So, the third season of "Euphoria" has commenced streaming on HBO, and many fans, who may not be up to speed on what has been happening behind the scenes, must be wondering why Oscar-winning composer Hans Zimmer's name is under the composer credits instead of acclaimed singer-composer Labrinth, who scored the first two seasons.
Simple. It was initially announced in July 2025 that a collaboration between Labrinth, who defined the show's sound for the first two seasons, and Zimmer would take place. But it was later learned that Labrinth had quit due to personal and professional conflicts.
In a series of social media posts, he claimed he was "done with this industry" and felt mistreated, stating, "I don't let people treat me like s—t".
From the makers' side, the reasoning was that Zimmer was chosen as the sole composer for "Euphoria" Season 3 to reflect the show's narrative transition from a high school setting to a more "mature" and "cinematic" environment. Levinson revealed that he actually wrote the third season while listening to Zimmer's scores for films like "Interstellar" and "True Romance", making Zimmer's official involvement a natural extension of the creative process.
Showrunner Sam Levinson reportedly wanted to move away from the series' original "pop roots" following a five-year time jump that moved the characters out of high school. Levinson stated he wanted to lean into an "old-fashioned Hollywood Western score" to guide viewers through this more adult world.
Labrinth, on the other hand, implied that he experienced professional mistreatment and dishonesty within the entertainment industry, without explicitly naming the makers of "Euphoria".
Several public statements and social media posts marked his departure. In an Instagram story on April 11, 2026, Labrinth stated that while a creator's vision is usually paramount to him, personal boundaries had been crossed.
Labrinth's final clarification seemed to be a direct response to showrunner Sam Levinson, who told Rolling Stone he "didn't know" why the composer left. Labrinth countered this by writing, "People will comfortably lie in this industry and still call themselves honest people".
In March 2026, Labrinth posted a now-deleted outburst saying, "I’m done with this industry. F—k Columbia. Double f—k Euphoria". Reports suggest he felt betrayed by the shift in creative direction.
Despite his anger toward the show's leadership, Labrinth clarified that he had spoken with HBO officials and that they were on "cool" terms.
In another post, days later, the musician called out the attitude of some in the entertainment industry. “We walk into this industry as creatives that wish to share color and get turned into wolves of Wall Street, dribbling over stocks and shares,” he said, though he did not explicitly reference “Euphoria.”
Before leaving the show, Labrinth initially expressed excitement about working with Zimmer. “So great to join Hans, one of my heroes in film score, and bring some new magic to this new season,” he said in a statement after Zimmer’s involvement was announced.
Labrinth previously won a Primetime Emmy Award for his work on the first season’s soundtrack.