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Over the past two seasons, The White Lotus theme has earned its place as one of the most recognizable TV intros—quirky, hypnotic, and totally unforgettable. So, when Season 3 rolled around and the iconic intro was suddenly cut short, fans weren’t exactly thrilled. And apparently, they weren’t shy about letting people know either.
The show’s composer, Cristóbal Tapia de Veer, recently opened up to The New York Times about the backlash and what really went down behind the scenes. “People are furious about the change of the theme, and I thought that was interesting,” he said, referring to the fan outcry when the altered version dropped.
Here’s the twist: Tapia de Veer actually wanted to keep the fan-favorite elements—those now-iconic “ooh-loo-loo-loos”—in the new version. His plan was to start the Season 3 theme with something fresh and slowly build into the familiar melody fans love. He even pitched the idea to the producers, texting them to say it would blow fans’ minds once they realized the old theme was making a comeback mid-song.
The producers liked the idea. But Mike White—the show’s creator and showrunner—wasn’t on board. In fact, he completely scrapped the longer version. “Mike cut that — he wasn’t happy about it,” said Tapia de Veer.
By then, it sounds like tensions had already reached a boiling point. Tapia de Veer hinted at some creative differences between him and White, saying, “I mean, at that point, we already had our last fight forever, I think. So he was just saying no to anything.” Frustrated but undeterred, Tapia de Veer took matters into his own hands and uploaded the full version of the theme to his own YouTube channel for fans to enjoy.
Despite the behind-the-scenes drama, the composer says he’s proud of the work he’s done on The White Lotus. He even admits, a little cheekily, that while some may have seen him as “unprofessional” for not always going along with White’s requests, what he did bring to the table helped the show win Emmys and capture fans’ attention. “People went crazy for it,” he added.
Still, it seems fans have more than just the theme song to grumble about this season. Social media has been buzzing with critiques about the storyline, pacing, and overall vibe of Season 3—suggesting that the changes, musical and otherwise, haven’t landed as smoothly as the creators hoped.
Whether or not the full theme will ever make its way into an actual episode remains to be seen, but one thing’s for sure: The White Lotus fans are loud, loyal, and not afraid to let their opinions be known—especially when it comes to their beloved theme song.