As HBO’s hit teen drama *Euphoria* prepares to launch its third and potentially final season this Sunday, a high-profile shakeup has dominated pre-premiere headlines: British singer and composer Labrinth, who built the show’s iconic sonic identity across its first two installments, will not be contributing to the new season, multiple U.S. entertainment outlets have confirmed.
Labrinth, the London-based producer and performer behind *Euphoria*’s haunting, moody original score and fan-favorite tracks including *Formula*, *Still Don’t Know My Name*, and the Grammy-nominated *Never Felt So Alone* featuring Billie Eilish, originally was announced as part of the season three creative team last year, alongside legendary Hollywood composer Hans Zimmer. But the collaboration fell apart after an explosive expletive-laden Instagram post in March, where Labrinth publicly criticized HBO and soundtrack label Columbia Records before signing off with, “I’m out. Thank you and good night.”
At the time, the root of his frustration remained unclear. Now, Rolling Stone and *The Hollywood Reporter* have verified that Labrinth has fully parted ways with the project ahead of the season’s streaming launch this weekend. When asked to comment on the split, *Euphoria* creator Sam Levinson simply told Rolling Stone, “I don’t know.” Levinson did praise Labrinth’s foundational work on the series, noting, “He is an incredible collaborator and someone who really built the foundation of the sound of *Euphoria*.”
Levinson went on to explain the creative shift that led to adding Zimmer to the team, saying that the third season’s narrative called for a major sonic evolution. Now that the core cast has graduated from high school, Levinson said he wanted to move away from the series’ original pop-driven sound and lean into the style of a classic Hollywood Western score. “On *Euphoria*, each character’s storyline is like its own film in a way. In general, I was less interested in needle drops and more interested in something that guided us through this world,” he explained. “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, the Oscar-winning composer behind iconic film scores for *Dune*, *The Lion King*, and *Interstellar*, previously spoke positively about the collaboration, acknowledging Labrinth’s core contribution to the show’s identity. “Labrinth has shaped the show’s identity,” he said, adding that he was “looking forward to contributing to the ongoing story and helping shape this new season through music.”
BBC News has reached out to representatives for Labrinth, HBO, and Columbia Records for further comment on the split. Notably, Labrinth remains scheduled to perform at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California this same weekend.
Off-screen, the third season has brought the show’s breakout cast back together for a red carpet premiere in Los Angeles earlier this week. *Euphoria* is widely credited with launching the mainstream careers of A-list Hollywood stars including Zendaya, Sydney Sweeney, and Jacob Elordi, all of whom attended the event. Four years have passed since the second season aired, and the new installment finds the series’ core characters navigating young adulthood, carrying the same emotional struggles that defined their teen years into their 20s.
Early critical reviews of the third season are deeply divided. Multiple outlets have panned the new season, arguing it has lost the cultural relevance and sharp edge that made the first two installments a global phenomenon. *The Telegraph*’s Eleanor Halls gave the season just two stars, calling it “one man’s creepy, sex-obsessed fantasy,” while BBC Culture’s Caryn James also awarded two stars, writing that “the show has lost its zeitgeisty edge.” *Variety* critic Alison Herman described the season as “entertaining but disjointed fan fiction,” and *The Hollywood Reporter*’s Daniel Fienberg noted that while lead star Zendaya still “dazzles,” the series has likely “aged out of relevance.”
Not all reviews were negative, however. The Independent’s Nick Hilton gave the new season four out of five stars, framing *Euphoria* as a “generation-defining show” that “paints a clear-eyed, unflattering portrait of modern America.”