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Glite Dictionary
shoegazing

shoegazing

1 9.6
A kind of rock music with loud, layered guitars and soft, unclear singing
  • noun
  • /ˈʃuːˌɡeɪzɪŋ/
: shoegazing
  • The band's sound is heavily influenced by shoegazing, with layers of distorted guitars and subdued vocals.

Examples

  • I love listening to shoegazing music.

  • The shoegazing scene in the 90s was incredible.

  • Fans of shoegazing often appreciate the genre's dreamy, immersive soundscapes.

  • Many classic shoegazing albums were produced in the UK during the late 1980s and early 1990s.

  • The band's latest album is a perfect example of shoegazing, with its rich layers of sound and ethereal vocals.

  • Many fans appreciate shoegazing for its dreamy melodies and atmospheric guitar effects.

  • The resurgence of shoegazing in modern music has introduced a new generation to its signature sound.

Surface Forms

shoegazing singular
shoegazings plural

Morphology

shoegazing = shoegaze (semi-transparent) = shoe + gaze + ing

The headword is recognizably based on the genre label 'shoegaze', but the genre meaning is a lexicalized cultural label rather than a fully productive literal combination.

Etymology

Shoegazing comes from a simple stage picture: musicians staring down at their shoes and guitar pedals, with gaze meaning 'to look'. So, the name describes a style of rock that focuses on dense, dreamy sounds made with pedals while performers often look down instead of moving around.