What is dreamcore on TikTok and what does it mean?

DREAMCORE is the name of a surrealist aesthetic popularised on TikTok which draws from emblems of the early 2000s.

The theme has been brewing in more remote corners of the internet for some time, but has made it big on TikTok in the last few years.

Aesthetics Wiki / @Lektricfergus

The dreamcore TikTok hashtag has garnered 5.7billion views since the phrase was coined in 2020[/caption]

Aesthetics Wiki / @Lektricfergus

Videos use motifs commonly associated with dreams, such as sparkles and flowers[/caption]

Aesthetics Wiki / @Asterclouds

Dreamcore’s exact origins are unknown[/caption]

What does dreamcore mean?

The dreamcore TikTok hashtag has garnered 5.7billion views since the phrase was coined in 2020.

Short #dreamcore videos are made up of places that look like they’ve been plucked from deep sleep.

The aesthetic aims to capture a dream-like feeling in the form of surreal photos and music, pulling elements from the childhood’s of those who find comfort in the aesthetic.

Videos use motifs commonly associated with dreams, such as sparkles, flowers, winding corridors, doors that lead to nowhere and the concept that you are all alone but safe.

When watching these clips, there is an overarching sense of familiarity.

Dreamcore is not intended to give off any uneasy feelings, and uses bright pastel colours to tune into early 2000s nostalgia.

Those who grew up in the early 2000s popularised the aesthetic, and so imagery often harps back to the later stages of VHS and early Y2K computers.

Fans of the aesthetic say that dreamcore is used to take shelter from reality inside a happy memory or dream.

This aesthetic can then be applied to videos, as well as clothing, design and even music choices.

Other aesthetics that have become incredibly popular on TikTok include Cottagecore and Weirdcore.

Who invented dreamcore?

As with many parts of internet culture, its difficult to know who started what.

Dreamcore’s exact origins are unknown.

However, some have theorised that it can be traced back to a Tumblr user known as jaaaaaim from 2018, according to Aesthetics Wiki.

Aesthetics Wiki / @Lektricfergus

Those who grew up in the early 2000s popularised the aesthetic[/caption]

Aesthetics Wiki / @PureDragonn

Fans of the aesthetic say that dreamcore is used to take shelter from reality inside a happy memory or dream[/caption]

Aesthetics Wiki / @Lektricfergus

The aesthetic aims to capture a dream-like feeling in the form of surreal photos and music[/caption]

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