A term used to describe soppy, saccharine, generic, and wall-of-sound-ish adult contemporary cheese music, usually having vaguely Christian undertones. The genre itself originated in 2013, after the release of Hozier's "Take Me To Church", and rose to popularity in 2021 after Duncan Laurence released his song, "Arcade". It has since been used to define artists like Alex Warren, David Kusher, and Benson Boone. The term, however, was coined in 2025 by a Pitchfork critic known as Hannah Jocelyn.
Tom: What are you listening to?
Bill: Alex Warren.
Tom: Oh, you mean the guy that makes epic sad guy music?
Bill: Alex Warren.
Tom: Oh, you mean the guy that makes epic sad guy music?
by Dyl Dosankan Dumms July 22, 2025