Why Bridgerton Uses So Much Modern Music
Netflix's Bridgerton combines the tropes and aesthetic of the likes of Pride & Prejudice, but with a more modern edge provided by Shondaland, including several covers of recent pop songs and one modern track. But why does the series include Regency versions of songs by Billie Eilish, Harry Styles, Taylor Swift and Maroon 5 among others? It's all about Bridgerton's progressive ideas.
Alongside an exceptional, emotive score by Kris Bowers, the first season of Bridgerton included covers of Ariana Grande’s “thank u, next”, Maroon 5’s “Girls Like You”, Shawn Mendes’ “In My Blood”, Billie Eilish’s “bad guy”, Celeste’s “Strange”, and Taylor Swift’s pop song “Wildest Dreams”, most of which are covered by Vitamin String Quartet with the last two by Bowers and Duomo. They are immaculately-observed period-appropriate covers and they add a great hook to distinguish it from other period competitors. There's also a track — «Love Yourself» — by Sufjan Stevens that completely drops the historical relevance for one key moment. And Bridgerton season 2's soundtrack also packs in some covers of pop floor-fillers.
Related: Bridgerton Season 1 Ending Explained (In Detail)
Typically, you might expect a show like this to use the gimmick of modern covers all the way through, or to stick with a more traditional score, so why did Bridgerton choose to go with both? The covers actually operate as an easy indicator that the show is not traditionalist. Just like its consciously diverse cast, the point of Netflix's Bridgerton is that it stands as a challenge to the usual tropes of this type of show — it is feminist, progressive, defiant even, and using modern music in the regency style is a smart nod to that.
While it does reinforce some Regency drama
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