Bardcore

Bardcore[lower-alpha 1] or tavernwave is an internet phenomenon that became popular in 2020 consisting of medieval inspired remakes of hit pop and rock songs.[2]

For the album BARDCORE (2017), see Library Bards.

History

Prior to 2020, some individual medieval adaptations of popular music had gained attention on YouTube, such as LjB0's Halo Theme remix[3] and Algal the Bard's version of System of a Down's "Toxicity" which attracted millions of listeners after it was published in December 2017.[4]

However, The Guardian dates the origin of bardcore as a distinct trend to 20 April 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, when 27-year-old 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.[2]

Link followed this a few weeks later with a medieval-style instrumental version of Foster the People's "Pumped Up Kicks", which Canadian YouTuber[5] Hildegard von Blingin' (a play on the name of the medieval composer Hildegard von Bingen)[6] 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.[2] Hildegard von Blingin' has also covered Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance", Radiohead's "Creep", Dolly Parton's "Jolene" and Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know", changing the rhythm and lyrics to fit the genre.[5]

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.[7]

The trend was joined by other YouTubers, including Graywyck, Constantine and Samus Ordicus.[2] 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 Gen Z's existential humour."[8]

As of September 2020 hundreds of songs have been covered in medieval/bardcore style, most can be found on YouTube. [9]

In October 2020, Scott Mills featured tracks by prominent Bardcore artists Beedle The Bardcore, Hildegard Von Blingin’ and Stantough (covered Harry Styles' "Watermelon Sugar") on his prime time BBC Radio 1 show.[10]

Notes
  1. Referring to a bard,[1] a professional storyteller or musician in medieval Gaelic and British culture.

References
  1. Yalcinkaya, Gunseli (2020-06-23). "Prithee! Bardcore is the medieval music trend taking over YouTube". Dazed. Archived from the original on 2020-07-07. Retrieved 2020-07-07.
  2. "Never mind the ballads! How bardcore took over pop music". The Guardian. 2020-06-24. Archived from the original on 2020-07-03. Retrieved 2020-07-07.
  3. LjB0 (29 August 2017). "Halo Theme (Medieval Style)". YouTube. Archived from the original on 22 August 2020. Retrieved 11 September 2020.
  4. Dorn, Lori (2020-07-07). "An Incredible Medieval Cover of System of a Down's 'Toxicity' Performed on Traditional Instruments". Laughing Squid. Archived from the original on 2020-07-11. Retrieved 2020-07-07.
  5. Romain, Lindsey (2020-07-14). "Medieval Cover of "Jolene" Is a Bardcore Banger". Nerdist Industries. Archived from the original on 2020-07-16. Retrieved 2020-07-22.
  6. "Q&A Time! Talking Bardcore & Roleplaying with Hildegard von Blingin". Beasts of War Ltd. 2020-06-30. Archived from the original on 2020-07-07. Retrieved 2020-07-22.
  7. "Wu Tang Clan Official YouTube Channel". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 2020-12-11.
  8. Tanatarova, Elmira (2020-06-23). "Exploring Bardcore: YouTube's obsession with medieval covers of Lady Gaga". i-D. Vice Media. Archived from the original on 2020-07-17. Retrieved 2020-07-22.
  9. "Medieval Music - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 2020-09-23.
  10. "Radio 1's Scott Mills Daily Podcast". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2020-12-11.
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