Grungegaze

Grungegaze (also known as dreamo) is a subgenre of rock music that grew out of soft grunge. It is characterized by shoegaze's use of effects units, emo-inspired melodies and grunge's dynamic songwriting, using both soft reverb-heavy guitars during verses and crescendos of fuzz during choruses. During the 2010s, soft grunge has been closely related to the hardcore scene's 2010s shoegaze revival, with both styles sharing musical characteristics and sometimes being conflated by fans and critics. Grungegaze originated in the mid-2010s, when soft grunge bands embraced the influence of shoegaze, with the debut releases by Cloakroom, Narrow Head and Nevermind Me. The genre was further popularized during the 2020s by American bands Narrow Head, Fleshwater and Glare, and British bands Oversize and Split Chain. By 2024, it was one of the most dominant sounds in shoegaze. It was widely influential upon shoegaze in the 2020s, helping to develop the genres nu-gaze and zoomergaze.