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CBC
04-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
'We already had our last fight forever': White Lotus theme song composer quits after clashing with director
Chilean Canadian musician Cristóbal Tapia de Veer, the composer behind the mysterious and infectious theme song for The White Lotus, has revealed he won't return for season four of the hit show after clashing with Mike White, the show's creator and director. "It's kind of weird right now because I announced to the team a few months ago that I was not coming back, that I was leaving," he told the New York Times. "I didn't tell Mike for various reasons; I wanted to tell him just at the end for the shock and whatever." The show, which follows several wealthy guests who get into seedy shenanigans while staying at a luxury resort, is currently airing its third season. Parker Posey, Jason Isaacs, Aimee Lou Wood and Walton Goggins are among this season's actors, and the season finale will air on Sunday, April 6. Tapia de Veer's theme for the second season, which saw a mix of characters adventure around Italy, went viral and even made it into the clubs, thanks to a high-energy remix from Tiësto. Tapia de Veer, who is based in Quebec, has won three Emmys for his music on the show, including outstanding original main title theme music for the first season. LISTEN | The theme song for the second season of The White Lotus: A number of fans were upset when the theme song for the third season had changed, which prompted Tapia de Veer to contact production about releasing a longer version that included the popular melody from season two. However, White was not on board with the idea. "I texted the producer and I told him that it would be great to, at some point, give [fans] the longer version with the ooh-loo-loo-loos, because people will explode if they realize that it was going there anyway. He thought it was a good idea. But then Mike cut that — he wasn't happy about that," he said. "I mean, at that point, we already had our last fight forever, I think. So he was just saying no to anything. So I just uploaded that to my YouTube," he continued. LISTEN | Cristóbal Tapia de Veer's uncut theme for season three of The White Lotus: When asked about his feelings about departing the show, Tapia de Veer told the New York Times "it is what it is." "You know, I was watching the Emmys, and it's like, there's one thing I'm pretty proud of and that is I feel like I never gave up," he said. "Maybe I was being unprofessional, and for sure Mike feels that I was always unprofessional to him because I didn't give him what he wanted. But what I gave him did this, you know — did those Emmys, people going crazy."
Los Angeles Times
03-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
‘White Lotus' ooh-loo-loses composer after feud with Mike White: ‘Had our last fight'
What would 'White Lotus' be without its titillating score and those warbled 'ooh-loo-loo-loo's?' That will no longer concern the series' original composer Cristobal Tapia de Veer. The Times confirmed Thursday that the Emmy winner has checked out of HBO's 'White Lotus,' and will not return to bring his musical stylings to the hit series' fourth season. In an interview published Wednesday, the Chilean Canadian musician told the New York Times that creative differences with showrunner Mike White led to his departure. A representative for HBO declined to comment. The composer reflected on his time on the series, including bringing the original Season 1 theme to White, who originally had another sound in mind. 'He didn't want the theme,' De Veer said, adding that White first opted for a song with more of a club feel with a 'chill, sexy vibe.' De Veer recalled the song had 'literally no edge to it,' and differed from the 'dark and edgy' nature of his compositions. 'It's just nice background music,' De Veer recalled. De Veer's version of the theme eventually made it on-air for the inaugural season of 'White Lotus' in 2021 and — thanks in part to its famous warbled war cries — quickly became a hit among fans. For the series' Italy-set sophomore season, De Veer elevated the original theme, combining operatic vocals over a bouncy dance beat. As the New York Times notes, that version made its way to clubs and grew even more popular on social media. When 'White Lotus' fans tuned into the Season 3 premiere in February, many noticed the theme was markedly different. The melody and the vocal trills that fans came to love were notably absent. De Veer said 'people are furious about the change of the theme' and that he told a producer he's interested in giving viewers 'the longer version with the ooh-loo-loo-loos, because people will explode if they realize that it was going there anyway.' The extended version of the Season 3 theme — 'ooh-loo-loo-loos,' original melody and all — can be found on De Veer's YouTube page. '[The producer] thought it was a good idea,' De Veer added. 'But then Mike cut that — he wasn't happy about that.' He added: 'I mean, at that point, we already had our last fight forever, I think. So he was just saying no to anything.' Elsewhere in the interview, De Veer said he received backlash for the Season 3 theme but that viewers eventually warmed up to it. Though De Veer is 'pretty proud' of his time on the 'White Lotus,' which has earned him three Primetime Emmy wins, he said, 'for sure Mike feels that I was always unprofessional to him because I didn't give him what he wanted.' He contended that despite their disputes he did contribute 'those Emmys, people going crazy' for his music, even if it took them a while to enjoy it. 'I'm really happy to take those kinds of risks. That is the main thing that I'm most happy about — it was worth all the tension and almost forcing the music into the show, in a way, because I didn't have that many allies in there,' he said. 'I treasure that more than something else I did that was just a success, and it works and that's that, with less struggle. 'This was a good struggle.' Throughout Season 3, 'White Lotus' has turned heads for more than just its theme song. In recent weeks, the series faced scrutiny for an incest storyline and nixing mention of a nonbinary character. The show also faced heat from Duke University for dressing a character in university merchandise during a graphic scene. The 'White Lotus' Season 3 finale airs Sunday on HBO.
