Reel Interview: Bridgerton Music Supervisor, Justin Kamps, On Building Season Four’s Fairytale Soundtrack

Image via Liam Daniel/Netflix

Even four seasons in, fans remain devoted to Bridgerton for its passionate love stories, beautiful costumes, elaborate set design and irresistibly charming characters. One signature element that makes Bridgerton stand out amongst the sea of period dramas is its dedication to its soundtrack. Every season, modern music gets a Regency twist to fit the characters’ storylines, and fans go wild for these classical covers. From Madonna’s “Material Girl” to Pitbull’s “Give Me Everything,” fans never know what song to expect but praise the music supervisor for finding the perfect tune to fit the scene. 

Have you ever wondered how these songs make it into Regency-era London? Music supervisor for Bridgerton, Justin Kamps, sat down with Reel Talk & Reviews to tell us all about the fascinating world of Bridgerton’s music scene. Spoilers ahead for Bridgerton season four.

Image via Liam Daniel/Netflix

Kamps took over as the sole music supervisor during season two, and he’s developed a strong routine to build out a season’s soundtrack. He praised showrunner Jess Brownell for her unwavering care toward each Bridgerton sibling’s story and recounted the creative process behind it. 

“I always want to be servicing her creative intention for each season,” Kamps said. “I like to hear what she’s thinking, what themes are going to stand out, what our character arcs are going to be for the season.”

He said he then takes notes from this brainstorming session and starts digging for songs that fit the storyline, essentially curating the ultimate playlist for your favorite Bridgerton characters. 

Image via Liam Daniel/Netflix

Kamps could have a perfect song that fits Benedict Bridgerton’s (Luke Thompson) arc. Its licensing could be secured. But does the song translate well into the proper classical Regency sound? It’s important to make sure the cover is catchy, but Kamps noted that it’s essential to make sure a song’s classical cover is still recognizable. Kamps explained that finding a popular song with a strong melody is key.

“I don’t think every hit song could make sense as a string quartet cover,” he said. “And when you bring [a song] over to be arranged for a string quartet, you’re losing the lyrics, you’re losing any production or anything that makes the song unique.” 

For years, fans have taken to social media to theorize which songs might make it into the series. Sometimes, fans present a song too perfect to ignore. One song that has lived on fans’ wishlists for years is “Enchanted” by Taylor Swift, particularly for Benedict and Sophie’s (Yerin Ha) love story. The song emulates their fairytale romance, where the two are head-over-heels for one another from the moment they meet. 

Image via Liam Daniel/Netflix

The requests for “Enchanted” definitely made it across Kamps’ desk. Fans became even more passionate when Joseph William Morgan’s famous cover of Swift’s song graced the internet. 

“Once the cover by Joseph William Morgan was released in 2023, fans found it pretty quickly. And then it became even more intense,” Kamps said. 

He even joked that the fan’s passion for this particular song turned up the pressure to secure it for Benedict’s season. However, Kamps noted that he and Brownell wanted to give the fans what they wanted, but with a little twist. 

“The thing that we did to keep it as a little bit of a surprise for fans is to not put it where everyone wanted it to be,” Kamps explained. “[We] put it in a different moment that I thought ended up being really touching and beautiful.” 

Fans might have expected the beloved Swift song to play as Benedict and Sophie meet at the masquerade ball, but Kamps added it to a later scene. The song plays as Benedict visits Penwood House, searching for Sophie. Sophie watched Benedict from afar, dreaming of the possibility that he would want to be with her regardless of her rank. “Enchanted” plays as audiences witness Sophie’s inner turmoil and desire. Fans celebrated across social media platforms when they learned the tune made it into Benedict’s story.

Image via Liam Daniel/Netflix

Part two of season four has stolen hearts, with many fans declaring Benedict’s story might be one of the best seasons yet. On part two’s release day, Kamps told us he’s excited for fans to hear the songs because there are a lot of new covers, including Charli XCX’s “360” by Peter Gregson.

“The song turned out to be this really sweet cover that’s cute and danceable,” he said. “I think people will like that.”

The cover plays during Hyacinth (Florence Hunt) and Gregory’s (Will Tilston) dance recital as they perform their routine and desperately try to dance with their crushes. Kamps’ prediction proved correct, as fans are currently flooding social media with videos copying the sibling duo’s dance moves with Gregson’s cover playing over it. 

Image via Liam Daniel/Netflix

Kamps also showed excitement for fans to experience the covers in the final episode of season four, particularly the cover of Lord Huron’s “The Night We Met” by Joni Fuller.

We could not pass up the opportunity to ask the certified Bridgerton music expert a make-believe question before signing off. If you’re a superfan like us, you might have wondered what songs would take up the Bridgerton’s Spotify Wrapped in modern times. Luckily, Kamps had some songs for the eldest Bridgerton brothers that fans should add to their playlists. 

Images via Liam Daniel/Netflix

“I think Benedict would get The Cars, ‘Just What I Needed,’ ” he jokingly explained. “It turns out that Sophie ended up being just what he needed.”  

Matching Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) to a famous cover from his previous season, he ultimately chose “Jealous” by Nick Jonas. 

“Yeah, he’s secretly listening to Nick Jonas all the time,” Kamps laughed.  

As for Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey), Kamps chose Nirvana’s “Stay Away” which was featured in Anthony’s love story. 

“That’s iconic, because in the beginning of the season, he’s so angsty and tightly wound,” he remarked. “I feel like that really nailed his vibe, and so Nirvana [would] probably be on his Spotify Wrapped.”

Matching songs to beloved characters takes great attention to detail from dedicated music supervisors like Kamps. He perfectly captured Benedict and Sophie’s love story sonically in season four, and we cannot wait to see what covers Kamps has in store for future seasons. 

All episodes of Bridgerton season four are now streaming on Netflix, and be sure to check out season four’s official soundtrack wherever you get your music.