Justin Kamps interview: ‘Bridgerton’ music supervisor
“I definitely felt a lot of pressure going into season two to make sure that I lived up to what everyone was hoping for,” declares Justin Kamps about assuming the role of music supervisor on the second season of Netflix’s hit drama “Bridgerton.” The Regency era romance is known for its music, particularly its classical covers of modern pop hits, and Kamps is instrumental in not only choosing those songs, but also making sure that they support the themes of the show. Check out more of our exclusive video interview with Kamps above.
Kamps assumed the role of music supervisor this season, taking over for last year’s Emmy-nominated music supervisor Alexandra Patsavas. For Kamps, who counts Patsavas as a mentor, the opportunity to join “Bridgerton” was rather nerve-wracking. “I was very nervous taking over and wanting to live up to fan expectation,” he says. “The first season was the biggest thing I had seen in a long time as far as fan reaction and the press and everything around it.”
The success of the first season’s soundtrack opened new opportunities for the new season. “When the show came out and Vitamin String Quartet blew up… it definitely made things more clear for season two,” explains Kamps, who says producers wanted to “lean into these string quartets.” To that end, several episodes feature as many as three pop covers, including Robyn‘s “Dancing On My Own” and “Sign of the Times” by Harry Styles.
Kamps is particularly proud of one of the more unusual song choices of the the season. The song, “Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham,” is the title track of the 2001 Bollywood blockbuster film, and was adapted for “Bridgerton” by the show’s Emmy-winning composer Kris Bowers. The song is featured in a loving scene between Lady Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley) and her sister Edwina (Charithra Chandran) on the eve of Edwina’s wedding. Kamps explains the importance of this particular cover. “I loved that everyone was working to have an opportunity to increase South Asian representation with that moment through music,” he argues.
Kamps argues that the music of “Bridgerton” serves as a hook for the audience. “It gives the audience something to immediately connect with,” he exclaims. “You have such a strong connection with that song when you hear it that you’re immediately pulled into the sequence. I hear all all the time that people have fun trying to figure out what the cover is while they’re watching the show, and it’s almost like little game.”
