A brand-new season of Bridgerton is finally upon us. The new trailer has given us plenty of cues on what to expect from the second coming of Shondaland's adaptation of the Julia Quinn book series set during the Regency era. The first season chronicled Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) and Simon Basset’s (Regé-Jean Page) love story while giving us more than a few catchy regency covers of modern-day pop songs to sway along to. And that is exactly why the fans of the show are excited about the music of the upcoming season.
The trailer revealed that Anthony (Jonathan Bailey) will be caught in a love triangle involving the latest additions to the show, the Sharma sisters — Kate and Edwina (Simone Ashley and Charithra Chandran, respectively). Even though the Sharma sisters bring along more diversity to the existing cast, audiences, especially the Indian viewers, are curious to see how their stories get represented on one of the biggest hits Netflix has seen in the last few years. Will it be authentic to the diaspora or the native culture [a difference that only the desis (a person of Indian, Pakistani, or Bangladeshi birth or descent who lives abroad) will be able to spot]?
What Desi Bridgerton Fans Are Expecting
If anything, the only Indian song on the new soundtrack – the title track of Karan Johar’s film Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham aka K3G – is plenty indicative already. Johar’s early filmography rode on the international success of films like Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge and tapped into a more global audience – the non-residential desi diaspora. Everything about his early films was larger-than-life, glitzy, and way more glamorous than the average Indian lifestyle. For a show like Bridgerton, which deals with mostly the upper-class genteel and the vagaries of their love lives, this song choice fits right in. The original was sung by the late Lata Mangeshkar, and over the years, its somewhat sappy zeal became a part of many desi memes mocking the film’s overly sentimental nature. So it will be interesting indeed to hear the Bridgerton version of it.
Despite Bridgerton’s revisionist and egalitarian approach to history, the Shonda Rhimes production does not have a very nuanced approach to matters of class or racism. We all understand that, like most historic fictions centered around romances, viewers here are meant to watch for the sake of chemistry and not the history. But such a show is bound to spark a conversation and provoke dialogue that can sometimes be more critical of the things the show itself can only paint in broad brushstrokes. Despite our assumptions and expectations, we can only wait and watch how things are dealt with on the show in between serving up drama, intrigue, romance, and of course, chemistry - oodles and oodles of it.
On to the Music
Last time, the string quartet versions delighted the viewers with renditions of Billie Eilish’s “Bad Guy," Ariana Grande’s “Thank U, Next,” and Shawn Mendes’ “In My Blood.” We also had the cover of Taylor Swift’s “Wildest Dreams” that breathed magic into the Duke of Hastings and Daphne’s honeymoon montage.
Netflix’s companion site Tudum unveiled a list of songs that will get a classic Bridgerton makeover for the season that will focus on eldest Bridgerton, Anthony’s quest to find a suitable match. Artists like Duomo (who did the cover for “Wildest Dreams” last year that everyone became obsessed with) and the Vitamin String Quartet are making a comeback amidst a brand-new lineup.
Take a look at the complete list here:
- “Stay Away” by Nirvana, performed by the Vitamin String Quartet
- “Material Girl” by Madonna, performed by Kris Bowers
- “Diamonds” by Rihanna, performed by Hannah V and Joe Rodwell
- “Dancing on My Own” by Robyn, performed by the Vitamin String Quartet
- “Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham” performed by Kris Bowers
- “Sign of the Times” by Harry Styles, performed by Steve Horner
- “What About Us” by Pink, performed by Duomo
- “How Deep is Your Love” by Calvin Harris and Disciples, performed by Kiris
- “Wrecking Ball” by Miley Cyrus, performed by the Midnight String Quartet
Bridgerton showrunner Chris Van Dusen told Tudum, “I chose all of these songs for very specific reasons. Each one is incredibly powerful and deeply emotional in its own special way. I always try many different songs for any one scene before landing on the perfect one to use. This season, I couldn’t be more thrilled about our musical playlist.”
Bridgerton music supervisor Justin Kamps explained to Tudum why pop songs mesh so well with the storytelling style of the show, “pop is where we start, because it fits the style of the show, and it’s often using these super-recognizable songs that just add a lot of joy, which is what pop does in general. The covers give it that little twist that connects the two eras. It’s a good link for everyone to instantly recognize their own feelings in these characters that are in a very different environment than they are.”
The second season is about to hit streaming platform Netflix on March 25th.