How Generation Z is reinventing shoegaze through digital glitches and hyperpop aesthetics
In short: Zoomergaze is not a traditional genre but a generational spirit, blending the atmospheric textures of shoegaze with the high-energy, digital manipulation of hyperpop and digicore. As internet-native artists drift in and out of the sound, they are replacing physical guitars with MIDI, autotune, and glitchy electronic production.
The term zoomergaze, a portmanteau of shoegaze and Generation Z, emerged in the early 2020s to describe a wave of young musicians experimenting with the boundaries of guitar-heavy music. While some critics define it as a subgenre of nu-gaze or electronic music, others like blogger Eli Enis argue it is better understood as a trend. These artists often incorporate pitch-shifted vocals, formant editing, and electronic segments, sometimes eschewing physical instruments entirely in favor of DAW-based production. This shift reflects a broader tendency among digital natives to blend the atmospheric density of traditional shoegaze with the sonic elasticity of the internet-born genres they originated from.
The movement gained momentum as artists from the hyperpop and digicore scenes, such as Jane Remover and Quannnic, began incorporating shoegaze elements into their work. Albums like Frailty (2021) and Kenopsia (2022) were pivotal in popularizing this fusion. Musicians have cited various influences, ranging from traditional shoegaze acts like My Bloody Valentine and Slowdive to experimental projects like the 2012 vocaloid album Mikgazer vol. 1. The scene also draws from alternative metal bands like Deftones and Hum, as well as the bleak, indie-indebted sounds of the 2010s. For many practitioners, this pivot was a reaction to feeling creatively stifled or undervalued within their original electronic scenes.
By 2023, the style found a massive audience on TikTok, where artists like Wisp became prominent figures. The platform played a crucial role in the broader shoegaze revival, with hashtags like shoegaze accumulating 730 million views. However, the movement remains fluid; by 2026, many artists who helped define the sound, including Quannnic and Flyingfish, began shifting their focus toward emo. This rapid evolution highlights the transient nature of the trend, which continues to be shaped by the digital habits of a generation navigating a post-pandemic world.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Zoomergaze
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