shoegaze

noun

shoe·​gaze ˈshü-ˌgāz 

variants or less commonly shoegazing

ˈshü-ˌgā-ziŋ 

: melodic rock music typically characterized by heavily processed electric guitar and indistinct often distant-sounding vocals

The centrality of the guitar to the generic characteristics of shoegaze is articulated through a textural approach to the instrument that eschews traditional rock virtuosity in favor of the foregrounding of timbral qualities.

—Robert Strachan

Shoegaze is about capturing the … melancholia at the edge of existence, that too-stoned sense of being unmoored in the world.

—Cat Zhang

Their unique blend of sleepy vocals and disorienting guitars connected to armies of effects pedals became known as shoegazing, a term that stemmed from watching performers look down at their pedals while singing.

—Joseph Krebaum

… a dreamy, primarily instrumental piece that blurs late-eighties shoegazing with lo-fi electronica …

—Mike McGrath Bryan

—often used before another noun

Frontman Emil Nikolaisen's flamboyant version of shoegaze pop squanders his and his co-vocalist sister's promising melodies with songs that drone on interminably.

—Mikael Wood

Released in the early '90s, the ShredMaster is a simple distortion pedal that packs a serious punch. It was also used by … My Bloody Valentine's Kevin Shields to help create the shoegaze band's massive wall of sound.

—Scott Wilson

My Bloody Valentine's' 'Loveless' was the magnum opus of the shoegazing genre …

—Clash Magazine (online)

shoegazer

ˈshü-ˌgā-zər 

noun

plural shoegazers

Thurston Moore influenced a generation of noise-heads, from grunge rockers to shoegazers.

—Rolling Stone

… a loose collection of mop-topped British and Irish musicians who explored guitar textures, converted noise into dreamy melody and experimented with hip-hop beats made some of the most compelling music of their era. The British media dubbed the groups "shoegazers" for their introverted live shows and bashful, glamorously depressed posture.

—Scott Timberg

a shoegazer band

shoegazer rock

Examples of shoegaze in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The emo band’s sophomore album took a turn toward shoegaze and post-punk that, while unexpected, was eventually revered by fans. —Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 10 Dec. 2024

My Bloody Valentine will play their first show in more than seven years on Nov. 22, 2025 at 3Arena in their hometown of Dublin, the pioneering shoegaze band announced today (Nov. 25). —Spin Staff, SPIN, 25 Nov. 2024

This year, the festival hosted '90s shoegaze standouts Slowdive and New York City’s rising musician, singer and producer the Dare for a late-night electroclash DJ set. —Mars Salazar, Austin American-Statesman, 11 Nov. 2024

The band stood out from its Sub Pop labelmates for mixing shoegaze with a brighter indie pop sound — including catchy harmonies from vocalists Shannon and Moore. —Michael Schneider, Variety, 25 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

shoe entry 1 + gaze entry 1, probably as back-formation from shoe-gazing or shoe-gazer

Note: The name allegedly originated in reference to performances of the British rock group Moose in 1991: "They [members of the group] inadvertently began the so-called 'shoegazing' movement, so dubbed because of the static nature of bands who focused on the floorboards instead of their audience, when [Russell] Yates [the group's vocalist] read lyrics taped to the floor." (The Guinness Who's Who of Indie New Wave Music, 2nd edition [Enfield, England, 1995], p. 239)

First Known Use

1991, in the meaning defined above