My favorite Broadway show of our Thanksgiving trip was & Juliet, a musical comedy. The premise is: what if Juliet didn’t die at the conclusion of Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet? And this jukebox musical includes hits from Boy Bands and female pop singers. I enjoyed the way the songs were woven into the plot of Juliet traveling to Paris to discover her true self.

& Juliet features 30 songs by Max Martin and a rotating group of collaborators (officially credited as Max Martin and Friends), ranging from the 90s to today and including songs made popular by Robyn, the Backstreet Boys, Katy Perry, Demi Lovato, Pink, and more. The playbill includes a note that Max Martin has written more Number One hits than any other artist this century, and boldly claims: “He’s basically the Shakespeare of pop music.” At the very least his catalog is unquestionably impressive — and his songs make for a surprisingly entertaining jukebox musical. 

I loved the music and I laughed at the comic scenes where Shakespeare looses control. If you’re in the mood for a fun musical with exuberance and energy, don’t miss & Juliet! I’m also listening to the & Juliet soundtrack constantly! How many of these 30 Max Martin songs are you familiar with? Check out the video below. GRADE: A

TRACK LIST:

“Larger Than Life” – Backstreet Boys

Released in 1999, this song was originally recorded as a way for the Backstreet Boys to say ‘thank you’ for the unwavering support of their fans.

“I Want it That Way” – Backstreet Boys

One of the Backstreet Boys biggest hits, the 1999 song tells of a relationship that’s breaking apart with emotional and physical distance – ain’t nothing but a heartache!

“Baby One More Time” – Britney Spears

Britney’s debut single “Baby One More Time” was released when Britney was just 16 years old. The song went to number 1 in 20 countries and turned Britney into an overnight success, rocketing her to stardom.

“Show Me The Meaning of Being Lonely” – Backstreet Boys

A Backstreet Boys track tackling how to deal with loneliness, this Max Martin song reached number 3 in the UK charts.

“Domino” – Jessie J

One of the lead singles from Jessie J’s debut album “Who You Are”, the pulsating, dance-pop rhythm of “Domino” helped solidify the starlet’s career by reaching the top spot in the UK charts.

The blend of catchy lyrics and the high-energy musical accompaniment ensured the track stood out, with the song later nominated for best British single at the 2013 Brit Awards.

“Show Me Love” – Robyn

Released in 1997, ‘Show Me Love’ was Robyn’s first top 10 hit in the UK and was a lead single from her debut album. Other Robyn hits include “Dancing On My Own,” recently covered by Callum Scott.

“Blow” – Ke$ha

Released in February 2011, Ke$ha’s track describes people looking to have fun on a night out to a mix of electronic sounds. “Blow” plays during the main party scene in & Juliet. Look out for the chandelier!

“I’m Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman” – Britney Spears

First heard on the airwaves in 2002, Britney Spears’s emotional ballad shares her feeling towards growing up and what it means to be independent with your own voice.

“Overprotected” – Britney Spears

In this 2001 track, Britney Spears sings about how she just wants to be herself without anyone else telling her what else to do. In & Juliet, Francois sings “Overprotected” as he feels frustrated by his family.

“Confident” – Demi Lovato

If you’re looking for a song that oozes self-empowerment and raising your spirits, Demi Lovato’s 2015 track has this in bucketloads. It’s upbeat and definitely packs a punch.

“Teenage Dream” – Katy Perry

Originally aimed to be a throwback song that captured the essence of what it meant to fall in love as a teenager, Katy Perry’s 2010 song reached number 2 in the UK charts.

“Break Free” – Ariana Grande

Just one of 30 songs to feature lyrics by Max Martin in 2014, “Break Free” was an instant pop hit for Ariana Grande and has sold just shy of 2 million copies. Fusing components of a chart-topping pop song with an electronic sounding tone, “Break Free” was remarked to be “too catchy to be generic”.

“Oops I Did It Again” – Britney Spears

Released in March 2000, “Oops!… I Did It Again” tells of a young woman who doesn’t want to get caught in the game of love, playing with her lover’s emotions instead.

“I Kissed a Girl” – Katy Perry

One of her earliest singles, “I Kissed a Girl” sent Katy Perry into superstardom, with people around the world listening to the track ensuring it topped the charts in 19 countries.

Released in 2008, the song initially appears as a sugary, sweet track, yet was scolded for its seemingly inappropriate lyrics and social commentary.

“It’s My Life” – Bon Jovi

Ever since it began to play on the radios in 2000, “It’s My Life” has become one of Bon Jovi’s biggest rock anthems, performed during the band’s last 10 tours. With a heart-thumping guitar and raspy vocals, the song attracted younger listeners to the band and ensured that Bon Jovi’s music would continue to be played to generations. “It’s My Life” is the final Act One song in & Juliet.

“Love Me Like You Do” – Ellie Goulding

The angelic-like tone of Goulding’s voice as she captures a woman’s desire to be with a man in “Love Me Like You Do” was loved by audiences ever since it was recorded for the 2015 Fifty Shades of Grey soundtrack. The song was nominated for 13 awards including best original song at the Golden Globes and best pop solo performance at the Grammy Awards.

“Since U Been Gone” – Kelly Clarkson

The first American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson’s 2004 song reached platinum certification in the UK. “Since U Been Gone” tells the story of a young woman who has recently left a relationship,

“Whataya Want From Me” – Adam Lambert

Adam Lambert’s song was originally recorded by Pink for her fifth studio album. Since recording “Whataya Want From Me,” Lambert now tours with Queen as their lead singer.

“Problem” – Ariana Grande

Featuring Australian rapper Iggy Azalea on the 2014 track, the single has been sold and streamed over nine million times, making it one of the best-selling songs of all time.

“Can’t Feel My Face” – The Weeknd

Sending The Weeknd to the top of the charts around the world, “Can’t Feel My Face” is one of six songs by The Weeknd co-written by Martin. Uniting funk and pop sounds together, the track was likened to an early Michael Jackson song, and was subsequently nominated for record of the year at the 2016 Grammy Awards, losing out to Bruno Mars’ “Uptown Funk”.

“That’s The Way It Is” – Celine Dion

Released in 1999, ‘That’s The Way It Is’ was initially billed as the lead single from her greatest hits album of the same year, charting in the top ten around the world.

“Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)” – Backstreet Boys

Released in 1997, this track only reached number 3 in the UK charts but has grown to become one of the band’s biggest hits. With a Michael Jackson inspired video based on Thriller to boot, the song was awarded best music video at the 1998 MTV Video Music Awards.

“As Long As You Love Me” – Backstreet Boys

The band’s biggest-selling song in the UK, it was never meant to be a commercial single on the other side of the pond. With radio stations repeatedly playing the track, it became a major hit for MTV.

“It’s Gonna Be Me” – NSync

The turn-of-the-century pop hit ‘It’s Gonna Be Me’ was first performed at the 2000 MTV Movie Awards. The song tells the story of a man who expresses his faithfulness in a relationship. The word ‘me’ is used as a pun during the musical.

“Shape of My Heart” – Backstreet Boys

Although the music video stayed at the top of MTV video charts for months, ‘Shape of My Heart’ enjoyed equal commercial success on music charts, receiving a Grammy Award nomination for best pop performance.

“Stronger” Britney Spears

Britney Spears sings how her loneliness isn’t killing her anymore, and in & Juliet, Juliet finally finds her own strength. The 2000 track’s video was nominated for Best Music Video at the MTV Music Video Awards.

“Perfect” – Pink

Sang as ‘Perfect’ on the clean version of the track, the 2010 song encourages listeners to be accepting of everyone around them in an uplifting song.

“Roar” – Katy Perry

The lead song for Katy Perry’s 2013 album titled Prism, Roar is a track of self-empowerment, with Katy Perry in a jungle for the track’s music video. It was nominated for song of the year at the 2014 Grammy Awards.

“Can’t Stop the Feeling!” – Justin Timberlake

One of the feel-good tracks of 2016, “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” featured in the Trolls animated film in the same year. Bringing a disco sound into the modern day, audiences fell in love with the infectiously happy message behind the song and was one of the biggest-selling songs in 2016.