The White Lotus season 3 soundtrack news – and every theme song so far
The latest chapter opens on a markedly different note.
Mike White's satirical drama The White Lotus is back with season 3, following a largely new bunch of dysfunctional guests at the hotel resort's chain in Thailand.
While only three episodes of the drama have aired so far, certain elements of the show have already proved divisive, including an apparent incest storyline.
Another element generating plenty of conversation is season 3's polarising new theme music, which some viewers feel isn't up to par with that of the previous two chapters.
In fairness, there was a rather high bar to clear, with the season 2 theme tune being a particularly large breakout hit upon release, playing at major festivals and sending crowds wild.
Season 3 star Patrick Schwarzenegger recently defended the theme tune, branding it a "fascinating" change that matches the darker themes the new instalment deals with.
He told RadioTimes.com and other press: "It's something that I loved so much about the previous seasons, how upbeat it was and it was so iconic, and yet he wanted to push the envelope and make it different this time... It's daunting and darker and deeper."
"I love the soundtrack and I love the opening sequence," added Schwarzenegger, before admitting that "it's a lot different than what probably fans are used to from the iconic songs from the first two seasons".
Here's everything you need to know about The White Lotus season 3 soundtrack – and all the opening title themes to grace the series so far.
Is The White Lotus season 3 soundtrack available to stream?
No, The White Lotus season 3 soundtrack has not yet been released in full, but the theme song – titled Enlightenment – is now available on music streaming platforms.
The full soundtrack is likely to be released shortly after the season 3 finale, as was the case with the previous two instalments of the hit HBO drama.
Why did The White Lotus theme tune change for season 3?
While many fans have expressed annoyance that the show has altered its theme song, The White Lotus music supervisor Gabe Hilfer recently defended the change to Rolling Stone, pointing out that the song is altered every season to "reflect the tone, mood, and the themes".
He continued: "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,” he said.
He continued: “I think that people are just noticing it more because it’s considerably different than last season. Last season’s theme song was so beloved that now people are like, ‘What happened to my favourite stuffed animal? You guys changed it.’ I will say it grows on you. I have a feeling by episode 3, 4, or 5, people will have adjusted to it.”
Is The White Lotus season 3 theme tune good?
The White Lotus season 3 theme music has received mixed reviews online, in contrast to the universally lauded title track for the second season.
A number of people on social media have complained that Enlightenment is far harder to dance to than preceding theme songs Aloha (season 1) and Renaissance (season 2).
The Guardian columnist Stu Heritage identified the reduced vocals and generally darker tone as divisive elements of the new track, but argued that shaking up the established formula would probably be beneficial to the show in the long term.
Likewise, Hearing Things writer Julianne Escobedo Shepherd also defended Enlightenment, calling it a "masterpiece" and comparing the removal of favoured past elements to the guests giving up their mobile phones.
"You don't hear them because you're supposed to quell your internal voices and meditate," she wrote. "Viewers are feeling their uncomfortable absence like the fear that creeps in when all our distractions are removed and we only have ourselves to contend with."
Who composed The White Lotus season 3 soundtrack?
The White Lotus season 3 is composed by Cristobal Tapia De Veer.
The Chilean-born Canadian artist began his career with a sequence of buzzy Channel 4 dramas, those being Utopia, Humans, National Treasure and Philip K Dick's Electric Dreams.
Prior to landing his acclaimed The White Lotus gig, Tapia De Veer also scored Netflix's Black Mirror (episode: Black Museum), HBO and Sky's The Third Day, and Prime Video thriller Hunters.
His feature film work includes zombie drama The Girl with All the Gifts, horror flick Smile and its 2024 sequel, plus Nicole Kidman awards contender Babygirl.
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The White Lotus season 1 theme song: Aloha!
You can listen to The White Lotus season 1 theme song here, composed by Cristobal Tapia De Veer:
The full soundtrack, consisting of 28 songs, is available on music streaming platforms.
The White Lotus season 2 theme song: Renaissance
You can listen to The White Lotus season 2 theme song here, composed by Cristobal Tapia De Veer:
The full soundtrack, consisting of 33 songs, including an extended version of Renaissance, is available on music streaming platforms, along with the Tiësto remix of the opening title track.
The White Lotus is available on Sky Atlantic and NOW.
Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.
