Explain grunge to us

It was just 30 years ago, on April 5, 1994, Kurt Cobain, lead singer of the band Nirvana, committed suicide at his home in Seattle, at the age of 27. His group, which will not survive him, is the one that most represents the “grunge” movement.

The adjective “grungy” can be translated as filthy, filthy or dirty. Grunge is a musical style that emerged at the end of the 1980s, in the northwest of the United States, in the Seattle region. It’s a hybrid style that mixes 80s alternative rock with overdriven guitars and huge bass lines. A dirty, raw sound, embodied by a few groups like Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, Nirvana or Soundgarden.

A critique of capitalism

Among grunge groups, there is a form of nihilism, the expression of darkness, of pessimism, which also comes from heroin consumption. In the lyrics, we describe the zone, the struggle, difficult romantic relationships, as on the title About a girl of Nirvana.

Grunge criticizes materialism, like the ultra-famous album cover Nevermind in 1991, with this naked baby in a swimming pool behind a dollar bill. Nevermindsold millions of copies, was a commercial success that sometimes bothered Kurt Cobain.

Ripped jeans, disengaged quickdraws…

The grunge clothing style was then adopted by a whole section of young people in the early 90s. We wear ripped jeans, lumberjack shirts, a tired cardigan. In the clip of Smells like teen spiritKurt Cobain puts on two second-hand t-shirts, one on top of the other.

In Hollywood, Brad Pitt and Johnny Depp adopt this scruffy look that can be found on the catwalks of Haute couture fashion shows. By the mid-90s, grunge was fading.

The grunge movement today

Pearl Jam releases its 12th album in two weeks. And Dn the “post grunge” genre, the Queen of the Stone Age will be at Hellfest, near Nantes in June, as will the group of Dave Grohl, the former drummer of Nirvana, the Foo Fighters.