When club bangers turn into orchestral epics, you know it’s Bridgerton time. If you’re obsessed with this weird and wonderful genre then read on, as there’s much more where that came from outside the confides of 19th century Mayfair.
As season three has dropped its second four episodes, many will have zoomed through them by the weekend, and will be looking for similar Bridgerton-esque experiences to binge on in the period drama’s absence.
Jam-packed with orchestral covers of contemporary popular music, Bridgerton takes the often stale period drama form and gives it a big old 21st century zhuzh – as well as some seriously steamy sex scenes.
Spoiler alert if you’re yet to catch up, but there is one particularly memorable season three moment in which Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) and Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) finally get it on in – scandal alert – the back of a carriage.
But as the – really quite phenomenally acted – sex scene unfolds, whose song do we hear pulsing louder in the background, but Pitbull’s Give Me Everything in its most heroic orchestral form, stripped down by Archer Marsh.
Reflecting on his dance anthem’s reimagining, Pitbull took to social media with the clip and wrote how Bridgerton’s use of it shows ‘music is the international language’ and that a hit song ‘can remain timeless’.
Meanwhile, the unlikely Pitbull and period drama crossover – which no one had on their bingo cards for 2024 – even had Netflix commenting that ‘Lord Pitbull’ is now ‘officially part of the ton’.
Truthfully, the song did work. Club bangers in particular thrive when reimagined through grand strings, with their quickening tempos and catchy, lustful choruses.
Over season three popular songs by artists including Gayle, Sia, BTS, Nick Jonas, Billie Eilish and Taylor Swift have all been given the classical treatment on Bridgerton, and proved very popular in the process – with over 1million saves on Spotify’s official Bridgerton playlist.
Pitbull’s carriage scene banger has amassed 3.5million plays and counting.
But did you know there is a whole other world of entertainment to be enjoyed, where some of the UK’s biggest modern hits get the Bridgerton treatment? You can see it live, too.
The other month, Ellie Goulding glittered at the Royal Albert Hall as she performed some of her greatest hits alongside the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra.
Powered by the gusto of an 80-strong orchestra, experiencing the dance pop icon’s songs in this new light truly elevated them, injecting a whole new powerful blow to the well-known tunes.
If you missed Ellie, no fear – there are lots of other opportunities to experience the weight of a full orchestra behind some of this century’s most famous songs.
The Philharmonic Orchestra have a series of upcoming concerts at the Kensington venue in which they perform their ever-so dramatic version of modern songs.
On June 25, the orchestra will be holding a Symphonic Rock concert which includes classical renditions of hits by the likes of Pink Floyd, Queen, Eurythmics, Oasis, U2, David Bowie, Coldplay, The Police, Stereophonics, Oasis, The Rolling Stones, ELO, Guns ‘n’ Roses, The White Stripes, Primal Scream and Tina Turner.
Their chosen songs – to be played with the signature symphonic twist – include Bohemian Rhapsody, Layla, Livin’ On A Prayer, Stairway to Heaven, Bat Out of Hell, Bittersweet Symphony, and the evening will be hosted by Ken Bruce.
Meanwhile, ABBAphonic is returning to the Royal Albert Hall on October 22 for an epic journey through their biggest hits including Dancing Queen, Mamma Mia, Money, Money, Money, Take a Chance on Me, S.O.S., Voulez-Vous, Super Trouper, The Winner Takes it All, Fernando, Does Your Mother Know, and Thank You for the Music.
The evening will feature West End vocalists Abbie Osmon and Emma Kershaw, as well as a ‘special guest presenter’.
Elsewhere, at the BBC Proms this summer ticket holders can watch Sam Smith joined by the BBC Concert Orchestra for a retrospective performance of their debut solo album, In the Lonely Hour, 10 years after its release.
Those without tickets can watch this August 2 performance on BBC iPlayer and BBC Two, or listen on BBC Radio 3 from home.
The soulful debut album from Florence and the Machine – aptly named Lungs – is also coming to life on stage as part of the Proms, as Florence Welch will be joined by Jules Buckley and his Orchestra on September 11.
So perhaps it’s time to kick off those converse, wipe yourself clean of sticky venue floors and puddle-soaked toilets, and head for a different kind of concert experience – with a Bridgerton-esque twist.
How very civilised.
Bridgerton season three is available to stream on Netflix.
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