A look behind Zendaya's drug-induced scene as Rue with Labrinth in Euphoria
by Jaskiran Kaur | Thu, 24 Feb 2022 18:50:29 GMT
Image Source: Yahoo News, CinemaBlend, Wikimedia Commons

The composer of Euphoria is an immensely talented creator, who is today widely recognized for his songs like Still Don't Know My Name, and yet, he states that he doesn't see himself as a 'composer.' 

“I know I am, but I don’t look at myself that way,” Labrinth, the artist said when talking with Variety. “I’m just transmitting the energy that I hear and see and feel.”

Music in series is mostly a combination of instrumental and orchestral creations, but Labrinth expanded on it through his music in Euphoria. The music not only consists of tones and compositions but also his velvety vocals and raps that make the series an engulfing experience to enjoy. While the music is definitely an out of box collection for the series, the compositions fit just right for the world of East Highland, which is riddled with drugs, violence, and young lust.

Labrinth appreciated Sam Levinson, the creator of Euphoria, for seeing “dimensions in me that maybe I didn’t see.” 

“There was a time when composers and producers were almost in the same place,” said Labrinth explaining how he views himself amongst his field of art. “I would maybe look at myself in that lane, where it’s like, I get inspired with a song as well as an orchestral piece or a sound. I use every angle of what I do to convey an energy.”

The musical credibility of Labrinth, as he presented with Euphoria, earned him a 2020 Emmy win. He earned the award for his song "All of Us," for which he composed both the music and the lyrics. His many other music compositions have earned him esteemed nominations. Now that Season 2 of Euphoria is off to a good start, the best ever seen for an HBO series, the show's music is expected to do only better. 

“The music’s not over for people, and I think that’s what we figured out in the show,” Labrinth stated. “As soon as Season 2 came out, the first score was, like, in the charts.” TikTok has played an important role in bringing Euphoria and Labrinth's music into the limelight with trending audios from the show. The hashtag "Euphoria" itself has amassed over 26 billion views, which is a lot. Needless to say, songs from Euphoria have brought about a million views each, "Forever" and "Still Don't Know My Name" being two of the top grossers. 

It was only natural that Labrinth returned with Euphoria for season 2, where he has lent his genius with songs like "Nate Growing Up" in Episode 1 and later, "All of Us" in Episode 6. 

“I actually remade music for the whole show, like I was doing different cues and stuff, but it just kind of felt like it was okay for this music to be there,” he shared. “We’re not over it, and I feel like the audience isn’t either.”

Season 2 also witnessed another performance by Labrinth, "I'm Tired" which will be a combination of vocals and instruments. The song allowed Labrinth to make a feature appearance in the season's Episode 4 with his cameo, and he had worked on it along with Levinson and Zendaya

The song was played right when a drug-addled Rue, played by Zendaya, has a hallucination showing her coming back to Jesus' moment. The scene takes place in a church, as dreamt by Zendaya in her drug-induced state, where she thinks that she is hugging her late father. The idea had come from Labrinth's manager Adam Leber, who had pitched it to Levinson. 

“I think Sam just loved merging those two worlds and to be like, ‘Here’s the music appearing in the physical form,'” Labrinth explained. “It was just kind of impulsive and Sam was like, ‘Okay cool. I’m going to record you in two days. We’ve gotta get the song ready for that time.'”

The songwriter then took the help of Zendaya as it was her who would be playing the scene in the series, and together they came up with the song. 

“She was like, ‘Check out this scene. This is what we’re talking about.’ Then I sang, ‘Hey Lord, you know I’m tired.’ And then she was like, ‘Oh shit!’ And we just started writing the song,” he revealed. “It was all of that impulsive inspiration, you know? And then being in the scene, I was like, ‘I haven’t performed for a while, and I’ve not been on American TV before or been an actor before — oh shit, what do I do?’ I was like, just be in the moment. And I know what Rue’s character is going through, so I was like, ‘Zone in and let go of your own issues.'”

“Sam’s a sucker for gnarly rawness. He just wants the realest thing he can get. And so he was like, ‘Lab, just sing,'” shared Labrinth. He had the song pre-recorded but also decided to sing it live to add to the authenticity of the scene. The composer also appreciated Sam Levinson for allowing him the liberty to take his time with his art and only create when he is motivated. Labrinth shared that he only writes when he is inspired. 

“The main approach with most of the music on the show is Sam is like, ‘Lab, just make what the f--k you’re making. Don’t let no one get in the way of what you’re making. Just do what you do.’ It’s like he’s going to a record shop, and I’m the record shop,” he shared. “Especially being in the music industry, sometimes you can feel pushed to do something that people are expecting to hear, whereas Sam’s just like, ‘I want to hear the weirdest sh-t in your hard drive.'”

He created songs with Euphoria in mind. While some ended up finding home with different characters than he previously intended, Labrinth is happy with the way his songs have been put to use in the series. 

But a while into the season, his ears suddenly stopped working, giving him a scare that his career as a musician was over. “My ears just decided at one point, as anytime someone spoke to me I couldn’t hear anyone. I was like, ‘Shit I can’t make music anymore.’ I was literally like, ‘My career’s over,'” he revealed. “I had to rest my ears to get it back. I think this season has been, personally, as much a rollercoaster as it’s been in the show.”

Finally, things turned out for the better, and the music composer had a great time working with Levinson and Zendaya. “We’re all going to the edge of what we can get in our fields,” he stated. “We all spiritually, creatively, and personally understand each other.”

The season finale of Euphoria is to air on February 27. 

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