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

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Trend expert Jemaree Jay explains this iconic pose

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

Last Updated: December 26, 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, with insights from trend expert Jemaree Jay.

Nu Metal Pose

According to trend expert Jemaree Jay, the nu metal pose is a way of posing that involves spreading out both hands towards the camera. 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.

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Section 1 of 4:

What is the nu metal pose?

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1. 
   It’s a pose where someone reaches toward the camera with hands spread wide. Jay says, “The nu metal pose is when rock stars use their hands in the foreground of an image they’re taking with their palms showing.” 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.

   • 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? “It’s been said that bands like Korn used this pose as a way to show they were forming a connection with the audience,” Jay notes. Others say 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.

   Meet the wikihow Expert

   Jemaree Jay is a content creator based in Miami, Florida. He specializes in viral social content that breaks down Gen Z identity, internet culture, race-based archetypes, and friend group dynamics.
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Section 2 of 4:

Where did the nu metal pose come from?

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1. 
   The pose was popularized by nu metal bands in the mid-1990s to 2000s. Jay explains that nu metal is a sub genre of metal that combines metal, hip hop, and some alternative rock and it first became popular in the 1990s. It began as an underground type of music in the California scene before reaching mainstream popularity. The nu metal sound incorporates distorted guitars, rhythmic grooves, and a mix of singing, screaming, and rapping.

   • Jay says that Limp Bizkit, Korn, and Slipknot are bands commonly associated with nu metal.
   • 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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1. 
   The popular pose was tied to the nu metal genre and related subcultures. 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.
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Section 4 of 4:

Is nu metal making a comeback?

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1. 
   Nu metal is regaining popularity with Gen Z thanks to social media. Jay says, “Nu metal in general is trending again because the nostalgia edits and the fashion associated with that time is making a comeback.” There’s also a growing fanbase for many sub genres of music that existed pre-2010s, before streaming made everything so accessible, he explains. Back then, you could only listen to music if it was on the radio or you went out and bought it. Streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music, and SoundCloud make it easy for people today to discover music from that time period.

   • Jay notes that TikTok is also exposing younger audiences to this type of music on an even wider scale. “I personally have been seeing a lot of Limp Bizkit edits, especially after one of the singers passed away recently.” TikTok users have helped nu metal go viral and are bringing new attention to the classic bands of the subgenre, as well as new incarnations of the nu metal sound.
   • 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. Jay says there have been a lot of videos of people recreating the pose and pointing out its association with nu metal.
   • Jay mentions a recent TikTok video he posted entitled “Bring Back Fun Rap Music” where he said things are more boring in the music world compared to a decade ago. As a response, one of his followers exposed him to the nu metal genre since it has elements of hip hop. “There’s a really big community of people who love it!"

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