Why Labrinth's Euphoria soundtrack is more important than you realise
Without tracks like Still Don't Know My Name and I'm Tired, the HBO teen drama wouldn't be as popular as it is.
At the end of January, Euphoria – Sam Levinson's visually stunning yet incredibly dark teen drama – aired the fourth instalment of its second season on HBO, marking the halfway point of what has so far been a sexually-explicit, drug-heavy, emotional trip of a season.
In the episode, we watch as relapsed addict Rue (played by an Emmy-winning Zendaya) turns back to opioids and painkillers after lashing out at her friends and hallucinates standing in a church, hugging her dead father as Labrinth sings his gospel-esque ballad I'm Tired.
The scene itself was incredibly moving, with Zendaya turning out yet another award-worthy performance as a rock-bottom Rue. However, when I'm Tired was removed from streaming platforms just days after it arrived and fans rioted on social media, we knew exactly what it was that made the moment so arresting: Labrinth's heart-breaking lament.
The BRIT Award-winning artist clarified via Instagram a few days later that I'm Tired was taken down "due to issues behind the scenes" and that he was "working on fixing it" but fans' devastated reactions only proved the larger, often forgotten point that without Labrinth's original soundtrack, Euphoria would not be the success that it is today.
Of course, the show itself deserves a lot of credit – Levinson's raw and honest script, the phenomenal performances of its gloriously diverse cast, its fast-paced direction and captivating visuals all deserve applause – but Euphoria isn't perfect. The drama's themes of sex and drug use can feel uncomfortably excessive at times, particularly scenes in which its young female stars are unnecessarily nude.
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However, the moments that firmly stay with us even after the credits have rolled certainly wouldn't hit as hard without Labrinth's input. Take Rue's relapse at the end of season 1. Feeling hopeless after Jules (Hunter Schafer) jumped on a train to New York without her, Rue returns home and reneges on her sobriety, dramatised through an interpretative dance routine to All For Us, singing along to the bass-heavy track, accompanied by a marching band as she's lifted to the sky by a glitter-covered gospel choir.
Unsurprisingly, this big musical representation of addiction won Labrinth an Emmy for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics and has amassed over 24 million views on YouTube since premiering back in August 2019 – but it's not the only track from the show that's blown up on social media.
When Euphoria's first season made its debut on HBO, it was only a matter of time before it inspired several TikTok trends, with the show's glittery aesthetic, teenage subjects and glamorous outfits ripped from the racks of Urban Outfitters ticking every box on the Gen Z checklist.
Labrinth's Still Don't Know My Name, which features throughout season 1, became the drama's first big TikTok trend, with teens donning Euphoria-style make-up looks as multi-coloured lights flashed behind them.
As for the current season, you can't scroll through your For You Page without hearing Labrinth's Funfair – a purely instrumental track that fans now immediately associate with the dark teen series, with viewers posting jokey re-enactments of season 2's hugely dramatic premiere and their own reactions to it with the song in the background.
Other songs you'll have definitely heard floating around on the app are New Girl – the airy leitmotif associated with the emotionally pure Jules – as well as When I R.I.P, the soundtrack's party anthem, and Nate Growing Up, one of the more aggressive tracks that stresses themes of toxic masculinity around the vile Nate Jacobs (Jacob Elordi).
While Euphoria may be the first time an American audience has come across Labrinth's work, Brits are very familiar with the singer-songwriter, who gave us noughties bangers like Pass Out, Express Yourself, Earthquake as well as Bond theme-esque Let It Be and emotional ballad Beneath Your Beautiful.
Considering how consistently complex and addictive his discography has been in the past, it makes perfect sense that Labrinth's Euphoria compositions continue to play with our emotions, standing out in a soundtrack populated with classics like The Pussycat Dolls' Don't Cha, INXS's Need You Tonight and Bobby Womack's Fly Me to the Moon.
With Euphoria now officially confirmed for a third season, hopefully Labrinth will return with a slate of new original songs, all of which will undoubtedly go viral on TikTok, climb the charts and continue to make this much-hyped drama one of the best gritty shows currently on TV.
Euphoria season 2 continues on Mondays on Sky Atlantic and NOW. If you’re looking for more to watch check out our TV Guide.
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