Identifying factors of pop music usually includes digital stereo effects, often layered in-post over recorded vocals, alongside bass-boosted808s, wide andreverb-soaked synths, andbitcrush effects.
In sigilkore music, lyrical themes mostly revolve around dark themes, including blood and vampires.[5] The genre takes a blend oftrap drums with a more ambient approach, faster tempos, and experimental mixing andmastering techniques. It was described as an experimental genre with no boundaries.[6][7]
Sigilkore originated on the music sharing appSoundCloud during the late 2010s. South Florida rapperSpaceGhostPurrp,[5][8] along with producers within his collectiveBMB Deathrow,[5] laid the groundwork for what would later become sigilkore,[8] which was pioneered by the collective Jewelxxet.[9] Rapper Islurwhenitalk has been noted as a "sigilkore deity".[10]
A producer from BMB Deathrow, by the name of 4jay (later renamed toLuci4),[5][9] would expand upon this style by frequently including references toOccultism,[9][11][8] within his cover art and lyrics. He is also credited with coining the term around 2019, as well as the collective Jewelxxet with 2shanez and islurwhenitalk and sellasouls.[5][12][unreliable source?][9]
The genre exploded in popularity in summer 2021,[8] when Luci4's songs "Bodypartz", "All Eyez on Me", and "Kurxxed Emeraldz" blew up onTikTok.[8][13] The genre was also popularized by American singer Siouxxie's "Masquerade," which would go viral in mid-2021, and by artistsLumi Athena,Odetari and9lives in 2023.[14][8][15][16][17]
Krushclub is a subgenre of sigilkore, originating in the early 2020s, mixingJersey club elements with electronic sound qualities, known for its energetic sound and catchy beats.[2][3] According to music journalistKieran Press-Reynolds, writing forThe Face, "there's krush-jerk and krush-cumbia, krush-funk and krush-phonk."[3]
