Why The White Lotus Season 3 Theme Song Has Fans Divided Ahead of the Finale
The countdown to The White Lotus Season 3 finale is officially on, and while fan theories are swirling about certain characters’ true motives, there’s a bigger question on everyone’s mind as we head into tomorrow’s big episode. Forget the mystery of who might end up floating lifeless in Thailand — what fans really want to know is this: will the beloved “ooh-loo-loo-loos” of The White Lotus theme song finally make their grand comeback?
If you’re new to the Max show (it is an anthology series, after all), you should know that the series’ theme songs are basically characters in their own right, thanks to composer Cristóbal Tapia de Veer. Those eerie, hypnotic “ooh-loo-loo-loos” from Seasons 1 and 2 weren’t just catchy; they became full-on phenomena, fueling TikTok remixes and dance club EDM remixes. But then came Season 3 and its polarizing new theme, “Enlightenment,” and suddenly, it seemed those haunting vocals had vanished into the ether.
Here’s the wild part, though — it turns out Tapia de Veer wanted to include the “ooh-loo-loos” in the Season 3 theme all along. He even imagined “Enlightenment” building into the familiar melody fans had obsessed over. But creator Mike White had other plans, shutting down the idea before it could make it to the final cut. “People will explode if they realize it was going there anyway,” Tapia de Veer revealed in a New York Times interview, referencing his frustration with the decision to scrap his original vision.
The fan reaction to the absence of those iconic flourishes ranged from disappointment to outright fury. “I knew I didn’t like the theme this year as much, but I didn’t know WHY,” one fan bemoaned. Another offered a darker spin, joking, “Turns out the body in the water was the composer.” Yikes.
Tapia de Veer has been candid about the tensions behind the scenes, describing his working relationship with White as “a rock band where the guitar player doesn’t understand the singer.” He admitted that he was seen as difficult at times for refusing to compromise. “This was a good struggle,” he said, acknowledging the challenges of pushing an experimental score like “Enlightenment” into a space that wasn’t fully ready for it. Initially, the showrunners wanted “nice background music” — but, as longtime fans of The White Lotus know, nothing about this show is supposed to be “nice.”
While some viewers were resistant to “Enlightenment” at first, the theme eventually grew on them. One fan wrote, “I wasn’t a fan initially, but it grew on me with each episode. It just gradually fit and made sense with the vibe of this season.”
Others, however, stayed loyal to the earlier themes. “This longer version is still superior. That iconic theme just hits different,” another fan said when Tapia de Veer uploaded the uncut version of “Enlightenment” to YouTube, complete with the long-awaited “ooh-loo-loos.” The extended version brought the controversy full circle, with one listener declaring, “Hearing the full thing here is transcendent. The loo’s make for such a satisfying climax. I wanna run through a wall.”
The music drama seems to go hand-in-hand with the broader tension of Season 3, both on and offscreen. Jason Isaacs, who plays Timothy Ratliff, hinted at cast drama during filming in Thailand. “There’s an off-screen White Lotus as well, with fewer deaths but just as much drama,” he told Vulture. The composer, however, is leaving that behind for good. Tapia de Veer has confirmed he won’t be returning for Season 4, making “Enlightenment” his final contribution to the show. Reflecting on his exit, he said, “It was worth all the tension… I treasure that more than something else I did that was just a success.”
Now, as the Season 3 finale looms, one thing is certain. The music of The White Lotus will go down as one of the most inventive, polarizing, and debated elements of the series. Whether you’re team “experimental” or team “bring back the ooh-loos,” Tapia de Veer’s work has set the gold standard for how music can elevate a story. Because really, what’s The White Lotus without a bit of drama?
Before you go, click here to read more White Lotus Season 3 Theories.