Zendaya & Labrinth's "All for Us" Remix Is Basically 'Euphoria' in Song Form
Ever since Sunday night (Aug. 4), the Internet has been going crazy over the season finale of the hottest new show on television, HBO's Euphoria. I'm not going to include any spoilers here, but the jaw-dropping finale was right out of the A24 handbook and it was devastatingly beautiful.
To commemorate the finale of the show's freshman season, Zendaya and Labrinth dropped a rework of Labrinth's "All for Us." Lyrically and sonically, "All for Us" is an auditory experience that is akin to watching Euphoria. Labrinth handles the score for Euphoria, and he's done such an incredible job that it's hard to believe this is his first time ever scoring a television show. His score is a lucid combination of hip-hop, soul, electronica, and classical music arrangements that elevate each scene.
This new remix of "All for Us" features Zendaya's vocals, but lyrically, there aren't any noticeable changes from Labrinth's original solo version. The refrain of the track, "doing it all for love," is unsettling because of how accurate it is in the universe of Euphoria. Rue is fighting to stay sober because she loves Jules. Maddy is floating in and out of a toxic relationship because she loves Nate. Fez is struggling with the guilt of nearly ending Rue's life and trying to help her get better because he loves her. Love is the driving force behind nearly every character arc on Euphoria, so lyrically this song is a perfect choice to end the finale with.
The first verse of the songs outlines different characters and plot lines:
Too much in my system (Rue's overdose, Cassie and Maddy's drug trip at the carnival)
Money MIA(Fez trying to pay off his dealer)
Mama making ends meet(Rue and Cassie both live in single parent households)
Working like a slave(Regular jobs, trying to stay sober, trying to adjust to a new town)
Daddy ain't at home, no(Rue's father is dead; Nate's dad is anything but a good father; McKay's dad lacks a certain emotional intelligence; Cassie and Lexi's dad abandoned them)
Gotta be a man(Nate and McKay struggle with their masculinity throughout the season)
Do it for my homegrowns (Rue is especially overprotective of her younger sister Gia)
Do it for the fam (Broken families are a mainstay on Euphoria)
And that's just the first verse.
On a sonic level, this new version of "All for Us" features a full marching band and even more explosive production than the original. There's a glorious and maintained chaos to the song that directly parallels Euphoria. Take the carnival/Gia search scene, for example, or the overhead shot of the bathroom stalls in the finale. Contained chaos is exactly what Euphoria and "All For Us" are. There is analog and digital instrumentation and a stuttering tap bass line, but the sound still has intent behind it. Also, it's just nice to hear Zendaya sing again, she has a really nice and smooth voice that ties everything together, and Labrinth is, of course, fantastic.
Score: 80