Whether you’re a regular Music Man reader or not, we would be extremely surprised if you weren’t familiar with a-Ha’s song ‘Take On Me’. From its instantly memorable synth riff to the iconic chorus, the song is known and loved by generations of music fans the world over, perhaps even topping the list as the most recognizable song of the 1980s.
When unusual YouTube music group Courseval decided to take the song and transform it into their Medieval ‘bardcore’ style, it’s little wonder that some viewers were skeptical at first. How could a song that is so well-known for its gorgeous synths and danceable feel be turned into a quirky Medieval tune played on traditional instruments?
Fortunately for Courseval, their answer to that question was actually “pretty easily”! Using only instruments that would have been around during that time period, such as lutes and wooden flutes, the group actually pull off this insane genre twist cover with style and panache – and sound shockingly good while doing it too.
Of course, as you will probably have guessed from the professionalism with which they delivered their a-Ha cover, this is not the first time Courseval have taken a well-known pop song and transformed it into their own inimitable style. Take the video below, for instance, which shows them giving Gloria Gaynor’s ‘I Will Survive’ the Bardcore treatment.
It is little surprise, however, Music Man readers, that Courseval’s cover of ‘Take On Me’ remains the most popular on their YouTube channel, having racked up hundreds of thousands of views in a relatively short time. It just goes to show that when you have a song as catchy and well-written as that one, it can be transformed into any style and still sound amazing!
Courseval’s bardcore take on “Take On Me” proves an ’80s classic can be reborn with charm and surprising authenticity. If you’d like to hear more from the group or watch the cover, useful links to find out more are provided below this paragraph.