Recommendations of the Editorial team
Labrinth, the British singer and songwriter whose vocals have shaped the musical identity of “Euphoria”, is not in the third season of the HBO hit – ROLLING STONE has confirmed this.
Hans Zimmer serves as sole composer and has created a lush, Western-inspired score that unfolds over eight episodes. When the Oscar winner’s involvement in “Euphoria” was first announced last summer, it was billed as a musical collaboration between Zimmer and Labrinth.
Creator and executive producer Sam Levinson remains silent about the breakup – although Labrinth made a public statement on March 12, writing on social media: “I’m done with this industry. Fuck Columbia. Double fuck Euphoria. I’m out. Thank you and goodnight.” When asked what happened, Levinson tells Rolling Stone, “I don’t know,” adding, “He’s an incredible collaborator and someone who really laid the foundation of Euphoria’s sound.” (A spokesperson for Labrinth declined to comment.)
Hans Zimmer steps in
Levinson, however, is unequivocal about why Zimmer was the right choice – he cites the two-time Oscar winner’s scores as a formative influence on his visual vision of the series. “In ‘Euphoria,’ each character’s storyline is kind of their own movie,” says Levinson.
The series jumps back in time five years in its latest iteration, and the characters face adult – in every sense of the word – issues. “Basically, I was less interested in needle drops and more interested in something that takes us through this world,” says Levinson. “They’re not in high school anymore, so the pop roots have faded. At the same time, because of the way I envisioned it visually, I wanted to go for an old-fashioned Hollywood Western score.”
Zimmer, one of Hollywood’s most awarded and best-known composers, has scored more than 150 films, including “Interstellar” and “True Romance” – both works that Levinson listened to while writing the third season.
