How Euphoria Composer Labrinth Revamped His Score For A Volatile Finale

By Alissa Godwin


The record-breaking HBO series Euphoria has kept fans talking for the entirety of Season 2’s eight-week run, which concluded with a shocking finale last night (February 27). It was so hyped, case in point, that HBO Max experienced streaming issues right around 9 p.M. Presumably because of the sheer number of viewers tuning in. Aside from its critically acclaimed performances, the starpower of its actors, and gripping storylines, one element in particular has captivated audiences: the music. For that, fans can largely thank award-winning singer-songwriter and producer Labrinth, the show’s composer.


“I knew it was a teen drama, although I knew it was gnarly,” he tells MTV News about signing onto the show ahead of its 2019 premiere. “I knew it was certainly on the darker side of things. Although I was like, if I'm going to do any music for TV, I would want it to be crazy or as intense as what I would desire to create musically. So it felt like the best fit for what I wanted to do.”


Since then, his work has spanned two seasons of original music, two Emmy nominations for the score, and a Ivor Novello Award for Best Television Soundtrack. Sunday’s finale also featured a powerful new group effort with star Zendaya — the single “I’m Tired,” which came out Monday at midnight. Labrinth himself performed it on the show in the fourth episode, “You Who Cannot Visualize, Think Of these Who Can,” in an instantly memorable church scene. However for the finale, it had to be revamped.


“I didn’t love the version we released, so I took it offline because I wanted to create it sound better, as well as, I heard Zendaya sing it… and I was just like, I actually like her version better,” he says. Right after a telephone call from Zendaya fielding an idea she had, the two assembled in the studio as well as show creator Sam Levinson to record an entirely new rendition of the track. “Me, Sam, and Zendaya wrote the song with each other, and I think it was fun to actually write with people and not be stuck in a room, bashing my head against the wall. Zendaya was like, ‘Lab, we require some of your weird vocals,’ and then I began recording my little choir vocals that I do.”


Zenday’s emotional contributions to this new take on “I’m Tired” feel reminiscent of Rue’s journey itself. “We all know Zendaya is the multi-talented angry genius that she is, so it was just nice to hear her in such a raw, intimate vocal that she sang.”


That powerful church scene


segment of Rue’s journey noticed her grieving her late father in a church midway via season, with Labrinth singing soulfully in the center of the scene. His manager pitched the idea of putting Labrinth, who isn't an actor, into the show to Levinson, who was all for it. “Sam orchestrated this idea of me singing in the church and Rue coming down the aisle,” he says. “It felt like an out-of-body experience, although a realization, all of those different emotions going on at the same time.”


Labrinth compares the emotional connection he felt in that scene with Zendaya to the creative connection they share in the studio. “She's my sister in music. And same with Sam. He's my brother in creativity. So to do a scene with her and to nearly show the physical version of our relationship as creatives, it felt like me, Sam, and Zendaya almost had this hug. You could visualize our creativity, like, this is what it is with each other. So for me, it felt poetic to the way we create with each other. And then, it being the song that we all wrote with each other, it feels like just all of our hands clasping with each other. I think I was overjoyed of that scene because it meant more than just what it was for Rue in that scene.”


Labrinth in 2022's episode "You Who Cannot Visualize, Think Of these Who Can"


Making music to match moods


As a Grammy- and Golden Globe-nominated producer, Labrinth’s success in the realms of pop, gospel, and R&B music is clear. Nevertheless creating music for television was a whole new feat he was eager to take on. “I think composers do incredible stuff that I can never do,” he says. “But for me, I'm a producer and a composer, so I'm like, I know as soon as whenever a track makes my neck snap. So I'm like, why can't TV music have music that makes your neck snap and makes you feel like, oh, I may listen to this without seeing the show?”


Labrinth and the team in back of Euphoria have used both the score and outside music additions to add an intensity to the show’s already exciting story, amplifying its hold on viewers. That exhilaration often comes about spontaneously for Labrinth. He explains the creative inspiration for how a segment of music for the score comes to fruition, like “Nate's internal anger that's slowly piercing out, especially in Season 1. I would write to just that energy, or I would write Cal attempting to hide in the dark and attempting to keep this brilliant appearance in the public.” Or he’d vibe with Zendaya walking into the studio and explain how Rue is feeling and what she’s going through. Moreover, Labrinth credits Levinson with helping him find his “rawest self” and points out how several times the music was a result of an idea Levinson had or was inspired by. “Sam is really instrumental in going, ‘I really think this is a vibe. I need more pressure, Lab. I need more anger. I need more rage.’”


“Sometimes, me and Sam have a talk, and he would send me music from his playlist or things he appreciates and music that's inspiring scenes that he's written to,” he continues. “Or I would get music sent from editorial, and so they could be like, this cue, that distinct cue. And then some days, especially on Season 2, me and Sam actually sat in the studio and worked some of the music out together.”


Looking ahead to Season 3 


an enormous driving force of the show’s success and the timely release of songs like “I’m Tired” is its fans. Euphoria has seen show-themed music trends, like Maddy/Cassie makeup tutorials, go viral on TikTok, and each week, new memes explode online. The overwhelming reception has validated that what Labrinth is doing in the studio makes sense. “To actually make a song is internally so intense. It actually affects your health some days. And especially once you're scared of having to share what you are doing with a group, it could really disaster you — as well as not to compromise your music, compromise what you actually desire to mention because of what you think the world might need or what's going to be popular.”


“I've learned to not give a shit about what anyone's going to think musically,” he says. “This validates that mentality, where I just go, I'm going to mention whichever my soul wants to mention, and the fans are saying keep doing that.” Whether it’s a parade of tweets from fans begging for the release of the songs they’ve heard in the episodes, like “I’m Tired” and “Yeh I Fuckin’ Did It,” or perhaps companions and creative counterparts reaching out to provide their praise, Labrinth remains focused on his mission of creating compelling music and working with the powers in back of Euphoria. “I feel like I just do my part and I ensure I feel it. That's all it is,” he says. “When I'm writing a segment of music or any time I'm producing something for the show, I'm just like, what could make me excited if I saw this with this scene?”


As for the newly greenlit third season, Labrinth admits he hasn't thought about it at all. Nevertheless he’s eager for a little bit more assistance. “This season has been insanely hard, and it's been very hard to get through. However I'm just going to go and sleep. If they want me to do Season 3, I plan to have to hire some more people to aid me because this is hard,” he says with a laugh.


In the meantime, Labrinth says his plans are to release the official score, then his own album, and to like what has come out of the smash hit that was Season 2 of Euphoria. Looks like he may not be getting much sleep immediately after all.