Bardcore


Bardcore or tavernwave is a 2020 internet phenomenon consisting of medievalised remakes of hit pop songs.

History

Prior to 2020, some individual medieval adaptations of popular music had gained attention on YouTube, such as Algal the Bard's version of System of a Down's "Toxicity" which attracted millions of listeners after it was published in December 2017.
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 ". 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 Canadian YouTuber Hildegard von Blingin' 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" and Dolly Parton's "Jolene", changing the rhythm and lyrics to fit the genre.
The trend was joined by other YouTubers, including Graywyck, Constantine 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 Gen Z's existential humour."