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The suffix -core is internet slang used to refer to styles or trends. Originating from the hardcore punk genre, the term gained use to refer to niche internet aesthetics. The first such trend was normcore in 2013, a term coined by trend forecasting group K-HOLE to refer to a style of plain clothing. Subsequent -core trends included gorpcore, themed around outdoor recreation; cottagecore, themed around an escape from city life; goblincore, themed around a grotesque form of escapism; Barbiecore, themed around Barbie and the color pink; and corecore, a rejection of such trends involving surreal video edits.

Meaning

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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 to subcultures that already exist.[1] The use of -core is associated with niche internet 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 by Generation Z.[3] -core and similar suffixes, such as -ussy and -pilled, are used online and on TikTok for shorthand references to concepts.[4] The term sleaze (as in indie sleaze) arose in response to -core to refer to subversions of trends.[5]

History

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The word core initially referred to a central element of a thing. The term hard-core initially referred to a devoted follower of a movement before being applied to the genre of hardcore punk music in the 1980s.[6] The suffix -core was applied to subgenres of hardcore punk, such as grindcore, thrashcore, metalcore, and deathcore. This usage inspired the ironic usage of the suffix, beginning in the 2010s, to refer to styles outside of the mainstream.[7]

The first use of the suffix to refer to a style was the term normcore, coined in 2013 by trend forecasting group K-HOLE. The normcore aesthetic involved plain clothing as people chose to avoid social media's focus on uniqueness.[2] Glamcore arose soon after normcore as a trend in opposition to it.[8] New York Magazine popularized the term normcore, as well as the 2017 term gorpcore, an outdoor recreation-themed aesthetic named after the snack gorp.[2] The -core suffix began being applied to momentary trends, and existing terms like queercore gained popularity.[8]

The cottagecore trend during the early COVID-19 pandemic as residents of cities wished to get more involved with nature. Similar escapism inspired the darker goblincore aesthetic. The COVID-19 pandemic also inspired cluttercore, which involved collecting objects indoors.[7] The American Dialect Society considered -core as a nominee for "most creative word of 2021".[9]

The term corecore, a criticism of the overuse of trends online and the associated suffix, originated in 2020 and gained popularity in 2022. Corecore became a TikTok trend, commonly described as an "anti-trend", originated by users such as @masonoelle and @HighEnquiries. Corecore videos involved clips from movies, television shows, and online videos, remixed with surreal filters and non sequitur cuts. They often involved themes of sadness and loneliness, as well as criticism of consumerism.[10][11] 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.[12]

Fashions suffixed with -core surged in popularity in 2022.[5] Inspired by the 2023 movie Barbie, the suffix was applied to the Barbiecore trend, inspired by the style of the movie's titular character and the color pink.[6] Barbiecore was more popular than other -core trends the same year.[2] Lexicographer Grant Barrett told The New York Times that year, "'Core' just seems like a suffix that is going to last and last and last."[6]

Examples

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A wiki called Aesthetics Wiki has documented hundreds of -core aesthetics.[2][4] Over 5,000 genres with the suffix -core have been listed on Spotify.[9] Uses of the suffix include:

References

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  1. ^ Munson, Olivia (March 14, 2024). "Barbiecore? Cottagecore? What does 'core' mean in slang and why can't we stop using it". USA Today. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Spellings, Sarah (July 22, 2022). "Core Is the New Chic". Vogue. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
  3. ^ Kaul, Ipsita (August 23, 2023). "Is Gen Z's Obsession With Using 'Core' To Describe Everything Trendy Getting Out Of Hand?". Elle India. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
  4. ^ a b Weekman, Kelsey (March 11, 2022). "Suffixes Have Been Slang-ified". Buzzfeed News. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
  5. ^ a b Madden, Aemilia (December 30, 2022). "These TikTok Fashion Trends Are Poised to Go Viral in 2023". Harpers Bazaar. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Diamond, Sarah (November 5, 2023). "A Word That's True to Its Core". The New York Times. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
  7. ^ a b c d e f Judkis, Maura (September 13, 2021). "Cottagecore, cluttercore, goblincore — deep down, it's about who we think we are". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
  8. ^ a b Kamneva, Anna (May 20, 2020). "On the "-Core" Mechanisms of Street Fashion". ZoneModa Journal. 10 (1S). University of Bologna: 135. doi:10.6092/issn.2611-0563/10561.
  9. ^ a b Mohr, Melissa (February 7, 2022). "Getting to the heart of words made with '-core'". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
  10. ^ Mendez, Moises II (January 20, 2023). "What to Know About Corecore, the Latest Aesthetic Taking Over TikTok". Time. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
  11. ^ Glossop, Ella (January 24, 2023). "Corecore is the Screaming-Into-Void TikTok Trend We Deserve". Vice. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
  12. ^ Townsend, Chance (January 24, 2013). "Explaining corecore: How TikTok's newest trend may be a genuine Gen-Z art form". Mashable. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
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