The suffix-core is a term used to refer to visual styles and trends. The term later became associated withinternet slang. Originating from thehardcore punk genre, the term gained broader prominence during the late 2000s to early 2010s to describe variousinternet aesthetics.
The suffix-core may be applied to any word to describe a trend or aesthetic associated with the word. Terms coined with the suffix often refer tosubcultures that already exist.[1] The use of-core is associated with nicheinternet aesthetics, which gained popularity alongside the suffix. Terms with the suffix are used to conceptualize trends in a way that can be easily communicated.[2] It is mostly used byGeneration Z.[3]-core and similar suffixes, such as-ussy and-pilled, are used online and onTikTok for shorthand references to concepts.[4] The term-punk, originally used incyberpunk andsteampunk later gained popularity amidst the emergence ofseapunk.[5] Alongside,-wave originally taken fromnew wave, and later repurposed forchillwave andvaporwave. The termsleaze (as inindie sleaze) arose in response to-core to refer to subversions of trends.[6] The suffix -core has been described as the successor to the termchic to refer to visual styles and fashion trends.[7]
The wordcore initially referred to a central element of a thing. The termhard-core initially referred to a devoted follower of a movement before being applied to the genre ofhardcore punk music in the 1980s, with the earliest recorded use of the term "hardcore punk rock" being made in January 1980 by theCanadian punk bandD.O.A. in an issue of San Francisco punk fanzine "Creep",[8][9] the band would later release their albumHardcore '81 considered one of the first times that apunk record was labeledhardcore.[10][11][12]
By the mid-1980s, the suffix-core was applied to varioussubgenres influenced by hardcore punk, such as nardcore,[13][14]thrashcore andgrindcore. Later being used foralternative andpunk rock music styles and scenes such asqueercore,[15]sasscore andslowcore. By the late 1990s to early 2000s, the term was used inhip-hop subgenres likehorrorcore[16] andnerdcore,[17][18] as well asdarkcore,[19]doomcore,[19]metalcore,deathcore andramones-core.[20][21]
Some of these genres inspired the ironic usage of the suffix which gained popularity in the early 2010s to refer toonline aesthetics, internetmicrogenres, fashion trends and visual styles.[22][23]
The first use of the suffix -core to refer to a style was the term "fashioncore" coined bymetalcore bandEighteen Visions in 2002, which later helped originate the visual style, fashion and aesthetic of thescene subculture.[24] This was followed by,normcore, coined in 2013 by trend forecasting groupK-HOLE. The normcore aesthetic involved plain clothing as people chose to avoidsocial media's focus on uniqueness.[2] Glamcore arose soon after normcore as a trend in opposition to it.[15]New York Magazine popularized the termnormcore, as well as the 2017 termgorpcore, anoutdoor recreation-themed aesthetic named after the snackgorp.[2] The-core suffix began being applied to contemporary momentary trends and online visual aesthetics.[15]
Thecottagecore aesthetic emerged during the earlyCOVID-19 pandemic as residents of cities wished to get more involved with nature. Similarescapism inspired the darkergoblincore aesthetic. The COVID-19 pandemic also inspiredcluttercore, which involved collecting objects indoors.[22] TheAmerican Dialect Society considered-core as a nominee for "most creative word of 2021".[25]
The termcorecore emerged in response to the overuse of the associated suffix, originating in 2020 and later gaining wider popularity in 2022. Corecore became anartistic movement aiming to capture post-2020 sensibilities,[26] commonly described as an "anti-trend", originated by users such as @masonoelle and @HighEnquiries. Corecore videos collaged clips from movies, memes, television shows, and online videos, juxtaposed with music that often involved themes of sadness and loneliness, as well as criticisms ofconsumerism.[27][28] Many internet users viewed corecore as a unique art form, though some criticized the popularity of the trend for weakening its message that opposed trendiness.[29]
Fashions suffixed with-core surged in popularity in 2022.[6] Inspired by the 2023 movieBarbie, the suffix was applied to the Barbiecore trend, inspired by the style ofthe movie's titular character and the color pink.[12] Barbiecore was more popular than other-core trends the same year.[2] LexicographerGrant Barrett toldThe New York Times that year,"'Core' just seems like a suffix that is going to last and last and last."[12]
In 2024,Varsity writer Gina Stock claimed that the rise of "-core"aesthetics and fashion trends were contributing tooverconsumption, as well as placing women into boxes, with Stock stating, "Some of the 'types' and 'cores' are inherently problematic – 'mob wife' is a style that promotes blind faith in criminal men; 'clean girl' sits in a dichotomy where the style appears effortless and minimal, while, behind the scenes, it promotes 15-step skincare routines and expensive organic food; 'coquette' aesthetics emphasise submissive charm andself-objectification in a hyper-feminine manner, revealing but chaste."[30]
The popularity ofcore aesthetics have also been described as a symptom of a broaderidentity crisis amongGen Z.[31][32][33]
Awiki called Aesthetics Wiki has documented hundreds of-core aesthetics.[2][4] Over 5,000 genres with the suffix-core have been listed onSpotify.[25] Notable uses of the suffix include:
Joey "Shithead" Keithley ofD.O.A.: "We had one big show up there [Vancouver]. It was us,Black Flag, and7 Seconds, and it was called Hardcore 81, so it was the first time anyone really used that term."
Sometimes the imagery was directly drawn from horror movies, sometimes it was inspired by the residues of a Christian upbringing or by amateur forays into cosmology, angeloiogy, and mysticism.