Labrinth Not Involved in Euphoria's Third Season
The third season of the TV drama Euphoria will not feature music by pop star Labrinth, according to reports from the United States, following the artist's earlier statement that he was "done" with the music industry.
The London-based singer and producer composed the dramatic and atmospheric score, as well as several songs, for the first two seasons of the widely acclaimed US teen drama.
Last year, HBO, the broadcaster of Euphoria, announced that Labrinth would return for the upcoming season, collaborating alongside fellow composer Hans Zimmer.
However, in March, Labrinth publicly distanced himself from the forthcoming season through a strongly worded Instagram post that criticised both HBO and Columbia Records, the label responsible for releasing the show's soundtrack.
In his expletive-laden statement, Labrinth concluded emphatically:
"I'm out. Thank you and good night."
The reasons behind Labrinth's post remain unclear. Nevertheless, US media outlets such as Rolling Stone and Hollywood Reporter have since confirmed that he will not participate in the third season, which is set to be released this weekend.
has reached out to Labrinth's representatives for comment and has also contacted Columbia Records and HBO for their responses.
Despite his withdrawal from Euphoria, Labrinth is still scheduled to perform at the Coachella music festival in California this weekend.
Among the songs Labrinth wrote for the first two seasons are "Formula," "Still Don't Know My Name," and the Grammy-nominated "Never Felt So Alone," featuring Billie Eilish.
'The Sound of Euphoria'
When asked about Labrinth's absence from the show, Euphoria creator Sam Levinson told Rolling Stone:
"I don't know."
Levinson praised Labrinth as an "incredible collaborator" who "really built the foundation of the sound of Euphoria."
Regarding the addition of Oscar-winning composer Hans Zimmer, Levinson explained:
"On Euphoria, each character's storyline is like its own film in a way."
He further elaborated:
"In general, I was less interested in needle drops and more interested in something that guided us through this world.
They're out of high school, so the pop roots of it have faded away. At the same time, because of how I imagined it visually, I wanted to lean into an old-fashioned Hollywood Western score."
Zimmer, known for scoring films such as Dune, The Lion King, Interstellar, and True Romance, previously stated that Labrinth had "shaped the show's identity," and expressed enthusiasm about contributing to the new season's music, saying he was "looking forward to contributing to the ongoing story and helping shape this new season through music."
Euphoria has served as a launching pad for the careers of several prominent Hollywood actors, including Zendaya, Sydney Sweeney, and Jacob Elordi.
Earlier this week, the cast reunited on the red carpet for the Los Angeles premiere of the show's third and potentially final season.
The series will return to HBO on Sunday, marking four years since the previous installment. The storyline follows the main characters as they transition from troubled teenagers to equally troubled young adults in their twenties.
Critical reception of the latest season has been mixed, with some reviewers suggesting it does not match the acclaim of earlier seasons.
The Telegraph's Eleanor Halls awarded the season two stars, stating:
"Euphoria has descended into one man's creepy, sex-obsessed fantasy."
Similarly, BBC Culture's Caryn James gave a two-star review, commenting:
"The show has lost its zeitgeisty edge."
Variety's Alison Herman described the third installment as:
"entertaining but disjointed fan fiction."
The Hollywood Reporter's Daniel Fienberg questioned the show's continued relevance, noting:
"Zendaya still dazzles, but has Sam Levinson's HBO drama aged out of relevance?"
