Did Euphoria Lose Its Sound? Inside the Drop in Ratings and Identity

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After years of dominating pop culture, Euphoria is now seeing a noticeable shift in how audiences and critics perceive it. With Season 3 landing its lowest scores yet on Rotten Tomatoes (42%), the conversation has quickly moved from praise to skepticism and confusion. While previous seasons’ higher scores of 80% and 78% can be attributed to a range of factors, one of the most noticeable changes this season has been the departure of key composer Labrinth, whose sound became deeply tied to the show’s identity.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, “Labrinth created much of the show’s score and soundtrack-earning a Grammy nomination.” Many fans strongly associate his sound with the emotional tone of the series, and online discourse has reflected that shift, with viewers memeing and commenting on the change in musical impact. One fan wrote, “Labrinth is really needed right now because this episode's music is not it.”

What this highlights is how much sound contributes to a show’s brand identity. In a series like Euphoria, where music plays a major emotional and narrative role, its absence or shift can alter how audiences experience the story and even how they evaluate its quality. However, reducing the backlash to one creative departure oversimplifies what is happening. Instead, the drop in ratings reflects a larger shift in audience expectations, especially after years of pressure, long production gaps, and the need to evolve beyond a high school-based identity. Ultimately, this is less about a single controversy and more about what happens when a show that once defined a cultural moment struggles to maintain its emotional and cultural connection with its audience.