‘Emo’ has been rebranded. In a growing, angst-ridden corner of TikTok, Gen Z has built their own emotionally raw, deeply sincere form of aesthetic and ideological self-expression, known as corecore. In part a riposte to the pile-up of consumerist ‘cores’ superficially focused on fashion subcultures (like #cottagecore and #blokecore), corecore is a deliberately earnest addition to the internet lexicon, intended to communicate and provoke intense feelings. 

Corecore videos follow a highly recognisable visual and tonal style, reflective of the ‘very online’ hue of Gen Z communication – full of pop culture references and internet fluency. The aesthetic leans on several principles, including ‘web weaving’, a commitment to sensory stimulation, and nostalgic 20^th century video-art references.

Corecore’s strong ideological streak can be seen as Gen Z’s TikTokkified attempt at grappling with big societal concepts. A key influence here is British documentarian Adam Curtis, who’s documentaries – like 2016’s HyperNormalisation – use found media and rare archive footage to unpack politically-charged topics.

As corecore continues to evolve, its dismissal of irony is likely to have a lasting impact on how Gen Z express themselves online, crucial for the 74% of US Gen Zers who want to be their authentic selves on social media (SuperAwesome, 2023). Now, many corecore videos pursue an intentionally personal tone, covering heartbreak, loneliness, and the tribulations of friendship, while sibling mini-trends inspired by corecore principles offer tweaked formats for emotional candour.