Let’s start at the very beginning: Christmas 2020. ‘Bridgerton‘ is released to Netflix, inspiring a swarm of fans to recreate this regal icon of a show in their creative outlets. In particular, it inspired Abigail Barlow who started writing songs from the point of view of each character. She started sharing clips of her singing these self-written tunes to TikTok and acquired the help of friend and composer Emily Bear. Thus a legendary duo were born!
The pair have since won a Grammy (yes, really!) for their ‘Unofficial Bridgerton Soundtrack’ and started a professional team called Barlow & Bear. Since capturing the world’s attention, they’ve worked on music for a musical called Taco Bell’s Mexican Pizza. This was made specifically to be streamed on TikTok.
Life hasn’t been total glitz and glamour for the duo, though. In 2022 they were sued by Netflix on the grounds that their work inspired by ‘Bridgerton’ had “stretched the rights of fan fiction”. Although in doing this, they won themselves a Grammy. In situations like this, it’s best to weigh up the pros and cons.
So if you are planning to release music inspired by a favourite series or film, maybe check some legal documents before you host a concert for it.
Bravo, girls!
