On What I Like to Call Glam Nouveau

I’m a fan of glam rock. Now, I’m sure most of you associate glam rock with David Bowie and bisexual (or gay) men. If you don’t know about the genre, please go listen to some glam rock bands.

Glam rock isn’t really a music genre. I mean, I guess it kind of is. But really, it’s an attitude associated with a sort of pop/rock music. Not just an attitude, but also a subject matter, and more important than anything, how you present yourself. Glitter is an important aspect of that presentation.

Glam rock is about being over-the-top. It’s about not just letting your freak flag fly, but taking it a step further. Glam rock enjoys creativity, and out-of-this-world topics. If you listen to the music, you’ll find there’s a huge emphasis on extraterrestrial worlds and life (i.e. Ziggy Startdust and the Spiders from Mars).

Glam rock thrills in the ability to push people beyond their comfort zone. It engages young people, who are naturally all about discovering themselves and their world. It does not cater to those who are only concerned with fitting in or the status quo. Glam rock is also nothing if not superficial.

If you examine present/recent music, you’ll find that there is, once again, an emphasis on being out-of-this world, being over-the-top, and ridiculous amounts of glitter. However, this genre is dominated by women, not men, and is incredibly popular in the US, not the UK. This is what I like to call glam nouveau.

I wouldn’t consider “glam nouveau” a revival of glam rock, but it certainly has similarities. It pushes the status quo. It’s very attractive to the younger generations. It’s not afraid to talk about sex, and the artists tend to be bisexual, or at least don’t have a clearly defined sexuality. And it is all about being over-the-top and having ridiculous amounts of glitter. And I love it.

Artists I would consider glam nouveau? The obvious one, Lady Gaga. But a couple others I would consider part of the genre are Ke$ha and Katy Perry. Like I said, dominated by women. I’m sure there are others, just not that I can think of at the moment. These three are the ones who brought me to coin a name for a genre based on their music.

If you have any opinions on the subject, I’d love to hear your point of view. I love discussing culture and music and fashion, all of which both glam rock and glam nouveau encompass.