# -core

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

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. 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. It is mostly used by Generation Z. -core and similar suffixes, such as -ussy and -pilled, are used online and on TikTok for shorthand references to concepts. The term sleaze (as in indie sleaze) arose in response to -core to refer to subversions of trends.

## History

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. 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.
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. Glamcore arose soon after normcore as a trend in opposition to it. New York Magazine popularized the term normcore, as well as the 2017 term gorpcore, an outdoor recreation-themed aesthetic named after the snack gorp. The -core suffix began being applied to momentary trends, and existing terms like queercore gained popularity.
The cottagecore trend emerged 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. The American Dialect Society considered -core as a nominee for "most creative word of 2021".
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. 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.
Fashions suffixed with -core surged in popularity in 2022. 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. Barbiecore was more popular than other -core trends the same year. 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."

## Examples

A wiki called Aesthetics Wiki has documented hundreds of -core aesthetics. Over 5,000 genres with the suffix -core have been listed on Spotify. Uses of the suffix include:
* Barbiecore – an aesthetic inspired by the movie Barbie featuring the color pink
* Cluttercore – a maximalist aesthetic
* Cottagecore – a pastoral aesthetic
* Goblincore – a grotesque, fantasy-inspired aesthetic
* Gorpcore – an aesthetic based on outdoor recreation
* Darkroom-core – an aesthetic focused on dim mood lighting
* Kidcore – a colorful aesthetic inspired by Y2K fashion
* Normcore – an anti-fashion aesthetic focused on plain clothing
* Regencycore – an aesthetic inspired by the television series Bridgerton