Do You Wish the Bridgerton Score Were the Soundtrack to Your Life? If So, Read on!
On Christmas day of 2020, Netflix’s debut series Bridgerton took the world by storm. Shattering streaming records, Bridgerton skyrocketed to #1 on Netflix in its first week on the platform and the series has since accumulated a whopping 82 million views. The show centers around the illustrious Bridgerton family, specifically, eldest daughter Daphne. After being named the “diamond” of London’s matchmaking season, Daphne sets out to find her true love by contriving a fake romance with a handsome duke in order to attract more suitors. The world’s fascination with Bridgerton is due to a variety of factors, such as the compelling, multifaceted love story at its core, brilliantly vivid costumes and set design, and, most relevantly to this article, its ingenious soundtrack that features classical covers of modern pop hits. The show includes six of these masterful covers, including hits by Billie Eilish and Shawn Mendes. If you’re like me, when watching the series, you were probably fascinated after detecting the tune of Ariana Grande’s “thank u, next” during the first ballroom scene and instantly wanted it on your playlist. For this reason, I decided to do a little digging to find out who was responsible for these covers and if there are even more classical bops for us to obsess over.
After some light sleuthing, I discovered that the group that performed the Bridgerton covers is the Vitamin String Quartet or VSQ for short. Since 1999, CMH Label Group in Los Angeles has produced and released music under the VSQ name that has been performed by various string players, arrangers, and visionaries, which are consistent quartets. According to the VSQ website, the creators’ goal was to infuse a “rock and roll attitude” into classical techniques. Although Bridgerton has introduced VSQ to a new generation of listeners, you’d be surprised to find out that the group has been featured in a number of high-profile television projects over the past two decades, including the season 5 finale of Modern Family and Gossip Girl’s 100th episode.
At this point, you’re probably wondering which other songs VSQ has transformed into classical masterpieces. Let me tell you—there are tons! As a lover of both modern pop and older classics, I was pleased to find that VSQ has done it all, whether it be tribute albums to musical icons such as The Beatles and Amy Winehouse or covers of annual hits like “Despacito” and “Watermelon Sugar.” To round out this article, I have compiled a list of my favorite VSQ covers below. I hope you are inspired to listen to this incredibly talented group and transport yourself into a whimsical era in which one took “turns about the room” and “promenaded” through the park.
My Favorite VSQ Covers:
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“Young Dumb and Broke” (Originally performed by Khalid)
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“Valerie” (Originally performed by Amy Winehouse)
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“Sex on Fire” (Originally performed by King of Leon)
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“You and I Both” (Originally performed by Jason Mraz)
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“Unwritten” (Originally performed by Natasha Bedingfield)