Product Code Database
Bardcore or tavernwave is a musical microgenre that became popular in 2020, consisting of medieval music remakes of popular songs.
The Guardian dates the origin of bardcore as a distinct trend to 20 April 2020, during the COVID-19 lockdown, when German YouTuber Cornelius Link released "Astronomia (Medieval Style)". The track is a remake of Tony Igy's 2010 electronic dance track "Astronomia", which had gained widespread attention as the soundtrack to the coffin dance meme.
Link followed this a few weeks later with a medieval-style instrumental version of Foster the People's "Pumped Up Kicks", which Canada YouTuber Hildegard von Blingin' (a play on the name of the medieval composer Hildegard von Bingen) then re-released with an added vocal track using a medieval-style adaptation of the original lyrics. By the end of June, both versions had reached 4 million views. Hildegard von Blingin' has also covered Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance", Radiohead's "Creep", Dolly Parton's "Jolene", Lana Del Rey's "Summertime Sadness" and Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know", changing the rhythm and lyrics to fit the genre.
Wu Tang Clan endorsed Bardcore artist Beedle the Bardcore by reposting his cover of their track C.R.E.A.M. on their official YouTube channel.
The trend was joined by other YouTubers, including Latvia band Auļi, Graywyck, Constantine Bard and Samus Ordicus. Elmira Tanatarova in i-D suggests bardcore "carries with it the weight of years of memes made about the medieval era, and the bleak darkness of that time period that appeals to Generation Z's existential humour." The artwork accompanying bardcore songs in YouTube are frequently medieval-style representations of the song being covered, often in the style of the Bayeux Tapestry or illuminated manuscripts.
While bardcore is primarily an online phenomenon, live acts have begun to appear, such as the French trio Courseval, formed in 2024, which adapts pop songs into Old French and performs at castles, abbeys and medieval museums. The group appeared on the French edition of with a medieval version of The Weeknd's "Blinding Lights", sung in Old French under the title "Les Chandelles".
In October 2020, tracks by prominent Bardcore artists Beedle The Bardcore, Hildegard Von Blingin’, and Stantough were featured on a prime-time BBC Radio 1 show.
|
|
