By Madelline Gastelo
The second season of HBO's Euphoria has been releasing every Sunday since early January, and with each episode the show seems to grow more and more in popularity. The series, which stars Zendaya, is infamously known for its graphic nature; the show touches upon adolescence and all the nasty things that come with growing up. Centered around a goup of teens and their families, the show includes battles with drugs, sexuality, gender identity, relationships, and the like. While many criticize the writing, one thing most can agree on is the excellence of the visual and auditory aesthetics. The show will often include beautiful tableaux's with masterful cinematography. Personalized music introduces each scene, and every character seems to have an ongoing theme that follows their scenes, in terms of music.
As the show follows the different characters with their own intricate story lines, they all seem to have a score and soundtrack of their own, which furthers the nuance of their individual experiences and personalities. The show features a series of genres, though it never feels convoluted rather it feels like it encapsulates the individuality and differences that teenagers often have in music. The opening of the first episode begins with "Don't Be Cruel" by Billy Swan as Fezco's grandma, an all business rocker drug dealer, is introduced. In a matter of scenes, "Hit 'Em Up," by 2Pac plays as the main character, Rue, rides in the backseat of Fez's car.
While there's a wide variety of different genres by different artists, singer-songwriter Labrinth ties the show together as the music which he writes and composes scores the entire show. His genre-less music blends a number of textured sounds and background vocals with intense beats to capture the pure chaos and intensity of the show. Labrinth makes an appearance on the show this season as he sings his own original song, "I'm Tired," a beautifully rich gospel song. It plays during the height of emotion in the fourth episode, and captures the true essence of the emotions portrayed by all the characters. Other songs often feature electronic noises with a mix of major and minor chords with interrupting vocals, no real coherent words, backed with ominous beats. Labrinth wonderfully captures the turbulence of troubled adolescence.
You can reach Madelline Gastelo at GASTELOM@uci.edu !
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