The 90s was an era where people fell down a melancholic cave of dark aesthetics serenaded by heavy metal denoting the collective mindset of nihilism.
With Grunge vibes, gothic style, and emo lifestyle, the generation desperately needed a voice that could validate their inner turmoil of living in a gradually failing civilization.
Enter a “Korn” – a band that pioneered a subset of the rock genre, forever changing the course of musical history by blending several genres with lyrics that resonated like an anthem.
Korn, the band from Bakersfield, formed in 1993 and subverted the rules of metal music. They are considered the founding fathers of nu-metal, which experiments with the fusion of heavy metal music with other genres such as hip-hop and alternative rock.
Also known as aggro-metal, their music induced an unhinged feeling– a sentiment that lingers after your absolute anger turns into an unnerving sense of demented calmness (comment below your first bout of emotions after listening to their music).
Korn’s music transcends through generations because of its unique production of unrhythmic beats, down-tuned seven-string guitars, old-school hip-hop beats, and guitar riffs with an eerie vibe. This inspired a legion of other artists, such as Slipknot, Soulfly, Skrillex, Ghostemane, Touché Amoré, and even Billie Eilish.
But why does such an influential band with hardcore lyrics that embody the deepest, darkest, and low-key inner demonic emotions have a random name like “Korn?”
The name Korn is an alternate spelling for corn. The band was looking for a name that doesn’t put them into any box. The free-spirited chill members decided to devise a random name to invoke curiosity among listeners and then hit them with a never-before music experience.
But wait a moment…. there’s more to the story than just a random word. Here’s the full insider scoop on Korn being Korn.
How Did Korn Make Their Name?
The lead vocalist and frontman of Korn, Jonathan Davis, explained in an interview how the members agreed on a name–
“Our manager at the time, Larry, we told him we were gonna call it Korn, and he’s like, ‘You can’t name your band Korn.’ So we told him, ‘Well, we’re gonna name it Larry then.’ And he’s like, ‘F*ck you.’ I’m like, ‘It’s gonna be either Larry or Korn, you f*ckin’ pick.'”
“I f*cking chuckle to this day that my band’s name is Korn. It’s f*cking funny!”
Jonathan Davis
The whole point of the name was to be just a random identifier. They wanted people to wonder what kind of name Korn is and pique their interest in what kind of music Korn produces, and we must say– mission ac-Korn-mplished!
But there is still more to the story, and it takes a hilariously unexpected turn.
How Did Korn Come Up With Korn?
Davis appeared on a podcast, Steve-O’s wild ride, hosted by Steve-O from the Jackass franchise. This tell-all interview opened a can of worms about why Korn became Korn, and let’s just say it’s NSFW…so read further at your own risk.
So the story starts when Jonathan attends a party. He overheard an explicit conversation between two dudes.
“Two gay guys talking about how they loved felching each other [sucking or eating semen out of someone’s anus].”
“And the one dude was talking that he was felching his lover, and the guy shat all over his face, and he had a corn kernel on his tongue. So, people that knew the story, they were there, and we just go, ‘Corn….’
“And they would be like, ‘Shut up, dude! Oh, god damn, no, no…’ And that’s how the name came about.”
To be honest, that is pretty punk rock!
This hilarious origin is just the tip of the iceberg of the profound voice of Korn.
What Is the Meaning of Korn?
Jonathan further elaborated in a recent podcast–
“The whole thinking behind it was like, ‘It doesn’t matter what you’re called.’ It’s like a punk rock thing; it’s like, ‘F*ck, we’ll call it Korn – who cares – I don’t need any mysterious, weird fucking name.'”
While designing the logo, one of the members suggested flipping the letter “R,” inspired by the logo of “Toys R Us.”
At the same time, the flipped R also imbibes a spooky feeling in the logo. This symbolizes their music accurately as giving you a false sense of peace before entering the hell gate.
Regardless of the meaning, the band has thrived for 25 years and still going strong with their music.
What do you think of this bizarre name origin? Do you like the nu-metal genre? Name one Korn song that got you into their music.
Let us know in the comments section below.
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