Those of us who threw ass to the theme song of The White Lotus every episode were shocked upon Season 3's arrival, as the show retired its flagship track. It took less than two weeks for the online backlash to be enough for the show's supervisor to offer insight into why the tune was retired.
Speaking with Rolling Stone, White Lotus music supervisor Gabe Hilfer revealed the reason for the move, and his reaction to people noticing right away: "I think the fact that people seem to be really noticing it is a testament to how popular it was last season, "and how the music is so integral that people really latched onto the theme for last year," he said.
He pointed out that the theme changes every season, reflecting the "tone, mood, and the themes" of each storyline. "The theme songs for the first two seasons were a little bit more related creatively, but they're totally different songs. Season 3 is about spirituality, and it's meant to be reflective of that. I think that people are just noticing it more because it's considerably different than last season."
After saying he thinks fans will adjust to the new theme song, he added, "Reinvention and creating the overarching new themes every season are important, and I think the music certainly reflects that. And there will be a new theme next season, too."
Hilfer also offered a bit on creator Mike White's musical vision for the show, saying, "Mike loves music. He loves embracing it and figuring out how we can get the emotional response from the audience with the music that we're choosing."
Revisit Exclaim!'s 9/10 review of The White Lotus Season 3.