Shoegaze—whether you know what it is or not, it has made its own staple in the alternative scene. Major bands, such as Slowdive, My Bloody Valentine, Whirr and Hum, have gained more and more popularity over the years.
The genre originates from the U.K., first gaining notoriety in the 80’s and 90’s. The origin of the term varies. One source saying it comes from some British music reviewers, mocking the way some artists would look down while performing on stage, seemingly gazing down at their shoes and distortion pedals, instead of looking out to their audience.
Despite the genre’s origins in Britain, it quickly moved to the U.S. in the early 90s, modernly defined by bands like Hum, Duster, Drop Nineteens and Lilys.
Damian Rodrígues-Rubio is an active participant in the alternative scene in Chicago, along with being the guitarist and vocalist in his bands Unfazed and Resting in Headlights. He explains that shoegaze is a complex genre to pin down.
“I would define shoegaze as a genre that brings the intensity of hardcore and punk with structure and inspiration of indie songs. The definition of shoegaze varies across every artist because there are so many different artists under the genre,” Rodrígues-Rubio said.
Despite shoegaze being a subgenre of alternative rock, most would describe shoegaze as an umbrella term, with other sub-subgenres being nugaze, doomgaze and blackgaze. Shoegaze is often mixed with other genres, such as midwest emo and post hardcore. Bands like Title Fight, American Football and Tigers Jaw incorporate the “wall of sound” feature found in shoegaze, but also manage to balance it out with dream-like vocals and guitar riffs.
Shoegaze has exploded in popularity since its first arrival to America in the 90s, mostly thanks to TikTok. According to Stereogum and Spotify statistics, searches for “shoegaze” on the platform have increased 220% globally. The hashtag “#shoegaze” on TikTok has almost 500,000 videos on tiktok, containing videos with millions of views.
“I’ve noticed a lot of people call it poser music. This is mainly because it is so popular on TikTok and some people do lowkey act real cringey with it … it’s for whoever wants to listen to it, shoegaze isn’t meant to be for the most niche audience ever,” Rodrígues-Rubio said.
Amongst the alternative community, this sense of “gatekeeping” music taste or certain bands is extremely prevalent, especially in the shoegaze community. It’s not uncommon for when some songs a part of the genre will become “mainstream,” most people will deem the song as poser music.
“That’s one thing I hate about the hardcore scene. Once something gets big, it’s known as poser music or [a poser] genre after that,” Rodrígues-Rubio said.
Bands have been returning back to the musical scene ever since their incline in attention garnered over social media. Slowdive will be touring in the summer of 2026, Superheaven currently touring around the U.S. and the SLIDE AWAY MUSIC FESTIVAL in May, featuring bands like Hum, Nothing and Crate are all an effect of the subgenre revival. Find more information about the SLIDE AWAY MUSIC FESTIVAL in Chicago here.
In addition to shoegaze shaping the alternative scene amongst teens, the genre has also helped shape music itself.
Genres rising or drawing inspiration from shoegaze include dream pop, post-rock and even nu metal. Bands like Deftones encapsulate the signature dream-like sound of the genre. Songs like “Entombed”, “Digital Bath” and “i think about you all the time” all have the reverb, distortion, and effects that can be found within music specifically in the genre.
The genre has also influenced modern indie artists, bands like sign crushes motorist, Birth Day, julie and miserable teens club.
“As a songwriter and guitarist, shoegaze has influenced me to focus on my melody and song structures way more. Also, it has taught me to use way cooler chords than just basic power chords,” Rodrígues-Rubio said.
A main component of shoegaze is the lyricism, often reflecting feelings of depression, anxiety, longing and even anger.
Junior Ka’Lynn Payne is a listener of the genre and a participant in the alternative scene, and shares how she appreciates the shoegaze genre.
“It helped me get through a lot of rough times, but at the same time, I’ll listen to it while I’m sad, and it’ll make me sadder than I was before. But, it has made me change … [my] mindset,” Payne said.
Songs that reflect the often somber lyricism are “Between Your Band and the Other Band” by Tigers Jaw, “Secret Society” by Title Fight and “Starting Over” by LSD and the Search for God.
“[People think] that it’s music for sad or depressed people. While it’s a common lyrical theme in a lot of the songs, there is a surprising amount of artists that write positive messages into their songs,” Rodrígues-Rubio said.
