Labrinth States His Music Is Excluded from Euphoria Season 3 Due to Treatment Concerns
Composer Labrinth announced that his music will not appear in Euphoria's third season, citing poor treatment during production. He shared his decision via Instagram, emphasizing respect in collaborations. Show creator Sam Levinson confirmed a shift in musical direction with Hans Zimmer now handling the score.
VarietyLabrinth, the composer for the first two seasons of HBO's Euphoria, stated that his music has been removed from the third season. In an Instagram story posted ahead of the season's premiere on Sunday, Labrinth wrote that he decided to exclude his contributions because he does not allow poor treatment in professional relationships.
He added that he had spoken with HBO and considered the matter resolved.
The third season of Euphoria premieres on HBO on Sunday night. Show creator Sam Levinson told Rolling Stone that Labrinth built the foundation of the series' sound but that the five-year time jump in the storyline shifted the characters out of high school. Levinson stated that this change led to less emphasis on popular needle drops and more focus on a guiding score.
Musical Direction Change Hans Zimmer is now leading the score for Euphoria Season 3 and receives full composer credits.
Labrinth's previous work on the show included songs such as "All for Us," "Formula," "Mount Everest," and "Never Felt So Alone," the last of which features vocals from Billie Eilish and received a Grammy nomination. Those tracks have accumulated millions of streams on platforms.
“— Labrinth, Instagram story (Variety reporting)”
Labrinth's announcement follows a post last month where he expressed frustration with the entertainment industry and specifically mentioned Euphoria. In that statement, he wrote that he was done with the industry and referenced Columbia Records and the show. The comments appear linked to his departure from the project.
Background on Contributions Labrinth first contributed to Euphoria's music in its inaugural seasons, establishing a distinctive sound for the series. Levinson described Labrinth as an incredible collaborator in his Rolling Stone interview. The show's narrative evolution prompted the new scoring approach under Zimmer. Euphoria Season 3 marks a continuation of the series after a production delay. Labrinth is scheduled to perform at Coachella this weekend, coinciding with the season's launch.
Story Timeline
5 events- This weekend
Labrinth is scheduled to perform at Coachella.
1 sourceVariety - Sunday
Euphoria Season 3 premieres on HBO with Hans Zimmer's score.
1 sourceVariety - Ahead of premiere
Labrinth posts on Instagram about removing his music from Season 3.
1 sourceVariety - Last month
Labrinth posts frustration with industry and Euphoria on social media.
1 sourceVariety - Prior to announcement
Sam Levinson discusses musical shift in Rolling Stone interview.
1 sourceVariety
Potential Impact
- 01
Euphoria Season 3 features a new score without Labrinth's contributions.
- 02
HBO continues Euphoria production with Zimmer as composer.
- 03
Labrinth's Coachella performance proceeds independently of Euphoria.
- 04
Viewers experience altered musical style in the season premiere.
Multi-source corroboration verifies facts, not framing. This panel scores the Substrate rewrite you just read (top score) and the raw source bundle it came from. A positive delta means the rewrite stripped framing from the sources; a negative or zero delta means our neutralizer let some through.
Labrinth's exit enables a fresh, mature sound for Euphoria's adult characters, with Zimmer's score aligning to the time jump.
- Valence skewnotable“‘I don’t let people treat me like shit’; ‘Fuck Columbia. Double fuck ‘Euphoria.’”profanity-heavy quotes amplify negative tone toward show and industryAdjectives and adverbs systematically slant toward one interpretation even though the underlying facts are neutral.
- Lede misdirectionnotable“Headline leads with Labrinth's explanation and quote, not season's score change”focuses on composer's grievance rather than substantive musical shiftThe headline leads with who shared, posted, or reacted to the event rather than the substantive event itself — burying the actual news behind the messenger.
Transparency Panel
Related Stories
DeadlineMedia Personality Joins Producing Team of Broadway Play on Wrongful Conviction
A media personality has joined the producing team of the Broadway play The Fear of 13, starring actors in a drama about a wrongful conviction. The production highlights criminal justice reform through the true story of a man who spent over two decades on death row. Previews began…
variety.comBrazilian Soccer Player Clarifies Misunderstanding in Security Incident Involving Chappell Roan
A Brazilian soccer player issued a statement regretting the impact of an incident where he accused Chappell Roan's security of yelling at his daughter during Lollapalooza in Brazil. He described the event as a misunderstanding after new information emerged. The player emphasized…
variety.comBrian Tyree Henry to Star in Apple Studios Sports Drama 'Running'
Brian Tyree Henry will star in the sports drama film 'Running,' produced by Apple Studios, Makeready, and Nike Films. The film, directed by Gavin O'Connor, follows a homeless high school running prodigy and is based on an original story by O'Connor and Bill Dubuque. Henry, who re…