Dearest gentle readers, this author would like to address about Bridgerton’s music placement genius!

Theme and Demographics:

With its release in December 2020 on Netflix, Bridgerton by Chris Van Dusen introduced us to a beautiful fantasy "English" land filled with fabulous fashion, packaged with lavish gala settings, and laced with extraordinary musical choices.

It tells the tales and woes of the privileged families from around the world who come together every year for a season focused on finding suitors for the young and unmarried. The prime focus each season is the love story of one of the Bridgerton family's children. Despite the series being extremely misogynistic due to the era it is set in, 70% of its viewership is female, ranging from teens to seniors. Although the inclusion of all races and colors as equal during the Regency Era attracted a freshness and belongingness.

Music Placement:

Bridgerton has introduced a music marketing genius where the team has successfully used many modern pop songs and turned the tunes into classical renditions. These musical pieces are generally played at galas during dances or as background scores for iconic scenes. You can hear a "Cheap Thrills" performed by a string quartet for a ball to "Give Me Everything Tonight" as a background score for a love scene.

With my curiosity in music industry research, I wanted to explore the details of the sync license owners and cover information, as these covers are derivatives of the original songs.

Season 1 :

My top 3 song picks from the Daphne and Simon' focused season would be:

1.    Thank u, next – Ariana Grande | Publisher: Republic Records (Universal) covered by Vitamin String Quartet

[Scene: While Daphne was seeking suitors, her brother Anthony had a 'thank you, next' attitude towards them.]

2.    Girls Like You – Maroon 5 | Publisher: 222 | Interscope (Universal) covered by Duomo

[Scene: Where the Bridgeton and Featherington girls were waiting for the suitors to call on them.]

3.    Wildest Dreams – Taylor Swift | Publisher: Republic Records (Universal) covered by Vitamin String Quartet

[Scene: Daphne and Simon’s dance and interaction.]

Season 2:

This season had two Indian princess as the lead and it was definitely very exciting for me to watch the common Indian references thrown in a mix during the series. Although it was a little confusing as they used an amalgamation of various Indian words coming from different parts of the country in different languages.

My top 3 favorite song from this season would be:

1.    Material Girl – Madonna | Publisher: Warner Bros covered by Kris Bowers

[Scene: When Kate was looking for a husband for her sister with a materialistic motive.]

2.    Kabhi khushi kabhi gham- Sameer Anjaan, Lalitraj, Jatin | Publisher: Sony Music India covered by Kris Bowers

[Scene: The song is from a cult Bollywood movie by filmmaker Karan Johar, who is well known for extravagant Indian wedding scenes. The lyrics of the song are about unity and accepting that there is both happiness and sorrow in a family.]

3.    Wrecking ball- Miley Cyrus | Publisher: Sony Music covered by Midnite String Quartet

[Scene: When Anthony and Kate dance together after a lot of denial about their feelings, they are definitely rolling like a wrecking ball as a consequence.]

Season 3:

My favorite top 3 picks from the Penelope and Colin focused season will be:

1.    Dynamite – BTS | Publisher:  Big Hit, Columbia(Sony Music) covered by VQS

[Scene: This was a rather small piece for the dance going on in front of the queen, and Eloise was being a dynamite full of words.]

2.    Give Me Everything – Pitbull | Publisher: Polo Grounds Music covered by VQS covered by Archer Marsh

[Scene: I have loved this rendition personally as it appears for Penelope and Colin’s relationship. The string strokes sounded quite prominent and passionate at the same time matching the vibe.]

3.    Coldplay -Yellow | Publisher: Parlaphone (Warner Records) covered by Vitamin String Quartet

[Scene: The song was the right choice for Penelope’s entrance as a bride, as she had worn yellow throughout season 1 & 2.]

According to music stream data from various sources, the bands that covered these songs experienced significant streams, and their versions were added to numerous playlists. Bands like the Vitamin String Quartet began achieving milestones from December 26, 2020, which is one day after the release of season 1. These remarkable versions are definitely going to make you love these already beloved songs. The music supervisors cracked a unique concept by using a quartet band based on the story, paired with some already popular pop songs. Waiting for season 4 to uncover Eloise’s adventures and, of course, new song covers.

-Not Lady Whistledown

Written by Anisha Saikia

Music Industry Professional | Rights Management | Global Desi