'{{Short description|Fashion trend and music genre}} [[File:Sky Ferreira 2 2013.jpg|thumb|150px|[[Sky Ferreira]] has been credited by publications including ''[[Alternative Press (magazine)|Alternative Press]]'' and ''[[i-D]]'' as popularising soft grunge fashion.<ref name="AP" /><ref name="Kendall, 2022">{{cite web |last1=Kendall |first1=Zoe |title=7 of Sky Ferreira's most iconic outfits |url=https://i-d.vice.com/en/article/m7vkep/sky-ferreira-tumblr-fashion |website=[[i-D]] |access-date=21 October 2023}}</ref>]] '''Soft grunge''' (or '''Tumblr grunge'''<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-01-02 |title=The 2014 Tumblr Girl Is Back |url=https://www.vogue.com/article/2014-tumblr-girl-aesthetic |access-date=2023-08-09 |website=Vogue |language=en-US}}</ref>) was a fashion trend that originated on [[Tumblr]] around the late 2000s and early 2010s. Beginning as an outgrowth of the 2000s [[indie sleaze]] fashion trend but with a greater influence from the 1990s, particularly [[grunge fashion]], the style began as a reaction against the glamor [[fitness culture]] which was dominant in popular culture at the time. It is characterized by its merger of cute and aggressive fashion hallmarks like [[chokers]], tennis skirts, leather jackets and boots, flower crowns, distressed denim and [[pastel colors]]. Soft grunge reached its peak popularity around 2014, by which time it had been embraced by high fashion designers including [[Hedi Slimane]] and [[Jeremy Scott]] and been worn by celebrities including [[Charli XCX]]. Its internet-based merger of subculture, fashion and music made it one of the earliest examples of an [[internet aesthetic]]. In the early 2020s, the style experienced a minor resurgence due to videos posted on the video sharing application [[TikTok]]. Some alternative rock and/or emo bands from the 2010s and beyond were frequently labelled as "soft grunge" to categorize their sound. Some also used some elements of that aesthetic on their videoclips or merchandising, and also because of their presence on Tumblr and the adequate aesthetic of their posts and reposts, most notably through bands like [[Title Fight]] , Citizen or [[Turnover (band)]]. The clothing aspect of those bands and their audience wasn't as influenced by fashion industry and celebrities, being instead widely inspired by skate culture, 90's grunge and emo. == History == By the 2000s, [[indie sleaze]] fashion had become popular, which including traits of 1970s and 1980s fashion in addition to grunge and the contemporary [[Hipster (contemporary subculture)|hipster]] fashion. Soft grunge evolved directly from this trend, once [[Tumblr]] users began to merge it with darker fashion elements like fishnets, chokers and combat boots.<ref name="Kearney, 2023">{{cite web |last1=Kearney |first1=Michael |title=Nostalgia in trends: The 2014 Tumblr aesthetic has returned |date=19 June 2023 |url=https://sbpress.com/2023/06/nostalgia-in-trends-the-2014-tumblr-aesthetic-has-returned/ |access-date=21 October 2023}}</ref><ref name="Zhou, 2022">{{cite web |last1=Zhou |first1=Maggie |title=Indie Sleaze, Tumblr Girl & Twee: The Resurrection Of 2014 Internet Aesthetics Is Here |url=https://www.refinery29.com/en-gb/tumblr-girl-internet-aesthetic |website=[[Refinery29]] |access-date=21 October 2023}}</ref> A 2022 article published by ''[[i-D]]'' specifically cited [[Hope Sandoval]]'s incorporation of baby tees, [[slip dress]]es and mesh as influential upon the development of soft grunge.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kendall |first1=Zoe |title=7 of Hope Sandoval's most iconic outfits |url=https://i-d.vice.com/en/article/m7gqma/hope-sandoval-90s-style |website=[[i-D]] |access-date=21 October 2023}}</ref> ''[[Teen Vogue]]'' writer Kara K. Nesvig and ''[[Refinery29]]'' writer Sadhbh O'Sullivan also cited [[emo fashion]] as a notable component.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Nesvig |first1=Kara K. |title=Get the Grunge Aesthetic Like Kylie Jenner, Willow Smith and More With These Tips and Outfit Ideas |url=https://www.teenvogue.com/story/grunge-aesthetic-style-guide |website=[[Teen Vogue]] |date=13 April 2023 |access-date=21 October 2023}}</ref><ref name="O'Sullivan, 2021">{{cite web |last1=O'Sullivan |first1=Sadhbh |title=Soft Grunge's Return Is A New Kind Of Nostalgia |url=https://www.refinery29.com/en-gb/newstalgia-soft-grunge-tumblr |website=[[Refinery29]] |access-date=22 October 2023}}</ref> Early on its development, the style was deliberately confrontational to the [[fitness culture]] which was dominant in popular culture at the time, namely [[Victoria's Secret]]'s Train Like an Angel campaign and online fitness influencers like [[Blogilates]] and [[Freelee the Bananagirl]].<ref name="Sangster, 2022" /> [[File:Grunge H&M.jpg|thumb|150px|Soft grunge resurfaced in the early 2020s.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jennings |first=Rebecca |date=2020-05-07 |title=Stuck in 2020, pretending it's 2014 |url=https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2020/5/7/21247938/tumblr-aesthetic-2014-nostalgia-tiktok-indie-pop |access-date=2023-02-05 |website=Vox |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Navlakha, 2021">{{Cite web |last=Navlakha |first=Meera |date=2021-10-26 |title=TikTok is reviving the 2014 Tumblr-era aesthetic |url=https://mashable.com/article/tiktok-reviving-tumblr-aesthetic |access-date=2023-02-05 |website=Mashable |language=en}}</ref>]] ''[[Alternative Press (magazine)|Alternative Press]]'' writer Marian Phillips cited [[Sky Ferreira]] as having "largely popularized" the style beginning in 2009.<ref name="AP">{{cite web |last1=Phillips |first1=Marian |title=THESE 9 WOMEN ARTISTS DEFINED THE TUMBLR-ERA OF ALTERNATIVE MUSIC |url=https://www.altpress.com/features/tumblr-era-women-musicians/ |website=[[Alternative Press (magazine)|Alternative Press]] |date=21 April 2021 |access-date=22 April 2021}}</ref> Ferreira's style was a direct outgrowth of indie sleaze, making use of chunky boots, babydoll dresses, leopard print, leather, tennis skirts, smudged makeup and grown out dark roots on bleached blonde hair. In a 2014 article for ''[[Vogue (magazine)|Vogue]]'', stylist Ian Bradley called Ferreira's look "A mix of sexy, innocent and tough".<ref name="Kendall, 2022" /> ''[[Nylon (magazine)|Nylon]]'' specifically cited the music video for her song "[[Everything Is Embarrassing]]" (2012) as the "utmost style inspiration" on Tumblr.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bell |first1=Sadie |title=WHY SKY FERREIRA STANS HAVE ALWAYS HELD OUT HOPE |url=https://www.nylon.com/entertainment/free-sky-ferreira-fans-masochism-album-tour |website=[[Nylon (magazine)|Nylon]] |date=29 June 2023 |access-date=21 October 2023}}</ref> In the following years, musician [[Lana Del Rey]], models [[Kate Moss]] and [[Kylie Jenner]] and actress [[Kaya Scodelario]]'s portrayal of the fiction character [[Effy Stonem]], all became points of inspiration for the emerging fashion style.<ref name="Kearney, 2023" /><ref name="Sangster, 2022" /> The style was soon embraced by the fashion mainstream, with [[Jeremy Scott]] using its influence for his fall 2012 collection for luxury fashion house [[Moschino]],<ref>{{cite web |last1=Shepherd |first1=Julianne Escobedo |title=Tumblr Style: How URL Chic Spreads to the Runway |url=https://www.spin.com/2012/06/tumblr-style-how-url-style-spreads-runway/ |website=[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]] |access-date=22 October 2023}}</ref> and in 2013 Ferreira becoming [[Hedi Slimane]]'s muse when he took over as the creative director for luxury fashion house [[Yves Saint Laurent (fashion house)|Yves Saint Laurent]].<ref name="Kendall, 2022" /> Following the release of her 2013 debut album ''[[True Romance (Charli XCX album)|True Romance]]'', [[Charli XCX]] emerged as an influence on the style, appearing at the [[NME Awards]] in a soft grunge that included tartan mini skirt, fishnets, crop top and smudged makeup.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kendall |first1=Zoe |title=A guide to Charli XCX's style evolution |url=https://i-d.vice.com/en/article/pkpwg7/charli-xcx-style |website=[[i-D]] |access-date=21 October 2023}}</ref> By 2015, "grunge" was Tumblr's most reblogged fashion term, with soft grunge and pale grunge both appearing in the top 20.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Stansfield |first1=Ted |title=Why is grunge 2015's most reblogged trend? |url=https://www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/article/28924/1/grunge-is-2015-s-most-reblogged-trend |website=[[Dazed]] |date=21 December 2015 |access-date=21 October 2023}}</ref> During the 2010s, part of the soft grunge aesthetics and fashion influenced a whole new wave of emo, alternative rock and pop punk bands who were linked to Tumblr users and aesthetics, sometimes being Tumblr members themselves. But none of these bands claimed to be part of a specific movement or trend, rather using naturally the aspects and codes of soft grunge as known on the platform. ''i-D'' magazine called the style one of the earliest [[internet aesthetic]]s which become commonplace by the 2020s.<ref name="Li, 2023" /> In addition to this, the website cited the style as influential on both the [[e-girls and e-boys|e-girl]] and [[VSCO girl]] fashion styles, which originated in the late 2010s.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Lanigan |first1=Roisin |title=a guide to vsco girls – the tumblr girls of 2019 |url=https://i-d.vice.com/en_uk/article/pajjnz/a-guide-to-vsco-girls-the-tumblr-girls-of-2019 |website=[[i-D]] |access-date=22 April 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Kheraj |first1=Alim |title=avril lavigne was the original e-girl |url=https://i-d.vice.com/en_uk/article/9ke9bd/avril-lavigne-was-the-original-e-girl |website=[[i-D]] |access-date=22 April 2021}}</ref> The style was also influential on 2020s rockstar girlfriend,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Muir |first1=Ellie |title=Side boob, shag bands and celibacy: Fashion and lifestyle trends that will dominate 2023 |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/fashion-trends-2023-celibacy-shag-bands-b2254509.html |website=[[The Independent]] |date=2 January 2023 |access-date=22 October 2023}}</ref> ballerina sleaze<ref>{{cite web |last1=O'Regan-Reidy |first1=Emma |title=Balletcore is the inclusive leg warmer, finger-gloved fantasy we all deserve this winter |url=https://screenshot-media.com/the-future/fashion/balletcore-aesthetic-comeback/ |access-date=22 October 2023}}</ref> and coquette trends.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Jin |first1=Jenny |title=From Spiky Buns to Velvet Nails, Here Are 16 Beauty Trends That Will be Everywhere in 2023 |url=https://www.purewow.com/beauty/beauty-trends |website=[[PureWow]] |date=9 December 2022 |access-date=22 October 2023}}</ref> Around 2022, the style began to experience a resurgence in popularity due to videos uploaded on the video sharing application [[TikTok]], where by August of that year, the [[hashtags]] 2014Tumblr accumulated 232 million uses, GrungeAesthetic with 611 million uses and TumblrAesthetic with 46.6 million. ''[[Harper's Bazaar]]'''s writer Ella Sangster credited the revival as a reaction against the [[clean girl aesthetic]] which had been prominent on the same platform since 2020. The same year, luxury fashion house [[Ports 1961]] launched their fall/winter 2022 campagne which featured models [[Vittoria Ceretti]] and [[Bella Hadid]] in soft grunge inspired outfits taken on polaroid cameras.<ref name="Sangster, 2022">{{cite magazine |last1=Sangster |first1=Ella |title=On 2014 Tumblr grunge and the rise of messy minimalism |url=https://harpersbazaar.com.au/2014-tumblr-grunge-aesthetic/ |magazine=[[Harper's Bazaar]] |date=6 September 2022 |access-date=22 October 2023}}</ref> During this time, the style was embraced by celebrities including [[Emma Chamberlain]],<ref>{{cite web |last1=Fox |first1=Claire |title=THE MOST TUMBLRCORE SONGS & ALBUMS OF 2022, RANKED |url=https://www.elitedaily.com/entertainment/tumblrcore-songs-2022-ranked |website=[[Elite Daily]] |date=21 December 2022 |access-date=22 October 2023}}</ref> [[Doja Cat]]<ref>{{cite web |last1=Grimes |first1=Collette |title=DOJA CAT IS A DARK FEMME FATALE WITH SMOKEY GRUNGE MAKEUP |date=3 February 2023 |url=https://hypebae.com/2023/2/doja-cat-dark-feminine-grunge-makeup-haters-clapback-instagram-celebrity-beauty |access-date=22 October 2023}}</ref> and [[Olivia Rodrigo]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Larson |first1=Tara |title=Olivia Rodrigo Does Girly Grunge in White Corset Dress and Black Chunky Boots at Billboard Women in Music Awards |url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/olivia-rodrigo-does-girly-grunge-164544398.html |website=[[Yahoo! Finance]] |date=3 March 2022 |access-date=22 October 2023}}</ref> == Fashion == [[File:Charli XCX @ Postivus 2013 (9819955206).jpg|thumb|left|150px|[[Charli XCX]] wore soft grunge fashion during its peak popularity.]] Soft grunge was based upon the dominant [[fashion silhouette]] of the 2010s: high-waisted, tight-fitting trousers or pleated mini skirts with crop tops or t-shirts; while also making use of items common in the 1990s.<ref name="O'Sullivan, 2021" /> One of the key aspects of the style is its merger of edgy and distressed "grunge" items with traditionally beautiful "soft" motifs like the colour pink, hearts and nostalgia.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Alderton |first1=Zoe |title=The Aesthetics of Self-Harm: The Visual Rhetoric of Online Self-Harm Communities |date=May 2018 |publisher=[[Routledge]] |pages=76–77 |quote=Grunge refers to this kind of grime and misplaced, disruptive items - an exploration of the 'fly in the ointment'. Soft denotes the more traditional beauty also celebrated by the movement such as a love for the colour pink, hearts, delicate atmospheres, and childhood nostalgia.}}</ref> ''[[Racked]]'' media writer Frank Gargione called the style a take on grunge fashion but "commoditized by chain stores and available in softer, sweeter colors".<ref name="racked.com" /> Soft grunge outfits often include: the usage of studs and spikes, [[Vans]] skate shoes,<ref name="racked.com">{{cite web|last=Gargione|first=Frank|title=Frank Asks: Why Is It the '90s All Over Again?|url=http://racked.com/archives/2013/02/08/the-20year-nostalgia-cycle-why-its-the-90s-all-over-again.php|work=racked.com|date=8 February 2013 |accessdate=15 March 2014}}</ref> band shirts, [[Dr. Martens]] shoes and boots, tennis skirts, [[chokers]], flannel shirts,<ref name="Navlakha, 2021" /> leather jackets, enamel pins, high waisted shorts, red lipstick,<ref name="Campbell, 2023">{{cite web |last1=Campbell |first1=Erica |title='Modern Vampires Of The City' at 10: How the peak Tumblr-era album proved fangirls are experts |url=https://www.nme.com/features/music-features/modern-vampires-of-the-city-at-10-vampire-weekend-3443742 |website=[[NME]] |date=16 May 2023 |access-date=22 October 2023}}</ref> flower crowns, galaxy print, matte lipstick,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Reinstein |first1=Julia |title=Teens Are Nostalgic For 2015 And They're Making Instagram Memes About It |url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/juliareinstein/teens-are-nostalgic-for-2015-and-theyre-making-instagram |website=[[Buzzfeed]] |date=4 October 2018 |access-date=22 October 2023}}</ref> winged eyeliner,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Korwan |first1=Ann |title=Playlist of the week: 2016 Tumblr grunge era |date=18 September 2023 |url=https://theappalachianonline.com/playlist-of-the-week-2016-tumblr-grunge-era/ |access-date=22 October 2023}}</ref> [[fishnets]], knee socks, [[Chuck Taylor All-Stars]], tote bags, denim jackets and cuffed, ripped jeans.<ref name="Chelosky, 2023">{{cite web |last1=Chelosky |first1=Danielle |title=The Weird World Of Soft Grunge Tumblr |url=https://www.off-chance.com/blog/the-weird-world-of-soft-grunge-tumblr |access-date=21 October 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=DIRVANAUSKAS |first1=GABRIELE |title=The denim trends driving sales |url=https://www.drapersonline.com/news/the-denim-trends-driving-sales |website=[[Drapers (magazine)|Drapers]] |date=26 March 2020 |access-date=22 April 2021}}</ref> Many of these items were specifically bought from [[American Apparel]],<ref>{{cite web |last1=Mignucci |first1=Melanie |title=The Feminine Urge To Listen To Lorde |url=https://www.bustle.com/entertainment/2014-tumblr-aesthetic-tiktok-nostalgia-lorde |website=[[Bustle (magazine)|Bustle]] |date=17 November 2021 |access-date=21 October 2023}}</ref> with clothes from Unif and [[Urban Outfitters]] both also becoming popular once the style began gaining traction.<ref name="Amarca, 2015" /> Hair is also often dyed.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Cacciatore |first1=Bella |title=7 Things I Wish I'd Known Before Dyeing My Hair Pink |url=https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/7-things-wish-knew-dyeing-154055457.html |website=[[Yahoo! News]] |access-date=22 April 2021 |archive-date=11 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220711100757/https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/7-things-wish-knew-dyeing-154055457.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> It often makes use of [[Pastel (color)|pastel colours]], particularly pinks and blues.<ref name="AP" /> == Photography == Soft grunge photography often made use of desaturated colors or were black and white.<ref name="Li, 2023">{{cite web |last1=Li |first1=Jasmine |title=Arctic Monkeys' AM sold us an aspirational dark fantasy of adulthood |url=https://i-d.vice.com/en/article/jg5dbx/arctic-monkeys-soft-grunge-am-tumblr |website=[[i-D]] |access-date=22 October 2023}}</ref> A particularly defining part of soft grunge photography was the use of [[instant camera]]s,<ref name="Sangster, 2022" /> as well as the [[VSCO]] P5 filter.<ref name="Li, 2023" /> Photos were often of BLK brand water, cigarettes, tennis skirts, black boots, fishnets,<ref name="Li, 2023" /> and marshmallows,<ref name="Madden, 2022">{{cite web |last1=Madden |first1=Emma |title=Lana Del Rey and the Allure of Aestheticized Pain |url=https://jezebel.com/lana-del-rey-soft-grunge-tumblr-self-harm-born-to-die-1848732916 |website=[[Jezebel (website)|Jezebel]] |date=31 March 2022 |access-date=22 October 2023}}</ref> while also evoking melancholic moods and narratives of illness, pain,<ref name="Madden, 2022" /> depression, unrequited love and wanting to move to somewhere else.<ref name="Li, 2023" /> One popular trope was photography of a forest with song lyrics superimposed on top or bedrooms decorated with fairy lights, band posters or banners.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Davino |first1=Bianca |title=How Emo Went From A Punchline to Critical Acclaim |url=https://junkee.com/emo-underrated-acclaimed/242169 |website=[[Junkee]] |date=20 February 2020 |access-date=24 October 2023}}</ref> A common compositional theme was skin, particularly bruises, wrinkles, scars and blonde [[vellus hair]]s, sometimes taken while in a bath and decorated with glitter, flowers and rainbows.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Alderton |first1=Zoe |title=The Aesthetics of Self-Harm: The Visual Rhetoric of Online Self-Harm Communities |date=May 2018 |publisher=[[Routledge]] |pages=77 |quote=Skin is a very common theme of Tumblr, Flickr, and WeHeartIt collections in the Soft Grunge milieu. Skin collections often house a variety of injured flesh images and a variety of harmful behaviours, commonly including smoking, drowning, or emaciated bodies. Ophelia-esque women float in bathtubs; glitter, rainbows, and flowers are often used to decorate skin. There is a fetish for textures: bumps, dimples, delicate hairs, and crevices are captured in detail. Yet there is still control over whose 'imperfections' are shown. The hair that features most prominently is the peach fuzz that grows on the forearms of blonde people, and the wrinkles are only ever in the supple joints of young hands, necks, and legs.}}</ref> In extreme circumstances these depicted [[self-harm]] and items used to do so like razor blades or shards of glass. Similarly, imagery of drug use like cigarettes, pills, lighters, alcohol and decorated cigarette packets were common. Depictions such as these were often deleted by Tumblr admins.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Alderton |first1=Zoe |title=The Aesthetics of Self-Harm: The Visual Rhetoric of Online Self-Harm Communities |date=May 2018 |publisher=[[Routledge]] |pages=77 |quote=Many Soft Grunge images also celebrate the aesthetics of the implements used to self-harm. Razor blades and other sharp household objects are very popular, as are other substances that can cause internal damage such as pills and alcohol. Cigarettes and tobacco paraphernalia such as decorated cigarette packets are especially popular emblems, particularly the Marlboro brand. Teenager girls who smoke have been correlated with higher-than-average self-harm rates, which may explain the notable popularity of this symbol (Laye-Gindhu and Schonert-Reichl 2005, p. 452). Implements of self-harm also seem to have a fairly special place in the hearts of many who use them. Analysing the results of studies into self-harm in residential treatment facilities, Raine noted that razor blades and sharp pieces of glass were the usual tools. These items were "often stolen and hidden and cherished," demarcating them as secret and special equipment. Interestingly, Raine also notes that wards which allowed the free use of razor blades did not report any increased cutting activity as a result (1982, p. 4). Razor blades seem to be more important and symbolically powerful when they are scarce and hidden as opposed to when they are abundant and permissible. In the world of Tumblr, images of razor blades and other self-harm items are prone to censorship and deletion or can cause posters to be labelled as sick or damaged people. This creates a context in which self-harm imagery is secretive, risky, and titillating.}}</ref> == Music == {{Infobox music genre | name = Soft grunge | stylistic_origins = {{flatlist| * [[Alternative rock]] * [[shoegaze]] * {{nowrap|[[dream pop]]}} * [[emo]] * {{nowrap|[[post-hardcore]]}} * {{nowrap|[[pop punk]]}}}} | cultural_origins = Early 2010s | subgenrelist = | derivatives = | fusiongenres = | regional_scenes = | other_topics = [[Post-grunge]] }} Most bands that are labeled "soft grunge" by music critics and specialists differ from the basics commonly attributed to this subculture, far from [[Charli XCX]] or [[Sky Ferreira]] music and aesthetics. It merges elements of [[emo]], [[shoegaze]], [[dream pop]], [[pop punk]], [[post-hardcore]] and [[alternative rock]].<ref name="Yahoo">{{cite web |last1=Jones |first1=Marcus |title=Friday Five: Ashnikko samples Kelis, Flo Milli's Fiddler on the Roof, and more |url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/friday-five-ashnikko-samples-kelis-002442008.html |website=[[Yahoo! News]] |date=16 January 2021 |access-date=28 April 2021}}</ref> The genre originated with bands from the [[hardcore punk]] scene who began making music inspired by 1990s emo and post-hardcore groups like [[Rival Schools (band)|Rival Schools]] and [[the Promise Ring]] as well as early 1990s alternative rock groups like the [[Smashing Pumpkins]], [[Soundgarden]] and [[Alice in Chains]]. In the early 2010s, the first wave of bands in the genre emerged, including [[Adventures (band)|Adventures]], [[Balance and Composure]], [[Basement (band)|Basement]], [[Citizen (band)|Citizen]], [[Pity Sex]], [[Superheaven]] and [[Turnover (band)|Turnover]]. The majority of these bands were signed to [[Run for Cover Records]], made use of fuzz pedals and filmed their music videos using [[8 mm film]].<ref name="Enis, 2022" /> [[Title Fight]] stood at the forefront of the genre with the success of their 2012 album ''[[Floral Green]]''.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Enis |first1=Eli |title=12 albums where a band did something totally unexpected |url=https://www.kerrang.com/features/12-albums-where-an-artist-did-something-unexpected/ |website=[[Kerrang!]] |date=16 April 2021 |access-date=28 April 2021}}</ref> By the early 2020s, a second wave emerged including [[Fleshwater]] and [[Narrow Head]].<ref name="Enis, 2022">{{cite web |last1=Enis |first1=Eli |title=A Glaring Lack of Grunge in the Grunge Revival |date=12 October 2022 |url=https://endlessscroll.substack.com/p/a-glaring-lack-of-grunge-in-the-grunge |access-date=22 October 2023}}</ref> Outside of the soft grunge genre, those who participate in online soft grunge communities often listened to Sky Ferreira, Charli XCX,<ref name="Amarca, 2015" /> [[the Neighbourhood]], [[the 1975]],<ref name="Chelosky, 2023" /> [[the Arctic Monkeys]],<ref name="Li, 2023" /> [[Vampire Weekend]],<ref name="Campbell, 2023" /> Lana Del Rey and [[Marina Diamandis]].<ref name="Premack, 2016" /> == Criticism == Soft grunge has been criticized by publications including ''[[Jezebel (website)|Jezebel]]'', ''[[The Ringer (website)|the Ringer]]'' and ''[[Vice Media]]'' as romanticizing and glorifying self-harm, eating disorders, suicidal ideation and mental illness.<ref name="Madden, 2022" /><ref name="Premack, 2016">{{cite web |last1=Premack |first1=Rachel |title=Tumblr's Depression Connection |url=https://www.theringer.com/2016/10/24/16041350/tumblr-communities-depression-mental-illness-anxiety-c2ca927cd305 |website=[[The Ringer (website)|The Ringer]] |date=24 October 2016 |access-date=22 October 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Richards |first1=Arielle |title=The Indie Sleaze 'Revival' Isn't Real – It's Just An Echo Chamber |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/jgmkdp/the-indie-sleaze-revival-isnt-real-its-just-an-echo-chamber |website=[[Vice Media]] |date=8 March 2022 |access-date=22 October 2023}}</ref> In her book ''The Aesthetics of Self-Harm'', Academic Zoe Alderton stated that the specific depictions of self-harm on soft grunge blogs conformed to what Ping-Nie Pao described as "delicate self-mutilation". Pao observed in his 1969 study of self-harmers that many made effeminate "superficial, delicate, carefully designed incisions".<ref>{{cite book |last1=Alderton |first1=Zoe |title=The Aesthetics of Self-Harm: The Visual Rhetoric of Online Self-Harm Communities |date=May 2018 |publisher=[[Routledge]] |pages=78 |quote=Other Soft Grunge blogs are rigidly curated in keeping with a #pale aesthetic. They bring to mind Ping-Nie Pao's idea of delicate self-mutilation', including a massive over-representation of female bodies and feminised pain. In 1969, Pao came up with the notion of 'delicate' cutting - a powerful concept that lingers in the reception and diagnosis of self-harm today. Based on his observation of patients in the Chestnut Lodge facility in Maryland, US, he divided cutters into 'coarse' and 'delicate'. The former made single, deep cuts near to vital points such as arteries. This was usually limited to a single episode of distress. The latter repeatedly created "superficial, delicate, carefully designed incisions". Pao noted that the majority of coarse cutters were male and that the majority of delicate cutters were female (1969, p. 195). Pao also claimed that some of the female delicate cutters were aggressive, competitive, and envious of men's achievements. They preferred the company of male friends, and some were 'tomboys'. Nevertheless, he specifies that they looked feminine when they were dressed up. As for the male patients, Pao describes them as "pretty boys' and quite effeminate" (1969, p. 197). In this way, he shows that the typical cutter is aggressive and maladjusted to his or her gender role. But he is also able to establish that cutting is a feminine tendency.}}</ref> ''[[Highsnobiety]]'' writer Nico Amarco brought into question the style's links to grunge stating that "While the idolatry of original grunge and alt rock is commonplace in the soft grunge community, knowledge and genuine interest in any of these bands is thin on the ground", with Tumblr users instead generally championing the alternative pop music of 2010s artists like Sky Ferreira, Lana Del Rey and Charli XCX.<ref name="Amarca, 2015">{{cite web |last1=Amarca |first1=Nico |title=CYBER TRENDS: 5 SUBCULTURES CREATED ON THE INTERNET |url=https://www.highsnobiety.com/p/internet-subcultures-health-goth-seapunk/ |website=[[Highsnobiety]] |date=11 March 2015 |access-date=22 October 2023}}</ref> {{clear}} == See also == * [[Kinderwhore]] * [[Post-grunge]] == References == {{reflist}} {{Tumblr navbox}} [[Category:Fashion aesthetics]] [[Category:Internet memes]] [[Category:Grunge]] [[Category:Internet aesthetics]] [[Category:Tumblr]] [[Category:2010s fashion]] [[Category:2020s fashion]]'