The term ‘grunge’ was a general term for a form of alternative rock music that erupted in the 1990s, predominantly in Northern America from cities such as Seattle and Chicago, however it is far more definitive to me as a class of alternative music that encompassed a ‘dirtier’ approach in terms of sound and a theme driven approach to lyrics, exploring controversy, angst, bad romance and general apathy towards control.

Be this the case, grunge is far from dead, and it’s celebrity ambassadors such as Courtney Love and Hole, The Dresden Dolls, as well as the die-hard Nirvana fans are far from gone or forgotten.

Courtney Love debuted her new solo song, "You Know My Name" on BBC Radio 6 in April this year, which has been released this month. The track is everything that grunge began – raw, gritty and cleverly written.

In South Africa, new grunge band, Beloved, is a prime example of this revival, pure roots in grunge with a fresh take on the genre, and an added twist of satire and infectious melody. They are quoted as being influenced by artists such as Courtney Love/Hole, Nirvana, Bikini Kill and L7, to name a few.

It is in my opinion that the genre has never died, but has merely evolved over time, with many artists that have held on to its core fundamentals, which are being revived and driven back into the scene like a bloody stake, as we speak.

Grunge never left, but it’s back nonetheless. What do you think?

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