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He is trance truly trance Without labrinth? This is a big question that seems to be on fans’ minds every week in the middle of season three.
“It’s a completely different show,” one person commented on social media the day after the third episode aired on April 26.
As another viewer weighed in on the same day, “I realize now that I didn’t care about the music in the past seasons. Like the music plays a big role but because it’s not his music, it’s completely irrelevant.”
Often times, a show’s creator becomes as well-known as the project itself thanks to the music, but that’s exactly what happened to Labrinth after the first season of the Sam Levinson-created drama debuted in 2019. The show became a cultural phenomenon not only because of its star-making performances, but also thanks to its eclectic needle drops and musician-bending score that helped define the moody, dramatic atmosphere that captured the show’s intense highs and lows.
Labrinth’s talents even earned him an Emmy for Outstanding Original Score and Lyrics for “All For Us” in season one, as well as several other nominations.
“It’s really gratifying for me or any artist to hear that their work is resonating with people and that they appreciate it,” Labrinth says. Hollywood Reporter Because of its legacy and impact tranceimagine.
However, he shocked fans at the beginning of April when he announced that he would not be participating in the new season of trance. “People will comfortably lie in this industry and still call themselves honest people. So, there is no limit, I decided to remove any music that was in it,” he wrote on his Instagram story regarding why he left the show. “I talked to HBO, as far as I know, we’re great. I left because, really, when I work for someone, their vision is of the utmost importance to me, but I don’t let people treat me like shit.”
He later said that while the specific details surrounding his reasons for leaving the show remain unknown GQ He felt that “family and fluidity were beginning to deteriorate, and creative camaraderie was beginning to dissipate,” leading him to realize: “I know this is done for me.”
He has not been replaced by anyone in the industry. Hans Zimmer, one of the most celebrated film composers of all time, initially came on board to collaborate with Labrinth on the show’s music, but when the latter exited immediately before the third season’s premiere, Zimmer became the sole composer for the new season.
No one criticizes Zimmer’s abilities. His credits and accolades speak for themselves. But when the unique tone of the show has already been established, like the one Labrinth established in the first two seasons, a sudden sonic shift away from that voice can come as a shock to viewers. This is evident even in just the first half of season three.
Keir Lehman is an Emmy Award-nominated music supervisor who has worked on dozens of projects in film and television, including… Hail Mary project, Abbott Elementary, insecure and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Didn’t watch this season trance He did not continue the discussion about the outcome of the third season except in an interview with Hollywood ReporterHe emphasized more broadly the importance of maintaining a consistent vocal identity on the show.
“It’s important, especially in longer series, to create a voice and themes for characters or themes for situations,” he says. “Of course, this will evolve as the series goes on, but I think it’s also helpful in helping the audience and hooking them into the show.”
Lehmann also says it can be “very annoying” for audiences if they don’t receive the sound they expect.
“When you’re in the third season of a show, you’re pretty much hoping for more of what you’ve already seen, and you want to continue on that journey that you’ve been on, and you’re excited to get back to it after a break between seasons,” he adds.
After each episode airs on Sunday, fans are quick to flood social media with criticism of the music choices for the episode in question. After the third episode, fans mocked the song that played when Maddie (Alexa Demme) walked into Nate (Jacob Elordi) and Cassie’s (Sydney Sweeney) wedding, lip-synching to a whimsical marimba beat in the background. It was a disjointed choice for Maddie, a confident, sharp-tongued character who usually enters a room with a fierce aura. Longtime viewers were probably expecting more dramatic music to fit Maddie’s vibe in this scene. Alternatively, some have compared the track to “Under the Sea” from Little mermaid.
Even before the third episode, titled “The Ballad of Paladin,” viewers were pointing out scenes where they felt Labrinth’s music and voice were clearly missing.
“With each episode, it becomes clear that Labrinth’s soundtrack has put as much effort into trance as the cinematography can do, but it’s his music that gives each scene its emotional heft that’s really missing from this szn,” one person wrote on X.
The singer-songwriter even released his single “Shut Your Damn 95.7892” on the same day that Season 3 premiered (he was performing at Coachella that weekend as well, so it’s possible the release was timed to coincide with his show). Fans then took to TikTok to dub his song into the episode’s scenes to make it sound like a song trance They have grown to know and love.
when THR Contacted by HBO about the online speech, the network declined to comment.
The backlash Levinson’s take on music is facing proves that what audiences see on their screens is just as important as what they hear. And when you create a unique tone for two entire seasons, there will be a stark difference that fans will notice when that beloved sound suddenly shifts.
“Part of what makes the show really special is having this unique sound that people associate with just this show,” Lehman says. THR. “And when you hear that show or think about the music or hear it in the other room, you know what the show is because it has its own sound. That’s something you can get when you have an artist who already has their own sound and their own creative voice that they’ve built, and you can use that as part of your show’s palette.”
