New sincerity

New sincerity (closely related to and sometimes described as synonymous with post-postmodernism) is a trend in music, aesthetics, literary fiction, film criticism, poetry, literary criticism and philosophy that generally describes creative works that expand upon and break away from concepts of postmodernistirony and cynicism.

Like many terms related to postmodernism and metamodernism, “new sincerity” has been used broadly and vaguely to refer to many styles and attitudes. Generally, it has come to refer to efforts at authenticity and good faith, which are often considered non- or anti-postmodernist, that also nonetheless acknowledges and often incorporates characteristics of postmodernism such as irony and deconstruction.

Its usage dates back to the mid-1980s; however, it was popularized in the 1990s by American author David Foster Wallace.