Bridgerton Soundtracks: The Gap Between Pop & Classical Music Is Now…Bridged
The original Netflix series “Bridgerton” won global fans’ acclaim from the first season. Many people, of course, watch it for the abundance of sex scenes and love drama, but we paid more attention to the soundtracks, which are essentially adaptations of modern pop songs played in a classical style. This makes sense, as in the Regency-era London, which is the setting of the series, artists like One Republic, Taylor Swift, or Sia would hardly have been in vogue.
The show blends classical and contemporary music, bridging the gap between pop and classical genres in a way that feels both fresh and nostalgic. The third season of the romantic drama is approaching in June, and from a musical perspective, it’s noteworthy that it’ll feature original compositions, not just orchestral pop covers like two previous seasons did.
We wanted to take a closer look at how “Bridgerton” combines classical and pop music and how seamlessly they manage to do it.
💡The cover soundtracks for season 1 and 2 debuted at #1 on the Billboard classical charts and within a month of the release of season 1, Vitamin String Quartet had a 350% increase in the number of people streaming their work when it was featured in season 2 — a testament to the series’ musical influence.
An effort to create a Regency TV drama appealing to younger audiences
“Bridgerton” follows the wealthy Bridgerton family and their close circle as they navigate the competitive marriage market of high society. The main premise revolves around the eight close-knit siblings of the powerful Bridgerton family — Anthony, Benedict, Colin, Daphne, Eloise, Francesca, Gregory, and Hyacinth — as they search for love and marriage while dealing with friends, rivals, scandals, and the anonymous gossip writer Lady Whistledown.
The first season focuses on the eldest Bridgerton daughter Daphne’s courtship and eventual marriage to Simon Basset, the Duke of Hastings, while seasons 2 and 3 explore the romantic lives of the other Bridgerton siblings as they participate in the highly competitive and scandal-filled social season.
And amidst these love stories, scandals, gossips, and lavish ballrooms, there are modern pop songs that are hard to recognise since they’re played as though they were composed specifically to be played in the Regency era England.
Predominantly performed by The Vitamin String Quartet and carefully curated by music supervisors, this blending of classics and pop enriches Chris Van Dusen’s vision of an alternative Regency London where racial equality was established by King George III due to his wife Queen Charlotte’s African heritage. Music supervisor Justin Kamps, who took over from Alexandra Patsavas in season two, continues to maintain this vision by selecting pop songs and transforming them into orchestral masterpieces.
Notably, season one featured covers like Ariana Grande’s “Thank U, Next” and Maroon 5’s “Girls Like You,” which set the tone for the series’ music soundscape.
“In season two, we start with the Pastel Ball, where the Sharmas are coming out for the first time to see everyone and be seen. Everyone else’s main reason to be there is to begin looking for potential pairings. What we’re hearing is a beautiful rendition of Madonna’s “Material Girl” by our composer, Kris Bowers,” shares Bridgerton’s music supervisor, Justin Kamps, in an interview with Shondaland. “And it’s the perfect song for this ball because you can see that these young women and men are looking for a match who comes from a good house or has lots of money — material things.”
In that episode, we also hear the Hannah V and Joe Rodwell cover of Rihanna’s “Diamonds” during the Queen’s Diamond Ball.
The inspiration behind the fusion stems from a desire to create a Regency world that resonates with contemporary viewers and is appealing enough for younger audiences. Chris Van Dusen clearly wanted to make the show feel modern and relatable, which echoes with the director Julie Anne Robinson’s vision, who drew inspiration from the classic rock covers in the film “A Knight’s Tale.”
Balls in Bridgerton have a special meaning, a place where all characters gather together and where all scandals, competition, and love matches take place, so balls, as you’ve probably guessed, are the main scenes where we can hear the classical renditions of modern pop.
Another lavish ball in season two (which shows the main characters of the season, Anthony and Kate, dancing for the first time and who share this tension from the moment they saw each other) feature “Dancing on My Own” by Robyn in a cover by Vitamin String Quartet.
