The White Lotus' theme tune composer Cristóbal Tapia de Veer has quit the show over creative differences.
The musician earned three Emmy awards for his compositions on the first and second seasons of the hit series.
Speaking to the New York Times, Tapia de Veer discussed creative differences with creator Mike White and claimed that conversations with producers would become "hysterical" and that he was repeatedly asked for music that was less experimental than he wanted to create.
The composer described it as "a rock 'n' roll band story" and compared himself to "the guitar player" who "doesn't understand the singer at all".
Explaining his conflict with White, Tapia de Veer claimed that tensions first arose in season one, despite the music's critical acclaim.
Related: White Lotus fans are just realising Greg was also an iconic movie character
What to Read Next
"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," he added.
Meanwhile, the season three's theme tune became a talking point. The first two seasons' themes featured the same eerie wailing vocals over instrumentation that represented each season's location, but season three had a notably different opening sequence and didn't include the iconic wails.
Addressing the change in the soundtrack, Tapia de Veer said: "When [the season three theme] came out, I had TMZ calling me, even people from England and from France, because they wanted some kind of statement about the theme.
"People are furious about the change of the theme, and I thought that was interesting."
Related: Best streaming services
Tapia de Veer revealed that he had made a longer version of the song, which was closer to the previous scores and could have been used in the opening credits.
"I texted the producer and I told him that it would be great to, at some point, give them the longer version with the ooh-loo-loo-loos, because people will explode if they realise that it was going there anyway," he said.
"He thought it was a good idea. But then [creator Mike White] cut that – he wasn't happy about that."
Digital Spy has reached out to Mike White for comment.
The White Lotus season 3 finale will air this Sunday (April 6) on HBO in the US, and stream on Max. It will be available via Sky/NOW on Monday (April 7) in the UK, and air on Sky Atlantic.
Divya is a freelance writer with experience in entertainment and lifestyle news. Described as a "telly addict" since childhood, Divya was able to translate her interests into a BJTC-accredited, Honours degree in Journalism and Media. After working in communications and marketing, Divya joined Digital Spy as a Freelance News Reporter. She has also written for various publications including Metro, Asian World News and TwitCelebGossip; as well as interviews, features and reviews on her own blog. Divya prides herself on her TV, film and showbiz knowledge, always offering (not so) fun facts to her long-suffering friends and family. From soaps to superheroes, Divya is the go-to person for tailored recommendations and up to date information.
