All About the Nu Metal Pose: What Is It & Where Did It Come From?

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Plus, find out whether the pose is making a comeback

Co-authored by Maryana Lucia Vestic, MFA, M.Phil.

Last Updated: December 6, 2025 Fact Checked

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What is the nu metal pose?

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Where did it come from?

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Why was the pose a thing?

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Is nu metal making a comeback?

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If you haven’t heard, the alternative heavy metal subgenre called nu metal is popping up across social media pages by Gen Z influencers. What also comes with this mix of metal and hip hop is the nu metal pose, a popular “hands out” visual cue that first became known in the mid-1990s. Keep scrolling to learn more about what the new metal pose is, where it came from, why it was a thing, and if it’s making a comeback.

Nu Metal Pose

The nu metal pose is a way of posing that involves spreading out both hands towards the camera and tilting the head. It was used in promotional photos, album covers, and music videos by nu metal bands like Korn, Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park, and Slipknot in the mid-1990s and early 2000s.

Section 1 of 4:

What is the nu metal pose?

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It’s a pose where someone reaches toward the camera with hands spread wide. The nu metal pose is an iconic “hands out” pose from the mid-1990s and early 2000s. The person tilts their head and frames their face between their hands, and they usually stare directly at the camera with a serious but edgy expression. Photos, album covers, and music videos with the nu metal pose were usually visually exaggerated by a fisheye lens, which created a super “in your face” look.^{[1]
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- Bands known as nu metal often performed the pose for photos and in music videos during the mid-1990s to early 2000s.
- What does the nu metal pose mean? The hands-out pose is associated with the "reaching inside your mind" idea, which is linked to nu metal’s focus on introspection and exploring your inner demons.^{[2]
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Section 2 of 4:

Where did the nu metal pose come from?

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The pose was popularized by nu metal bands in the mid-1990s to 2000s. Nu metal is a subgenre of alternative metal that combines heavy metal with hip-hop and funk. It’s most known for its distorted guitars, rhythmic grooves, and a mix of singing, screaming, and rapping.^{[3]
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- Well-known nu metal bands include Korn, Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park, and Slipknot.
- What does “nu” stand for? “Nu” is simply a modern, unique spelling of “new” that became associated with the alternative metal genre.

Section 3 of 4:

Why was the nu metal pose a thing?

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When the nu metal genre emerged in the mid-1990s, it used the overall visual look of the edgy and playful pose, until it seemed like “everyone” was doing it. The pose was a visual emblem of the nu metal blend of metal, hip-hop, and grunge, both culturally and stylistically. The different groups who often used the pose were a combination of metalheads, rock and hip-hop fans, and skateboarders. The pose often went hand in hand with rock, skater, and hip hop streetwear.^{[4]
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Section 4 of 4:

Is nu metal making a comeback?

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Nu metal is regaining popularity with Gen Z thanks to social media. It’s even easier to target new and younger music listeners through social media platforms like YouTube and TikTok. TikTok users have helped nu metal go viral and are bringing new attention to the subgenre and the classic bands that embody it, as well as new incarnations of the nu metal sound.^{[5]
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- For instance, TikToker @krissdy3r is well known for her nu metal, 90s aesthetic.
- Mad Kelly is another popular TikToker who’s bringing back the nu metal sound and aesthetic.
- It’s also become popular for social media users to perform the nu metal pose on TikTok and Instagram.