We can all agree on one thing – the Bridgerton series is the biggest show out there right now. If you haven’t been seeing Bridgerton you are sure missing a lot, the series has been nothing short of captivating since the premiere of it’s first season, the series having glued lots of people to their T.v screens over the years has also made wave over some social media platforms with some of its clips going viral, leading more attention to the series. The series however has released a third season and this time with a non-fungible blend of Regency-era drama and modern pop elements. One of the series’ unique features which have given the whole series a whole lot of new aura while maintaining its original state is its instrumental pop covers. This idea is a creative touch that transformed contemporary hits into elegant string quartet arrangements, perfectly fitting the show’s romantic and historical setting. The instrumental pop covers features songs by some of the biggest names in music today, including Pitbull, Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, BTS amongst others. These modern hits receive a classical makeover, blending them seamlessly with the olden days setting of the drama.
The series’s music supervisor Justin Kamps has expertly curated the third season’s playlist himself, making sure that each song fits the script’s themes and the scenes’ emotions. According to him in an interview with Tudum he said “I start to try to think of songs from the past that could maybe work for this and then also resent hits that could possibly make sense, our selection process is meticulous, often involving matching the choreography and the scene’s emotional tone.” The show has always been known for its ballroom sequences, where the instrumental covers always shine, but this season finds new and creative ways to incorporate them outside of dance scenes. “We have a lot of covers that aren’t necessarily part of ball sequences this year,” Kamps pointed out. “It’s because we found some cute places to insert something that can play as a fun cover that doesn’t necessarily have to be attached to a dance sequence.”
“abcdefu” (Gayle) by Vitula
Listening to this song’s cover as a classic on the series was just a new level of awesome, the song hits different again, even music supervisor Justin Kamps referred to Gayle as badass. He said in his words “I think Gayle herself is such a badass. If you’ve ever seen her perform this song live, the energy is electrifying. Everyone in the crowd is shouting along, and it perfectly captures the boldness and confidence that Penelope feelings in this moment.” If you take some time to see the movie you’d see the Gayle’s hit “abcdefu” cover came in just at the perfect time.
“Dynamite” (BTS) by Vitamin String Quartet
This amazing jam also made it to the list and of course its cover performance was on another level. Kamps also gave his comment, he said, “It’s the perfect, light, dance song for our dancers to have been choreographed to.” At the ball in episode two, when Colin tries to help Penelope with speaking to suitors and Eloise makes jokes to a group of debutantes, a cover of the BTS’s song “Dynamite” played.
“Jealous” (Nick Jonas) by Shimmer
This jam’s cover played at the same ball as BTS”s “Dynamite,” when Penelope finally finds herself enjoying a conversation with one of the suitors, and Colin notices this from across the room, he felt a twinge of jealousy, Kamps also made t known that the song is one of his wife’s favorite song, and it’s got a great melody.”
“Cheap Thrills” (Sia) by Vitamin String Quartet
Speaking of old but gold, Sia’s “cheap Thrills” is sure one of them and it’s seems the series cover of the song as just brought more shine for the song as fans have been streaming the songs over and also the cover for the Bridgerton series. The cover track played at the scene where Lord and Lady Hawkins’s Innovations Ball of 1815.
“Happier Than Ever” (Billie Eilish) by Vitamin String Quartet
Spotify streams of this cover spiked a whopping 11,000% after the release of Season 3, Part 1. The song was actually used on set for the choreography, which doesn’t always happen in the series,” Kamps says. “It was just the perfect song for the dance and it made sense thematically.
Although this third season also followed the series’ signature theme which is love, and romance among other themes and also place focus on the romance between Penelope (Nicola Coughlan) also known by viewers as lady whitledown and Colin (Luke Newton). Their evolving relationship is beautifully led us to the other unique feature of the series which is the show’s first-ever original song, “All I Want.” Written by an impressive team, which includes Rogét Chahayed, Wesley Singerman, Taylor Dexter, and Nicole Cohen, it was performed by Tori Kelly. The orchestral version arranged by Bridgerton composer Kris Bowers perfectly captures the series’ blend of modern and classic influences. Music supervisor Kris Bowers described the process of creating their theme as capturing the “two steps forward, one step back” nature of the two character’s relationship. He said This melodic depth of the songs is to evoke the feeling of their hesitant but hopeful romance.
“Snow on the Beach” (ft. Lana Del Rey) by Taylor Swift, cover by Atwood Quartet
This song came in the 4th episode, when Colin interrupts the dance between Penelope and Debling. As they argue on the dance floor, a cover of “Snow on the Beach” by Taylor Swift and Lana Del Rey plays in the background. The lyrics, particularly the chorus, “flying in a dream, stars by the pocketful / you wanting me tonight feels impossible,” reflect the pair’s feelings. “Every year is Taylor’s year, as we know, and she’s just bigger than ever,” says Kamps. He also gave his appreciation for letting them use the song on the series “I’m very excited that they gave us permission to use the song because it’s a beautiful moment.
“Give Me Everything – Stripped Down” (Pitbull) by Archer Marsh
The song had a quite different sound compared to the other covers we listen to. It was like an explosion of emotions for the two characters, as they show their intense moments while this song played. The cover added a kind of unique flair to the show.
“POV” (Ariana Grande) by Strings from Paris
Ariana Grande’s hit song “POV” was also brought back to life. The song’s cover played at Penelope and Colin’s first intimate moment. Trust me it was a really sensual scene that needed “Grande’s “POV” to capture the emotions. Kamps also gave his comment; He said “The song ended up being pretty, emotional, and heartfelt, expressing the love on display in that sequence.”
“Thunder” (Imagine Dragons) by Thomas Mercier
Kamps’ said, his process for choosing the right covers for the series starts with reading through the scripts and figuring out each season’s themes. He started by thinking of songs from the past that could work and also current hit songs that might make sense. He said he chose this song for the scene where Lady Danbury’s brother, Lord Marcus Anderson, calls on Violet to pick up his hat, to hint at the growing romance between Marcus and Violet, and the song continues as Violet sits in the drawing room with her children.
“All I Want” (Tori Kelly) by Kris Bowers
This song is the only original song of the Brigerton season 3 series, it was composed by Tori Kelly, while the cover was by Kris Bowers. Bowers during an interview with Tudum said that he aims for his covers to feel “so palpable” that they trigger “emotional memories” of listening to the song’s original version. “There’s a lot of study for me, listening to all those production elements and vocal elements, and figuring out how to transpose those into the orchestral arrangement.”
It’s also important to know that Brigeton third Season’s covers were so well-received by Spotify listeners, with some the songs getting a dramatic increase in search and listening. Vitamin String Quartet’s “Cheap Thrills” recorded a 9,500% increase in streams after the release of Brigeton season 3, Part 1.