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HisLion Kingsong (could it net Beyonce her first Oscar nomination?
As far as Beyonce singing it, I liked the idea of Nala singing that to Simba.
I read that forEuphoriayou were inspired by Danny Elfmans score forEdward Scissorhandsand byYeezus.
I was like, Okay, Ill try as best as I can.
But he said he feels like my music already has these vibes.
Can you tell me more about the first conversation you had with him?
Your music fits the series so perfectly.Thats all praise to Sam, really.
Hes just got a really great mind and knows what will work together.
He really just saw my music fitting with the show.
Of course, there were definitely some challenges because Id never written a score before, for a show.
Finding out that it was HBO, I was like, Ohhhhshit!
Its my first composing gig and its really big.
Whats your favorite HBO show?Ive got three:Sopranos.Game of Thrones but without the ending.
We can delete season six.
What can you tell me about setting the tone forEuphoria?
Ive met some people in L.A. who are part of that New Agey, millennial scene.
I just felt like I knew what to say or sing about these experiences.
One specific record that I wrote for the show was When I R.I.P.
I was just like,I have the exact lyrics for [Rues] experience.
Sam really loved those records.
I recently released one called Mount Everest that was in the second episode.
It also sounds like there are some gospel and electronic influences in the music as well.
Im a massive fan of electronic music.
Hip-hop is in the middle.
Once you put all those things together, thats pretty much what gets created.
We grew up on the whole Kirk Franklin experience.
Tell me about Still Dont Know My Name.I did that halfway through doing the score.
I remember seeing Barbie [Ferreira]s character in the third episode.
If she were to tell them how many Instagram followers she has, they would lose their minds.
There are a lot of experiences like that throughout the show.
Rue, Zendayas character, and her experiences with Jules another example of someone feeling sort of neglected.
A lot of being a teenager is feeling misunderstood, feeling unseen.Exactly that.
When Sam was speaking to me about it, the song really came easy.
You just instantly go back to that time in your life.
Ive got a lot of music.
How do you look back on that material now?It was really free.
Ive always been a very free creative, always had millions of ideas.
I love loads of different genres.
Im a bit of a nomad when it comes to creating music.
That, for me, is really inspiring.
When will Still Dont Know My Name come out?
Will it be on your album?Well, its up to HBO to release it.
Once you score, its owned by the show.
If HBO wants to release it, theyll do it.
Everyone on the internet is obsessed with it!
Its all I see.I know!
Everyones on my case!
People comment back to me, like, Where is Still Dont Know My Name?
Wed better figure something out.
What is it like sending music to Beyonce?
Were you nervous?No, because Ive been writing music for so long.
But you never really know with these things.
I dont usually pitch music to artists.
I just write my own songs and if they vibe, it just happens out of the blue.
I should just go and finish my own album.
But then I got the call saying Beyonce loves the record.
I was like, Really?
Theyre like, Yeah, were going to release it.
Im like, Really?
He suggested that we do it.
I instantly started thinking about the moment when Simba is kind of lost in the jungle.
Hes run away from home because he thinks hes killed his father.
He gets inspired by Nala to come back and claim his place in the kingdom.
I got started writing a song that represented that moment.
How am I working with all these incredible people?
What happened?It was definitely a cool moment.
Theres a bit of a Beyonce-Euphoriacrossover in the shows music cues.
What do you think of all the needle drops?Oh, man, its so sick!
I just think they were really good at picking records that elevate the scenes.
It almost feels like a DJ set when theyre playing the soundtrack.
My head came off when I heard that.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
