Hideous Macabre: Grotesque Resistance in Contemporary Russian Popular Music

This article examines the rise of grotesque aesthetics in nonconformist Russian popular music of the late 2010s as a channel for aesthetic dissensus. Drawing on Jacques Rancière’s theorisation of politics, it establishes the conceptual connections between dissensus, disidentification, and the grotesque. It then demonstrates how grotesque aesthetics function as a site of dissensus in three ways: through disidentification from dominant national identity discourses, the exploration of the effect of politics on bodies, and the disruption of prior representations of marginalized groups. Through macabre humour, horror, and absurdity, these aesthetics provoke complex emotional responses, inviting audiences to engage with political realities not just intellectually but empathetically. Ultimately, the study underscores the broader relevance of grotesque aesthetics as a means of resistance, highlighting their ability to destabilise dominant cultural frameworks, expose the fractures within authoritarian socio-political systems and foster dissensus, giving room to new political subjectivities.