Labrinth said on Saturday that he decided to remove whatever music he had in Euphoria, escalating a public break with the show that has defined much of his television work since the first season. He said he left because he would not let people treat him like shit.
“People will comfortably lie in this industry and still call themselves honest people,” the composer wrote on his Instagram Story, adding, “so no cap, I decided to remove whatever music I had in it.” He also said, “I spoke to HBO, as far as I know, we are cool.”
The comments land just as Euphoria Season 3 is set to premiere on Sunday at 9pm ET/PT, putting a new wrinkle into a series that has long leaned on Labrinth’s sound. He has composed the score since the show’s first season, and his song “All for Us” won the Emmy for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics.
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The dispute has been building for weeks. Last month, Labrinth wrote in a since-deleted post that he was “done with this industry,” adding, “Fuck Columbia. Double fuck Euphoria. I’m out. Thank you and good night.” HBO later announced last year that he would return to score the third season alongside Hans Zimmer, and creator Sam Levinson responded to the earlier statement by calling him an “incredible collaborator.” Levinson said he did not know why Labrinth left after two seasons and said the composer built the foundation of the show’s sound.
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That leaves Season 3 in a sharper light than HBO likely wanted on the eve of its launch. Labrinth says he is out, but he also says HBO is “cool,” a combination that suggests the split is personal, not legal, and that whatever music survives the edit may now carry the sound of a partnership that cracked before the first episode of the new season aired.
