
The Subtle Art of Shoegazing
Kelly Caviedi makes a case for the shy, ethereal genre.
Whenever I get a hold of the AUX and put on some obscure playlist I’ve been recycling since junior high, my younger siblings groan and say “I can’t hear what they’re saying underneath all the noise”. Being listeners of R&B, modern jazz, and such, they like to poke at my obsession with what they term as “off putting” melodies.
“Shoegaze is so boring.”
Is it, really?
I was exposed to the genre’s adjacent, dream pop, in 2014, with the release of TV Girl’s debut album French Exit. Not long after, I fell down a rabbit hole. You might recognise some of their hits which have been circulating online recently, such as “Lovers Rock”, “Not Allowed”, and “Blue Hair”.
Through the commercially known Loveless by My Bloody Valentine, shoegaze has gained prominent traction over the past few years with its well-defined sound. Characterised by distorted guitars, fuzzy psychedelic vocals, and ethereal soundscapes, the dreamy subgenre could be described as a shy date at the dimly lit diner, enchantment table music, fever dream-like, angels singing through a distortion pedal, solitude in the uncertainty of intergalactic space, ascension to the astral plane… you get the idea. Its musicians focus on curating atmospheres, hence why the lyrics are indiscernible and typically get lost in the mix.
A frequently asked question about shoegaze is: “Why is it called that?”
Popularised by the British in the late 1980s, shoegaze musicians looked down to their guitar pedals, barely making eye contact with the audience. The name then, is quite logical. In the words of culture researcher Benjamin Halligan, the lack of social interactions during performances symbolised “a weird eradication: the human presence almost vanishes,” as if there are imaginary walls isolating each person in the room.
Some would jokingly argue that the name transpired because “boys who listen to it can’t look women in the eyes”. Interestingly, it didn’t come as a surprise when I dug a little bit deeper into some online communities and concluded that the aforementioned elements of shoegaze particularly appeal to shy personalities, who tend to approach life in deep thoughtfulness and are especially keen to explore the facets of art. After all, the music has always been associated with nostalgia, yearning, and profound imagination. As an introvert myself, I’d describe it as going away to a new city and vividly recalling the euphoric feeling of observing strangers going about their intricate lives. Passing by figures that you’ll never meet again, who could be the lady running the bakery at the end of the street or your favourite writer, you’ll never know.
Thanks to the advanced algorithms of social media, it’s now less difficult for said introverts to connect and share their love of shoegaze with each other. Or even just for someone to stumble upon a video with a shoegaze song playing in the background, only to discover that it’s the fresh sound they’ve been looking for. Now, ‘shoegazers’ can listen to and fixate on the same good stuff, share the same jokes and catchphrases, do their makeup and dress up the same style. Its erratic significance on contemporary society lives on, being vaguely labelled as the subgenre that lived, died, and was resurrected. Broken pieces coming together. Seems sweet, doesn’t it?
However, being a rather hidden community, shoegazers sometimes come off as pretentious, overzealous elitists to other fan bases. At some point, I was probably guilty of making it my entire personality as well, but not to an extreme extent where I get involved with online debates over what is considered shoegaze and what isn’t (yes, that happens). Meanwhile, it’s fairly challenging for different musicians to emulate the same sounds every time, hence why they tend to be experimental and don’t label their music strictly under one genre.
Based on personal experience, you’d probably hear those types of fans say things like: “Why’d they have to go viral? I wanted to keep them to myself” or “Actually, their music is east coast post-punk digital indie nu gaze!”. This prevalent exclusivity or gatekeeping culture needs to go — at the end of the day, music is subjective and everyone should just enjoy what they like.
Now don’t get me wrong, I listen to other genres too. But shoegaze is just on another level to me, and I believe that its one-of-a-kind legacy should be celebrated. So wait no more — channel your inner nouvelle vague protagonist and shoegaze on!
Some dreamy starters to the genre: