driven by new listeners discovering the genre through the internet,[18] including the early social-media platform [MySpace](/source/MySpace).[102] Cinema also helped keep the style in circulation, with American indie films such as 1994's *[Amateur](/source/Amateur_(1994_film))* and 1997's *[Joyride](/source/Joyride_(1997_film))* featuring shoegaze music in their soundtracks.[103] Director [Gregg Araki](/source/Gregg_Araki) used the genre extensively in his filmography, titling *[The Living End](/source/The_Living_End_(film))* (1992) and *[Nowhere](/source/Nowhere_(1997_film))* (1997) after releases by the Jesus and Mary Chain and Ride, while 2004's *[Mysterious Skin](/source/Mysterious_Skin)* featured original music by [Robin Guthrie](/source/Robin_Guthrie).[104] Meanwhile, [Sofia Coppola](/source/Sofia_Coppola), inspired by [Wong Kar-wai](/source/Wong_Kar-wai)'s *[Chungking Express](/source/Chungking_Express)*—a film noted for its shoegaze-like visual style and its Cantonese-language covers of [Cocteau Twins](/source/Cocteau_Twins)' and [the Cranberries](/source/The_Cranberries)' songs—recruited [Kevin Shields](/source/Kevin_Shields) to contribute original music to her Oscar-winning *[Lost in Translation](/source/Lost_in_Translation_(film))*.[103]

In the early 2000s, an international wave of bands taking influence from shoegaze began to take shape with England's [My Vitriol](/source/My_Vitriol), Sweden's [the Radio Dept.](/source/The_Radio_Dept.) and France's [M83](/source/M83_(band)). Publications of the time called this "nu gaze". Following the release of their debut EP, *[Finelines](/source/Finelines)* (2001), My Vitriol experienced a sudden rise in notoriety, its single "Always: Your Way" entering the UK's top 40 charts, leading them to perform at [Top Of The Pops](/source/Top_Of_The_Pops), [Glastonbury Festival](/source/Glastonbury_Festival) and [Reading Festival](/source/Reading_Festival). The following year the band went on hiatus, leading to the rise in popularity of the Radio Dept. and M83.[105] By 2007, the movement had led to an increased notoriety of contemporary albums by artists including [Maps](/source/Maps_(band)), [Blonde Redhead](/source/Blonde_Redhead), [Mahogany](/source/Mahogany_(band)), [Deerhunter](/source/Deerhunter), [Asobi Seksu](/source/Asobi_Seksu), and [Ulrich Schnauss](/source/Ulrich_Schnauss).[100]

In 2002, German record label [Morr Music](/source/Morr_Music) released *[Blue Skied an' Clear](/source/Blue_Skied_an'_Clear)*, a two-disc [Slowdive](/source/Slowdive) tribute album featuring indie electronic artists, many inspired by *[Pygmalion](/source/Pygmalion_(album))*.[103] Among them was [ambient techno](/source/Ambient_techno) producer [Ulrich Schnauss](/source/Ulrich_Schnauss), whose 2003 album *[A Strangely Isolated Place](/source/A_Strangely_Isolated_Place)* drew openly from the sound of Slowdive and [Chapterhouse](/source/Chapterhouse_(band)).[106] That same year, French electronic duo [M83](/source/M83_(band)) released their second album, *[Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts](/source/Dead_Cities%2C_Red_Seas_%26_Lost_Ghosts)*, which *[Pitchfork](/source/Pitchfork_(website))* retrospectively described as "the most original take on shoegaze in years".[20] In 2003, *Pitchfork'*s placed *[Loveless](/source/Loveless_(album))* at number 2 on its updated "Top 100 Albums of the 1990s" list, introducing the album to a new generation of listeners.[107]

Throughout the 2000s, shoegaze grew increasingly referenced among listeners and new artists, with the term being loosely applied to releases such as [Jesu](/source/Jesu_(band))'s *[Jesu](/source/Jesu_(album))* (2004), [Autolux](/source/Autolux)'s *[Future Perfect](/source/Future_Perfect_(Autolux_album))* (2004), [Asobi Seksu](/source/Asobi_Seksu)'s *[Citrus](/source/Citrus_(album))* (2006), [Blonde Redhead](/source/Blonde_Redhead)'s *[23](/source/23_(Blonde_Redhead_album))* (2007), the self-titled debuts of [A Place to Bury Strangers](/source/A_Place_to_Bury_Strangers) (2007) and [The Pains of Being Pure at Heart](/source/The_Pains_of_Being_Pure_at_Heart) (2009), and [A Sunny Day in Glasgow](/source/A_Sunny_Day_in_Glasgow)'s *[Ashes Grammar](/source/Ashes_Grammar)* (2009).[108]

In 2006, former *NME* sub-editor Nathaniel Cramp established the label [Sonic Cathedral](/source/Sonic_Cathedral), which went on to release shoegaze-oriented work by [bdrmm](/source/Bdrmm), [Whitelands](/source/Whitelands), deary, as well as solo projects from [Emma Anderson](/source/Emma_Anderson), Slowdive's [Neil Halstead](/source/Neil_Halstead), and Ride's [Andy Bell](/source/Andy_Bell_(Welsh_musician)).[109]

#### Band reunions

 [Slowdive](/source/Slowdive) performing at [Primavera](/source/Primavera_Sound) in 2014.

In 2007, [My Bloody Valentine](/source/My_Bloody_Valentine_(band)) initiated a wave of reunions among former shoegaze bands by returning to the stage and later releasing their third album, *[m b v](/source/M_b_v)*, to critical acclaim.[110] [Chapterhouse](/source/Chapterhouse_(band)) briefly reformed between 2008 and 2010, while [Swervedriver](/source/Swervedriver) resumed activity in 2008 and subsequently released new material: 2015's *[I Wasn't Born to Lose You](/source/I_Wasn't_Born_to_Lose_You)* and 2019's *[Future Ruins](/source/Future_Ruins)*. Ride reunited in 2015, touring internationally and releasing three new albums: *[Weather Diaries](/source/Weather_Diaries)*, *[This Is Not a Safe Place](/source/This_Is_Not_a_Safe_Place)*, and *[Interplay](/source/Interplay_(Ride_album))*. [Lush](/source/Lush_(band)) returned in 2016 for a Europe and the US tour; although internal tensions during the tour led to another split, the reunion produced their final EP, *[Blind Spot](/source/Blind_Spot_(EP))*. [Drop Nineteens](/source/Drop_Nineteens) reformed in 2022, releasing their third album, *[Hard Light](/source/Hard_Light)*, in 2023. Slowdive's reunion in 2014 was described as the most "triumphant" among other first‑wave bands,[111] and the group subsequently released two successful albums: 2017's *[Slowdive](/source/Slowdive_(album))* and 2023's *[Everything Is Alive](/source/Everything_Is_Alive_(album))*.

#### Spreading influence

See also: [Blackgaze](/source/Blackgaze) and [shitgaze](/source/Shitgaze)

During the 2000s, some bands began to adopt the influence of shoegaze into [doom metal](/source/Doom_metal), resulting in a distinct [post-metal](/source/Post-metal) subgenre called "doomgaze". The founders of this style were [the Angelic Process](/source/The_Angelic_Process), [Nadja](/source/Nadja_(band)) and [Jesu](/source/Jesu_(band)), who took doom metal's slow tempos and combined it with the wall-of-sound effects use of shoegaze, often in a [lo-fi](/source/Lo-fi) production style.[112] It often particularly takes from the doom metal subgenre [drone metal](/source/Drone_metal).[113] During the late 2000s, the genre's second wave emerged, fronted by [True Widow](/source/True_Widow) and [Planning for Burial](/source/Planning_for_Burial). *[Bandcamp Daily](/source/Bandcamp_Daily)* writer Zoe Camp called [True Widow](/source/True_Widow) the genre's "most pivotal ambassadors", with their third album, *[Circumambulation](/source/Circumambulation_(album))* (2013), being the most commercially successful release in the genre.[112][113] On their 2011 album *[Tunnel Blanket](/source/Tunnel_Blanket)*, influential post-rock band [This Will Destroy You](/source/This_Will_Destroy_You) departed from their usual sound, instead pursuing doomgaze.[113] By 2024, there were 1400 albums tagged as doomgaze on [Bandcamp](/source/Bandcamp).[112]

Also during the 2000s, French musician [Neige](/source/Neige_(musician)) pioneered the fusion of shoegaze and [black metal](/source/Black_metal), called [blackgaze](/source/Blackgaze), as a part to of the projects including [Alcest](/source/Alcest), [Amesoeurs](/source/Amesoeurs) and [Lantlôs](/source/Lantl%C3%B4s). According to *[Stereogum](/source/Stereogum)* writer Michael Nelson, Alcest's 2005 EP *[Le Secret](/source/Le_Secret_(EP))* was "the birth of blackgaze".[114]

2005 saw the emergence of [shitgaze](/source/Shitgaze), a music [microgenre](/source/Microgenre) and scene, whose name referenced shoegaze.[115] The term was coined by Kevin DeBroux of Pink Reason to describe the music of the [Midwestern](/source/Midwestern_United_States) rock band [Psychedelic Horseshit](/source/Psychedelic_Horseshit), who he later became the bassist for.[116] Front man Matt Whitehurst stated: I had a test of our first album that I was playing in the car [...] I was saying 'this is the shoegaze song' and he [DeBroux] said 'yeah, but it is a really shit version of shoegaze. It is totally shitgaze.' It was a joke and I put it on MySpace and then *[NME](/source/NME)* wrote an article and made it into a scene."[117][118]

### 2010s

[Deafheaven](/source/Deafheaven) brought blackgaze—a fusion of [black metal](/source/Black_metal) and shoegaze—to wider prominence with their 2013 album *[Sunbather](/source/Sunbather_(album))*.

By 2011, a separate shoegaze revival had succeeded nu gaze. *[Pitchfork](/source/Pitchfork_(website))* called this the "shoegaze revival revival", crediting [Whirr](/source/Whirr), [Weekend](/source/Weekend_(American_band)), [No Joy](/source/No_Joy) and Young Prisms as its forefront acts,[119] while [the Guardian](/source/The_Guardian) credited [DIIV](/source/DIIV), [Cheatahs](/source/Cheatahs), [Wild Nothing](/source/Wild_Nothing), [Younghusband](/source/Younghusband_(band)), [Echo Lake](/source/Echo_Lake_(band)), [Teen](/source/Teen_(band)) and [Melody's Echo Chamber](/source/Melody's_Echo_Chamber).[120] At this time, the term "shoegaze" was applied to an increasingly broad range of artists, from direct stylistic descendants such as [Beach House](/source/Beach_House), [Ringo Deathstarr](/source/Ringo_Deathstarr), and [Spirit of the Beehive](/source/Spirit_of_the_Beehive_(band)), to the blackgaze of Deafheaven.[108] Shoegaze scenes also expanded globally, with notable groups including Resplandor (Peru), Gnoomes (Russia), [Tokyo Shoegazer](/source/Tokyo_Shoegazer) (Japan), Flyying Colours (Australia), Echo Ladies (Sweden), and Lucid Express (Hong Kong).[108]

On their second album *[Visions of a Life](/source/Visions_of_a_Life)* (2017), [Wolf Alice](/source/Wolf_Alice) embraced the influence of shoegaze, with its single "[Heavenward](/source/Heavenward)" being an entirely shoegaze song. The album won the 2018 [Mercury Prize](/source/Mercury_Prize) award, which *[Consequence](/source/Consequence_(publication))* named as an example of "how viable shoegaze had become in 2017".[121]

#### Developments in the hardcore scene

During the 2010s, a wave of musicians from the [hardcore punk](/source/Hardcore_punk) scene began to play shoegaze, including [Nothing](/source/Nothing_(band)), Whirr, [Deafheaven](/source/Deafheaven), [King Woman](/source/King_Woman), [Oathbreaker](/source/Oathbreaker_(band))[122] and [Pity Sex](/source/Pity_Sex).[123] Deafheaven's 2013 album *[Sunbather](/source/Sunbather_(album))* popularised blackgaze,[108] becoming the most critically acclaimed album of 2013 on [Metacritic](/source/Metacritic).[124]

Pity Sex merged shoegaze with elements of [emo](/source/Emo), particularly its bouncy rhythms. Their debut album, *[Feast of Love](/source/Feast_of_Love_(album))* (2013), was influential. In a 2023 article, Sacher stated that "*Feast of Love* imitators continue to pop up today", calling "emogaze" a "now-crowded realm".[125] Enis called their style a "Midwestern response to" shoegaze during the [emo revival](/source/Emo_revival).[126] This style was also practiced by [Ovlov](/source/Ovlov)[127] Stove[121] and [Adventures](/source/Adventures_(band)).[128] Around 2019, an international online wave of musical artists began to make music under the influence of Ovlov and Pity Sex, largely made up of solo artists, including [Weatherday](/source/Weatherday), [Asian Glow](/source/Asian_Glow), [Computerwife](/source/Computerwife) and [Hotline TNT](/source/Hotline_TNT).[121]

#### Heavy shoegaze

[Nothing](/source/Nothing_(band)) pioneered a more rhythmic, metal-inspired shoegaze sound in the 2010s

During the early 2010s, many shoegaze bands in the hardcore scene subtracted the more experimental elements of the original shoegaze sound, favouring a more mid-tempo [metal](/source/Heavy_metal_music)-influenced rhythmic structure, simpler chords and favouring [dynamics](/source/Dynamics_(music)).[129] These bands merged the shoegaze of Slowdive and Ride with the heavier but still atmopheric music of [Failure](/source/Failure_(band)), [Smashing Pumpkins](/source/Smashing_Pumpkins), [Hum](/source/Hum_(band)), [Quicksand](/source/Quicksand_(American_band)) and [Deftones](/source/Deftones).[122] In an article for *[Stereogum](/source/Stereogum)*, Eli Enis also noted Hum, Swervedriver Catherine Wheel and Starflyer 59 as primary influences.[129] *[Consequence](/source/Consequence_(publication))* called Hum's third album, *[You'd Prefer an Astronaut](/source/You'd_Prefer_an_Astronaut)* (1995), "the Forgotten Blueprint" for this sound.[130] The most influential in this sound was Nothing,[131] with Whirr also being a pioneer.[132]

In a 2021 interview with *Stereogum*, Nothing vocalist Domenic "Nicky" Palermo stated of the style "I don't really know if any of this stuff is traditional shoegaze". Palermo expressed that with the release of Nothing's debut *[Guilty of Everything](/source/Guilty_of_Everything)* (2014), the band "felt awkward holding onto anything, like shoegaze or whatever", and that no separate tag was being applied to it. Patrick Lyons, the article's writer, discussed the style using the broad terms "heavy shoegaze" or "post-shoegaze".[122] *[Brooklyn Vegan](/source/Brooklyn_Vegan)* editor Andrew Sacher called the style "punkgaze", noting Nothing, [Cloakroom](/source/Cloakroom_(band)), [Greet Death](/source/Greet_Death) and [Holy Fawn](/source/Holy_Fawn) as forefront acts.[133] *[Revolver](/source/Revolver_(magazine))* editor Eli Enis called Greet Death the "leaders of the current wave of heavy shoegaze that came in the wake of Nothing and Cloakroom", calling their second album *New Hell* (2019) "a modern landmark for the genre". Enis also noted Holy Fawn's *Death Spells* (2018) as embracing elements of blackgaze.[131]

#### Grungegaze

Main article: [Grungegaze](/source/Grungegaze)

In 2013, albums began to be released that merged the [emo revival](/source/Emo_revival) spinoff genre [soft grunge](/source/Soft_grunge_(music)) with shoegaze. These included [Narrow Head](/source/Narrow_Head)'s *Demonstration MMXIII* (27 May 2013), Cloakroom's *Infinity* (16 June 2013) and Nevermind Me's *Nevermind Me* (9 September 2013). The following year, Leatherneck and Simmer established a grungegaze in [Cheshire](/source/Cheshire), England. Soft grunge pioneers, [Title Fight](/source/Title_Fight)'s, third album, *[Hyperview](/source/Hyperview_(album))* (2015), pushed their sound more atmosopheric, in a way that bordered on shoegaze.[134] In a 2025 retrospective article, former *[Revolver](/source/Revolver_(magazine))* editor Eli Enis stated "*Hyperview* was dubbed a shoegaze record mostly by people who didn't know what shoegaze was beyond Nothing, Whirr, Pity Sex, and Deafheaven... but had such a marked influence on a genre it doesn't even belong to".[135] The success of Deafheaven, Nothing and Title Fight legitimised shoegaze in the hardcore scene, causing it to become a trend.[122][134] Nothing pivoted into the genre on their 2014 [split album](/source/Split_album) *[Whirr / Nothing](/source/Whirr_%2F_Nothing)*, continued on their second album, *[Tired of Tomorrow](/source/Tired_of_Tomorrow)* (2016), with the tracks "Vertigo Flowers" and "Curse of the Sun".[136] Narrow Head's debut album, *Satisfaction* (2016), was particularly influential, and around 2018, an international wave of grungegaze spread, including [Modern Color](/source/Modern_Color), [Teenage Wrist](/source/Teenage_Wrist) and [Oversize](/source/Oversize_(band)).[134]

#### Philly shit

In Nothing's home of Philadelphia, many bands began to crosspollinate their influence with local indie rock groups [the Spirit of the Beehive](/source/The_Spirit_of_the_Beehive_(band)), Blue Smiley and especially the experimental style [Alex G](/source/Alex_G). Enis called the city "The world capital for this new wave [of shoegaze]", using the name the "Philly shit" scene, listing its forefront bands as [They Are Gutting a Body of Water](/source/They_Are_Gutting_a_Body_of_Water) (TAGABOW), Full Body 2, A Country Western and [Knifeplay](/source/Knifeplay_(band)). Bands in the scene pushed the heavy shoegaze sound into a more experimental direction, incorporating digitized synths and elements of electronic genres such as [drum and bass](/source/Drum_and_bass) and [breakcore](/source/Breakcore).[129] In a 2023 interview, TAGABOW vocalist Douglas Dulgarian stated "You know, Alex G set the tone with pitch-shifting his voice and now he’s on the auto-tune wave. There are things here that aren’t happening elsewhere".[137] Dulgarian also noted in a 2023 interview with *[Pittsburgh City Paper](/source/Pittsburgh_City_Paper)* discussed how a core part of the Philly shit scene is [irony](/source/Irony), using the scene's love of [Smash Mouth](/source/Smash_Mouth) as an example.[138] By 2025, *[The Fader](/source/The_Fader)* writer Cady Siregar said of the Philadelphia scene "for a while [sic] that whole heavy shoegaze thing... got beat down everybody's throat".[139]

### 2020s

See also: [Nu-gaze (2020s)](/source/Nu-gaze_(2020s))

In early 2020, [Spotify](/source/Spotify) heavily pushed shoegaze and adjacent styles to the platform's listenership. This particularly effected grungegaze artists, when [Fleshwater](/source/Fleshwater) became the genre's breakout act.[134] In 2025, *[Clash](/source/Clash_(magazine))* credited the Narrow Head, [Glare](/source/Glare_(band)), Fleshwater, Leaving Time, Soul Blind and Trauma Ray as the "canon" of 2020s grungegaze, also calling Oversize, [Split Chain](/source/Split_Chain) and [Bleed](/source/Bleed_(band)) prominent acts[140][141] Bleed's fusion of grungegaze and [nu metal](/source/Nu_metal) pioneered the [nu-gaze](/source/Nu-gaze_(2020s)) fusion genre, which Narrow Head also pursued on their third album, *[Moments of Clarity](/source/Moments_of_Clarity_(album))*. Nu-gaze became a forefront style in grungegaze in 2025, a year that saw Fleshwater, Split Chain and Bleed release nu metal-influenced albums.[134] In December 2025, *[Pitchfork](/source/Pitchfork_(website))* published its list of "the 100 Best Songs of 2025", stating that [Turnstile](/source/Turnstile_(band))'s opening title track from their 2025 album [*Never Enough*](/source/Never_Enough_(Turnstile_album)) "erupts into a triumphant grungegaze anthem that you can easily imagine usurping the [Foo Fighters](/source/Foo_Fighters)' 'My Hero' as the soundtrack of choice for [NFL](/source/NFL) playoffs bumper montages."[142]

Also during the early 2020s, Ireland experienced a resurgence of shoegaze, including [NewDad](/source/NewDad) and [Just Mustard](/source/Just_Mustard). NewDad vocalist Julie Dawson credited Justard Mustard with establishing the wave, stating in a 2023 article with *[Rolling Stone](/source/Rolling_Stone)* that "In terms of Irish bands, a lot stemmed from Just Mustard too. They were bringing back shoegaze in such a fucking cool way and were a very big inspiration to us at the start."[143]

#### Zoomergaze: TikTok and Gen Z resurgence

Main article: [Zoomergaze](/source/Zoomergaze)

[Wisp](/source/Wisp_(musician)),[144] the most commercially successful artist amongst [zoomergaze](/source/Zoomergaze), a wave of [generation Z](/source/Generation_Z) musicians merging shoegaze with [digicore](/source/Digicore) and [hyperpop](/source/Hyperpop)

By the early 2020s, writer Ryan Pinkard stated, "[TikTok](/source/TikTok) has done for [Gen Z](/source/Generation_Z) what MySpace did for [millennials](/source/Millennials) in the early 2000s".[145] *[Stereogum](/source/Stereogum)* credited the platform with making shoegaze "bigger than ever," while publications such as *[Vice](/source/Vice_(magazine))* noted that many teenagers were using shoegaze to soundtrack their "bleak, post-[COVID](/source/COVID-19_pandemic) world."[146][147][148] By late 2023, *[Pitchfork](/source/Pitchfork_(magazine))* described the year as when "The Shoegaze Revival Hit Its Stride," with the TikTok hashtag #slowdive reaching 235 million views.[149]

In the early 2020s, a wave of practitioners of the electronic genres [hyperpop](/source/Hyperpop) and [digicore](/source/Digicore) began to experiment with rock elements. One major strain of this was artists who incorporated elements of shoegaze.[150] As early as 2018, Strawberry Hospital's *Grave Chimera* (2018) was merging elements of shoegaze into hyperpop.[150] In 2021, *[Alternative Press](/source/Alternative_Press_(magazine))* writer, Giedre Matulaityte credited the album, as "reimagining everything you know about shoegaze". Matulaityte also noted Fax Gang's *Aethernet* (2021) as merging elements of shoegaze with hyperpop and [HexD](/source/HexD).[151] [Jane Remover](/source/Jane_Remover) experimented with a similar fusion on *[Frailty](/source/Frailty_(Jane_Remover_album))* (2021), with [Quannnic](/source/Quannnic) following with *Kenopsia* (2022). Both leaned further into their shoegaze influence on their subsequent albums *[Census Designated](/source/Census_Designated)* (2023) and *Stepdream* (2023).[150]

In an article for *WhyNow*, writer Harvey Solomon-Brady called this fusion [zoomergaze](/source/Zoomergaze).[152] These musicians incorporated elements of digicore with shoegaze's atmospheric textures and grunge's energy.[152] In particular, merging shoegaze instrumental elements alongside electronic elements including vocals that are effected by pitch shifting, [autotune](/source/Autotune) and formant editing, as well as [glitches](/source/Glitch_(music)) and entirely electronic segments.[150] Some arts emphasize elements of [electronic dance music](/source/Electronic_dance_music) such as [drops](/source/Drop_(music)),[153] while others subverted physical guitars entirely, dealing only in [MIDI](/source/MIDI) and sampled instruments.[153] Enis noted that "it’s not a genre", instead calling it a "trend" and "generational spirit", in which artists are "drifting in and out of shoegaze... retaining the sonic elasticity of the genre they came from".[154]

By the end of 2023, zoomergaze artists Flyingfish and [Wisp](/source/Wisp_(musician)) had garnered viral followings on TikTok.[153] In 2025, *[Dork](/source/Dork_(magazine))* noted that Wisp was labelled as "the face of 'zoomergaze'" and described her as a leading artist in Gen Z's shoegaze revival.[155]

## See also

- [1990s portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:1990s)

- [*Beautiful Noise* (film)](/source/Beautiful_Noise_(film))

- [List of shoegaze bands](/source/List_of_shoegaze_bands)

## References

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1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-kard26_12-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-kard26_12-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-kard26_12-2) [Pinkard 2024](#CITEREFPinkard2024), p. 96

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1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Pinkard_2024_97_15-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Pinkard_2024_97_15-1) [Pinkard 2024](#CITEREFPinkard2024), p. 97

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:3_16-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:3_16-1) Bonner, Michael (3 November 2017). ["Going Blank Again: a history of shoegaze"](http://web.archive.org/web/20241011060810/https://www.uncut.co.uk/features/going-blank-history-shoegaze-102240/6/). *UNCUT*. Archived from [the original](https://www.uncut.co.uk/features/going-blank-history-shoegaze-102240/6/) on 11 October 2024. Retrieved 10 April 2026.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-17)** [Pinkard 2024](#CITEREFPinkard2024), pp. 97–98

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-kard28_18-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-kard28_18-1) [Pinkard 2024](#CITEREFPinkard2024), p. 137

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEPinkard202499_19-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEPinkard202499_19-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEPinkard202499_19-2) [Pinkard 2024](#CITEREFPinkard2024), p. 99.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-50best_20-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-50best_20-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-50best_20-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-50best_20-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-50best_20-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-50best_20-5) ["The 50 Best Shoegaze Albums of All Time"](https://web.archive.org/web/20161112080929/https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/9966-the-50-best-shoegaze-albums-of-all-time/). *Pitchfork*. 24 October 2016. Archived from [the original](https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/9966-the-50-best-shoegaze-albums-of-all-time/) on 12 November 2016. Retrieved 21 April 2025.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-30best_21-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-30best_21-1) ["The 30 Best Dream Pop Albums"](https://web.archive.org/web/20200916162819/https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/the-30-best-dream-pop-albums/). *Pitchfork*. 16 April 2018. Archived from [the original](https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/the-30-best-dream-pop-albums/) on 16 September 2020. Retrieved 24 April 2025.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-provis1_22-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-provis1_22-1) [Provis 2018](#CITEREFProvis2018), Caractéristiques sonores

1. **[^](#cite_ref-100covers_23-0)** ["The 100 Best Album Covers of All Time"](https://web.archive.org/web/20240809183152/https://au.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/100-best-album-covers-all-time-64137/my-bloody-valentine-loveless-4-64176/). *Rolling Stone Australia*. 19 July 2024. Archived from [the original](https://au.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/100-best-album-covers-all-time-64137/my-bloody-valentine-loveless-4-64176/) on 9 August 2024. Retrieved 2 December 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-24)** Gourlay, Dom (23 April 2009). ["Shoegaze Week DIS Talks To Simon Scott About His Time In Slowdive"](https://web.archive.org/web/20150906045449/http://drownedinsound.com/in_depth/4136609-shoegaze-week--dis-talks-to-simon-scott-about-his-time-in-slowdive). *[Drowned in Sound](/source/Drowned_in_Sound)*. Archived from [the original](http://drownedinsound.com/in_depth/4136609-shoegaze-week--dis-talks-to-simon-scott-about-his-time-in-slowdive) on 6 September 2015. Retrieved 10 September 2015.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Pinkard18_25-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Pinkard18_25-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Pinkard18_25-2) [Pinkard 2024](#CITEREFPinkard2024), p. 18

1. **[^](#cite_ref-26)** Beaumont, Mark (17 January 2021). ["Phil Spector: producer and convicted murderer with a toxic legacy"](https://www.nme.com/features/phil-spector-dead-genius-producer-convicted-murderer-toxic-legacy-2858323). *NME*. Retrieved 8 December 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-27)** [Pinkard 2024](#CITEREFPinkard2024), p. 17: "... there was a rediscovery of the psychedelic pop of the Beatles, the Beach Boys and the Byrds."

1. **[^](#cite_ref-28)** He, Kristen S. (22 February 2024). ["Isn't Anything: How Shoegaze Has Never Been Easily Defined"](https://junkee.com/longforms/shoegaze-legacy-explained). *Junkee*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20241130144141/https://junkee.com/longforms/shoegaze-legacy-explained) from the original on 30 November 2024. Retrieved 3 December 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEPinkard202421_29-0)** [Pinkard 2024](#CITEREFPinkard2024), p. 21.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEJoynson202345_30-0)** [Joynson 2023](#CITEREFJoynson2023), p. 45.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-31)** Tyler, Kieron (17 January 2016). ["Reissue CDs Weekly: Still in a Dream - A Story of Shoegaze"](http://www.theartsdesk.com/new-music/reissue-cds-weekly-still-dream-story-shoegaze). theartsdesk.com. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20170406130852/http://www.theartsdesk.com/new-music/reissue-cds-weekly-still-dream-story-shoegaze) from the original on 6 April 2017. Retrieved 17 December 2016. Reynolds, Simon (1 December 1991). ["Dream-Pop' Bands Define the Times in Britain"](https://web.archive.org/web/20131203054651/https://www.nytimes.com/1991/12/01/arts/pop-view-dream-pop-bands-define-the-times-in-britain.html). *The New York Times*. Archived from [the original](https://www.nytimes.com/1991/12/01/arts/pop-view-dream-pop-bands-define-the-times-in-britain.html) on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 3 March 2014.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-25years_32-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-25years_32-1) Cardew, Ben (5 January 2016). ["25 Years After Its Imperial Phase: Who Killed Shoegaze?"](https://thequietus.com/opinion-and-essays/black-sky-thinking/shoegaze-ride-slowdive-mbv/). *The Quietus*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20240405143815/https://thequietus.com/opinion-and-essays/black-sky-thinking/shoegaze-ride-slowdive-mbv/) from the original on 5 April 2024. Retrieved 30 October 2025.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-kard4_33-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-kard4_33-1) [Pinkard 2024](#CITEREFPinkard2024), p. 20

1. **[^](#cite_ref-34)** Parys, Bryan (13 September 2019). ["Shoegaze Music: 17 Songs That Chart the Genre's History—and Its Future"](https://www.berklee.edu/news/berklee-now/do-you-shoegaze-primer-underground-genre). *Berklee College of Music*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20251030222004/https://www.berklee.edu/news/berklee-now/do-you-shoegaze-primer-underground-genre) from the original on 30 October 2025. Retrieved 31 October 2025. While they are often described as shoegaze, the term didn't exist ... but for many, the Jesus and Mary Chain is where the genre broke ground.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-35)** [Provis 2018](#CITEREFProvis2018), Les racines du mouvement: "« Les Jesus And Mary Chain ont eu une influence énorme sur le son de My Bloody Valentine et ce qui est connu maintenant sous le nom de scène shoegaze. Je pense même que My Bloody Valentine a changé leur style à cause de Jesus And Mary Chain » admet Alan McGee."

1. **[^](#cite_ref-36)** [Pinkard 2024](#CITEREFPinkard2024), p. 22

1. **[^](#cite_ref-37)** [Pinkard 2024](#CITEREFPinkard2024), pp. 22–23: "Sonic Boom: Spacemen 3 could be called a shoegaze band by the fact that we did not have any stage moves. ... It was all about the sound we were trying to create and not how we were trying to look."

1. **[^](#cite_ref-38)** [Pinkard 2024](#CITEREFPinkard2024), p. 23

1. **[^](#cite_ref-39)** Parkes, Taylor (10 May 2012). [""Not Doing Things Is Soul Destroying" - Kevin Shields Of MBV Interviewed"](https://web.archive.org/web/20251002233028/https://thequietus.com/interviews/kevin-shields-interview-mbv-my-bloody-valentine/). *The Quietus*. Archived from [the original](https://thequietus.com/articles/08745-kevin-shields-interview-mbv-my-bloody-valentine) on 2 October 2025. Retrieved 11 May 2024. Then when Bilinda joined, around that 86-87 period, we were getting into Husker Du, Dinosaur Jr, *Sister* and *EVOL* by Sonic Youth…

1. **[^](#cite_ref-40)** [Pinkard 2024](#CITEREFPinkard2024), pp. 27–28

1. **[^](#cite_ref-41)** [Pinkard 2024](#CITEREFPinkard2024), p. 29

1. **[^](#cite_ref-42)** [Pinkard 2024](#CITEREFPinkard2024), pp. 24–25

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-kard5_43-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-kard5_43-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-kard5_43-2) [Pinkard 2024](#CITEREFPinkard2024), p. 65

1. **[^](#cite_ref-How_Soon_44-0)** King, Richard (2012). "11 Gigantic". [*How Soon is Now? The Madmen and Mavericks who Made Independent Music 1975-2005*](https://books.google.com/books?id=iCPH4iyQf3MC&dq=%22camden+falcon%22&pg=PT216). [Faber & Faber](/source/Faber_%26_Faber). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780571278329](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780571278329).

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1. **[^](#cite_ref-46)** [Pinkard 2024](#CITEREFPinkard2024), p. 70

1. **[^](#cite_ref-47)** [Pinkard 2024](#CITEREFPinkard2024), pp. 70–71

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1. **[^](#cite_ref-49)** [Pinkard 2024](#CITEREFPinkard2024), p. 68

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1. **[^](#cite_ref-51)** [Pinkard 2024](#CITEREFPinkard2024), p. 69

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-kard9_52-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-kard9_52-1) [Pinkard 2024](#CITEREFPinkard2024), p. 74

1. **[^](#cite_ref-53)** [Pinkard 2024](#CITEREFPinkard2024), p. 37

1. **[^](#cite_ref-54)** [Pinkard 2024](#CITEREFPinkard2024), p. 5: "... the original shoegaze scene—which included core acts Ride, Slowdive, Lush, Chapterhouse, Swervedriver, and Moose ..."

1. **[^](#cite_ref-kard13_55-0)** [Pinkard 2024](#CITEREFPinkard2024), p. 25

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-kard11_56-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-kard11_56-1) [Provis 2018](#CITEREFProvis2018), "The Scene That Celebrates Itself"

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-kard10_57-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-kard10_57-1) [Pinkard 2024](#CITEREFPinkard2024), p. 76

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1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Enis,_2023b_153-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Enis,_2023b_153-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Enis,_2023b_153-2) Enis, Eli (18 December 2023). ["TikTok Has Made Shoegaze Bigger Than Ever"](https://www.stereogum.com/2245469/tiktok-has-made-shoegaze-bigger-than-ever/columns/sounding-board/). *[Stereogum](/source/Stereogum)*. Retrieved 3 March 2026.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Enis,_2025_154-0)** Enis, Eli. ["Shoegaze and Digicore Have Fully Collided"](https://www.ninaprotocol.com/posts/shoegaze-and-digicore-have-fully-collided). *[Nina Protocol](/source/Nina_Protocol)*. Retrieved 3 March 2026.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-155)** Firth, Abigail (16 January 2025). ["Hype List 2025: Wisp is reinvigorating shoegaze for a new generation"](https://readdork.com/features/hype-list-2025-wisp-interview/). *Dork*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20250126135720/https://readdork.com/features/hype-list-2025-wisp-interview/) from the original on 26 January 2025. Retrieved 3 December 2025.

## Bibliography

- Pinkard, Ryan (3 October 2024). *Shoegaze*. Genre: A 33 1/3. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [979-8-7651-0343-2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/979-8-7651-0343-2).

- Provis, Victor (19 April 2018). *Shoegaze: My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, Ride Etc* (in French) (EPUB ed.). Le mot et le reste. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9782360545285](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9782360545285).

- Joynson, Vernon (2023). *Discover UK Shoegaze and Dream Pop: A Music Guide to Shoegaze and Dream Pop with Artist Discographies and Biographical Information*. Borderline Productions. [ASIN](/source/ASIN_(identifier)) [B0CKTB3MF7](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CKTB3MF7). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1899855254](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1899855254).

## External links

Wikiquote has quotations related to ***[Shoegaze](https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Special:Search/Shoegaze)***.

- Media related to [Shoegazing](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Shoegazing) at Wikimedia Commons

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