Labrinth Blasts Euphoria

British musician and producer Labrinth has sharply criticized both his record label and the HBO series he helped shape musically, declaring he is finished with the entertainment industry.

The artist, born Timothy Lee McKenzie, posted the message on Instagram late Friday (13 March), just weeks after releasing his new album Cosmic Opera: Act I and shortly before the third season of HBO’s Euphoria is set to premiere.

In the post, Labrinth wrote: “IM DONE WITH THIS INDUSTRY [sic], F* COLUMBIA. DOUBLE F*** EUPHORIA. IM OUT. THANK YOU AND GOOD NIGHT X.”**

Representatives for Labrinth, Columbia Records, HBO and Euphoria creator Sam Levinson have been contacted for comment.

Labrinth composed the score for Euphoria from its first season, creating a distinctive sound blending electronic music and R&B. His original songs — including “Mount Everest” and “All For Us,” performed with lead star Zendaya — became closely tied to the series. “All For Us” won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics, while the show’s score was nominated for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition for a Series.

He returned for the second season and even appeared on-screen performing “I’m Tired” during a fantasy sequence experienced by Zendaya’s character, Rue.

The reason behind Labrinth’s public break from the show remains unclear. As recently as last weekend, he appeared with Levinson at Paris Fashion Week, where new footage from the upcoming season was previewed. Oscar-winning composer Hans Zimmer has also joined the third season’s music team.

Production of the new season faced delays following the 2024 Hollywood labor strikes and the 2023 death of actor Angus Cloud at age 25.

The Emmy-winning series — which has earned nine awards, including two for Zendaya and one for Colman Domingo — returns on HBO on 12 April 2026.

During the hiatus, Zendaya’s career continued to expand with projects including Denis Villeneuve’s Dune films and Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers. She will next appear in The Drama with Robert Pattinson and in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, alongside Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway and Tom Holland.