In my continued journey to curate the best vibes in my home, I fell down a Spotify rabbit hole that's completely changed how I clean. That rabbit hole is none other than seeking out all the Medieval Tavern Music playlists I can get my peasant paws on.
The viral trend, which has spread across TikTok and Instagram, is easy to incorporate into any dreaded kitchen clean-up routine. You simply act like you're a humble barkeeper closing down their cozy, lantern-lit tavern at the end of a long evening, basking in the dulcet tones of a bard who's laying down a sick dirge on the fiddle.
If you've ever wished you could teleport into your favorite book of the Redwall, Harry Potter, or A Court of Thorn and Roses series, this is one trend you're going to want to try. Wiping down counters, scrubbing dishes, and cleaning out your fridge with twinkling harpsichord and flute playing from a Bluetooth speaker becomes a Cottagecore fantasy, even though it's still a boring chore.
Since I started cleaning to Medieval tavern music, I not only wake up to a clean kitchen every day, but I actually look forward to "closing down" my little tavern. Pretending to be a barmaid feels more like something I get to do, rather than something I merely have to do. Especially as the days become shorter and my winter baking to-do list gets longer (and my dirty dishes stack up), cleaning along to Medieval tavern music makes me instantly feel more like a woodland fairy than someone who wishes they had a dishwasher. It's way less trad wife, and more like a way to cosplay a simpler time, in the vein of popular shows and movies My Lady Jane and Catherine, Called Birdy.
The trend is becoming more mainstream now, as TikTokers share their favorite playlists, which include Lord of the Rings soundtracks, World of Warcraft soundscapes, and popular homemade playlists simply called "Tavern Wench Cleaning Playlist" and "Closing the Tavern." Spotify even will craft you a Bardcore mix of your own; mine features Medieval covers of pop songs like "Hips Don't Lie" and "No Scrubs" that sound like they'd be at home in a dive bar's jukebox in the Shire. And if it's good enough for Mr. Frodo, it's certainly good enough for me.
