Sass (music)

Sass (), or white belt hardcore, is a broadly-defined subgenre of post-hardcore that merges screamo with elements of dance-punk and post-punk. Characterized by erratic stage performances, flamboyant mannerisms, homoerotic lyrical content, dance beats and lisping vocals, the genre was pioneered during the late 1990s. During its initial popularity, sass was defined more by its lyrical, aesthetic and performance elements, rather than music. In particular, it was split into a series of distinct musical styles: the mainline post-punk and screamo-inspired post-hardcore sass of the Blood Brothers, the VSS and the Plot to Blow Up the Eiffel Tower; the dance punk-leaning girlfriend sass sound of Q and Not U, Hot Hot Heat and !!!; the screamo-leaning sassy screamo music of JR Ewing and later Orchid; and the mathcore and grindcore influenced white belt grind sound of the Locust, an Albatross and early Daughters.