Cristobal Tapia de Veer, Composer of the Viral White Lotus' Theme Song, Reveals His Process and Expectations for Season 3
08/06/2023
Yet composer Cristobal Tapia de Veer's Aloha! and Renaissance, which serve as the theme songs for first and second seasons of The White Lotus, respectively, have reached such success. Each track features a consistent melody with high-pitched instrumentation, a danceable beat, and breathless vocals. Each is also tailored to reflect its season's location-Hawaii in the first and Sicily in the second.
Each season, The White Lotus offers colorful, suspenseful commentary on exploitation, wealth, class, and race with a backdrop of murder and dysfunction set in a fictional luxury resort. The combination of Cristobal's masterful composition, the show's alluring storytelling, and a rabid global fan base has propelled both themes to viral fame and millions of Spotify streams, and raised the profile of their composer.
Fans on the prowl Since its July 2021 release, Aloha! has been streamed most by fans in Warsaw, Berlin, and Paris. The song's popularity only grew in the lead-up to the October 2022 premier of the second season, with fans taking to the internet to share commentary on the song.
One popular fan theory was that its repeated notes created a musical allusion to the Gregorian chant Dies Irae, or The Day of Wrath. In a rare interview with For the Record, Cristobal explained that this is but a coincidence. Those melodies are the result of chanting with voices and finding a melody that works with the sound. For lots of reasons, I ended up with those types of harmonies, but I wasn't specifically inspired by that music or trying to use it intentionally.
Following the debut episode of the second season on October 30, 2022, searches for White Lotus on Spotify increased more than 500%. But to the chagrin of fans, Renaissance wasn't released on Spotify until December 11, the end of the season.
Even so, dedicated fans steadily played Aloha! on Spotify while they waited, and on December 12, streams of Aloha! jumped 200% compared to the month prior. Searches for White Lotus soared to 4,800% compared to two months prior.
Once released, daily streams of Renaissance hit an all-time high on December 13, 2022, with fans in Paris, Oslo, and Berlin leading the charge. And as for Cristobal? The composer saw a 162% lift in his own catalog's daily streams following season two.
Even after the season came to an end, fans continued to circulate the song, using it as the musical background to their viral videos. On February 17, 2023, Dutch DJ Ti sto put out his own remix of Renaissance, which became a favorite among fans in Sydney, New York, and Oslo in particular.
Soundtracking suspense So what went into creating the right soundtrack? Cristobal employed wind instruments to create the whirling bird sounds on Aloha! For the first season, I wasn't trying to make Hawaiian music. It was more about making something about nature kicking the characters in the ass, and the wild stuff coming for the characters, Cristobal explained. To hit his mark, he combined bird calls with tribal chants for an island feel with a spooky tropical depth.
Composer Cristobal Tapia de Veer
The temp score was this loungy, rather soft thing-something that would be playing in a nice luxury cafe when you're on vacation somewhere, he recalled. It was very different from what I came up with. I went with a tribal, rather aggressive screaming, and drums and flutes.
That screaming, which seems to be the best way to describe the vocal sounds, became a driving force behind the song's virality when it came time to adapt it for the second season. Cristobal knew he wanted to match the vibe of the location and utilize disconcerting vocal tones.
The oululus' are the most important thing, said Cristobal, using his tongue heavily to propel the sound from his own mouth. For the second season, I was trying to fit into the Italian and the Sicilian vibe. We spoke about having some renaissance sounds, some harps, mandolin, violin, things that we'd connect with Italian music and opera. I did a demo of some classical Italian music, something operatic, and that's the beginning of the track. From there, I wanted to somehow bring back the sound of the first season, which is these screaming voices that are so recognizable.
He also wanted to evoke a different journey for a new cast of characters.
In the first season, there's a lot of conflict in the music, he said. It feels very stressful and more tense than how it should; it has more dissonance. But this was something calculated. And I think the second season is funnier because things become dark later, towards the end of the show. So the song keeps it more playful, more light and harmonious.
A trip to Thailand Cristobal finds the composing process as tumultuous as life is for the White Lotus patrons at times. I don't do anything particular to get into the zone, he notes. Sometimes people try to have the best conditions-relaxed and with a view-but surprisingly, for me, I like to see the stuff that results from being in a bad situation, a stressful situation, not having the right equipment, or not being in the right place.
For Cristobal, discomfort is more impactful, motivating, and conducive to creativity than pleasure or perfection. When I feel tha
LINK: | https://newsroom.spotify.com/2023-06-08/white-lotus-theme-song-compose... |
See more stories from spotify |
More from Spotify
24/04/2024
K-Hip-Hop's Biggest Names Take Center Stage on KrOWN X HAN 2024'
This month marked the return of Spotify's HAN, our collaborative program that brings the unique sounds and culture of Korean hip-hop to the world through ex...
24/04/2024
RADAR Italy Returns With 6 Artists Transforming the Country's Music Landscape
As Spotify's program to spotlight rising talent from around the world, RADAR...
24/04/2024
Spotify Partners With Les Flammes Music Awards To Celebrate French Rap
Spotify is once again teaming up with Les Flammes, the only music awards dedicated to rap, R&B, Afrobeats, and popular culture in France. Spotify helped create...
24/04/2024
Taylor Swift's THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT' Becomes Spotify's Most-Streamed Album in One Week
Records smashed. History made. It's been just five days since Taylor Swift u...
23/04/2024
Spotify Reports First Quarter 2024 Earnings
Today, we announced our first quarter 2024 earnings. In a solid start to the year, Spotify reported Monthly Active Users grew 19% Y/Y to 615 million. Subscri...
23/04/2024
Spotify rapporterar intkter fr frsta kvartalet i 2024
Idag publicerar Spotify sina finansiella resultat f r f rsta kvartalet 2024. ret har inletts stabilt: M natliga aktiva anv ndare kade med 19 % j mf rt med f...
23/04/2024
Discover Your K-Pop Persona With Spotify's New Interactive Experience
In the last decade, as K-Pop cemented its status as a global phenomenon, Spotify has helped fans around the world keep their fingers on the pulse at every step ...
22/04/2024
Taylor Swift's THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT' Breaks Multiple Spotify Records in Less Than 24 Hours
It's a beautiful day to be a Swiftie. On April 19, Taylor Swift dropped her ...
20/04/2024
Taylor Swift's THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT Breaks Multiple Spotify Records in Less Than 24 Hours
It's a beautiful day to be a Swiftie. On April 19, Taylor Swift dropped her ...
19/04/2024
How Spotify Approaches Safety With Sarah Hoyle, Global Head of Trust and Safety
Spotify's mission is to unlock the potential of human creativity by giving a million artists the opportunity to live off their art and billions of fans the ...
19/04/2024
Spotify and Taylor Swift Create a One-of-a-Kind Library To Celebrate THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT'
It's a beautiful day to be a Swiftie. Today, Taylor Swift dropped her 11th s...
17/04/2024
Spotify's Michael Krause Talks Industry Trends Ahead of Our Music and Podcasting Summits in Germany
On April 18 and 19, experts from across the audio industry-including artists, pu...
17/04/2024
Spotify Brings Entrepreneurs and Trailblazers Together to Talk the Future of Tech in the UK
With its particular combination of talent, ambition, culture, and, of course, wo...
17/04/2024
NextGen Partners With Howard University Professor Nikole Hannah-Jones on Student Podcasting Course
At Spotify, we want to equip student creators with the tools and resources neede...
12/04/2024
KAROL G Teams Up With Spotify and FC Barcelona To Release Special Matchday Shirts, Merchandise Collection, and Matchday Playlist
Spotify is once again bringing together record-breaking legends from the worlds ...
11/04/2024
5 Spotify Premium Hacks You Need To Know
Finding the perfect song, pod, or audiobook can be transformative, which is why we here at Spotify continuously innovate our products and features to provide th...
11/04/2024
Canadian Music Has Evolved Into a Global Export. Canada Must Evolve With It.
As the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) updates the country's Broadcasting Act, it faces a fundamental question: Who count...
11/04/2024
Spotify and Substack Partner To Bring Even More Podcasts to Listeners
At Spotify, we always want to deliver more value for podcast creators and their fans. That's why we're excited to announce a new integration with Substa...
10/04/2024
Meet the New Generation of Colombian Urban Artists Making Waves
In recent years, reggaeton has become practically synonymous with Colombia. The country has infused its own sounds and a unique flow into the genre, establishin...
10/04/2024
Conoce a la nueva generacin de artistas urbanos colombianos que la estn rompiendo
En los ltimos a os, el reggaeton se ha convertido pr cticamente en un sin nimo ...
09/04/2024
Spotify CLASSICS: The 100 Greatest R&B Songs of the Streaming Era
In February, we launched Spotify CLASSICS, our first-ever program to celebrate catalog music. Our inaugural list focused on the Classic Hip-Hop and R&B Albums o...
08/04/2024
Spotify Premium Users Can Now Turn Any Idea Into a Personalized Playlist With AI Playlist in Beta
We know that discovery happens on Spotify, with nearly two billion discoveries h...
05/04/2024
RADAR Spain Returns With 6 Artists Shaping the Country's Hottest Music Trends
Since its launch in 2020, RADAR has served as Spotify's program to spotlight...
04/04/2024
Christian Luiga Named Spotify's Chief Financial Officer
Spotify today announced the appointment of Christian Luiga as its new Chief Financial Officer. Christian joins Spotify from Saab AB, a European defense and secu...
04/04/2024
How Spotify and Samsung Brought Fresh Finds to Life in Chicago, From Live Performances to Interactive Experiences
Listeners looking to discover music from some of the most promising independent ...
02/04/2024
Spotify Premium Listeners in Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand Can Soon Access More Than 250,000 Audiobooks
Attention booklovers in Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand! Listening to your favo...
27/03/2024
Paving the Way' for Spotify's NextGen Scholarship Recipients
Spotify is committed to amplifying the voices of underrepresented groups, and that starts with empowering the creators who will shape our industry's future....
26/03/2024
Sube la temperatura con las canciones del verano 2024 en Argentina y Brasil
De diciembre a marzo, cuando los ciudadanos del hemisferio sur disfrutan del verano, la m sica se convierte en una poderosa representaci n de las culturas y cos...
26/03/2024
Aumente o Som com as Msicas do Vero de 2024 da Argentina e do Brasil
De dezembro a mar o, medida que as pessoas em todo o Hemisf rio Sul aproveitam o ver o, a m sica surge frequentemente como uma representa o poderosa das cult...
26/03/2024
Turn Up the Heat With Argentina's and Brazil's 2024 Songs of Summer
From December to March, as people across the Southern Hemisphere soak up the summer, music often emerges as a powerful representation of a region's cultures...
25/03/2024
Spotify Tests Video-Based Learning Courses in the UK
Today we're launching a test for video-based courses on Spotify in the U.K. We've partnered with educational tech companies including BBC Maestro, PLAYv...
21/03/2024
Spotify Celebrates Ramadan With Listening Trends From Around the World
March marks the beginning of Ramadan, a cherished cultural event celebrated by Muslims worldwide. As families and communities come together to observe, contempl...
20/03/2024
Five Artists Reflect on Five Years of Spotify in India, Reaching New Fans, and the True Power' of Music
Since launching in India in 2019, Spotify has opened up opportunities for artist...
19/03/2024
The Biggest Takeaways From Spotify's Annual Music Economics Report
At Spotify, we believe that artists deserve clarity when it comes to the economics of music streaming-that's why we publish data showing our impact on the i...
19/03/2024
As Maiores Concluses do Relatrio Anual de Economia Musical do Spotify
No Spotify, acreditamos que os artistas merecem clareza no que diz respeito economia do streaming de m sica - por isso que publicamos dados que mostram o no...
19/03/2024
Las Conclusiones Ms Importantes Del Informe Anual De Spotify Sobre La Economa Musical
En Spotify, creemos que los artistas merecen claridad cuando se trata de la econ...
19/03/2024
Les points cls du rapport annuel sur l'conomie de la musique de Spotify
Spotify pense que les artistes m ritent de la clart en mati re d' conomie du streaming musical. C'est pourquoi la plateforme publie chaque ann e des do...
18/03/2024
USC Basketball Star Juju Watkins on Fashion, Film, Friendship Bracelets, and More
Listeners turn to Spotify to connect with their favorites-from artists and album...
13/03/2024
Music Videos Rolling Out in Beta to Premium Spotify Users Across Select Markets
In the early neon-infused '80s, music videos burst onto TV screens, turning some of the most beloved songs into visual experiences that redefined the way fa...
12/03/2024
Five Years of Spotify in India: A Look Back at Our Greatest Hits
February marked Spotify's fifth year in India, and since our debut, we've focused on lifting up the country's creator community, localizing content ...
08/03/2024
On International Women's Day, Spotify Celebrates the Impact of Three Years of EQUAL
Spotify is dedicated to fostering gender equity in the music industry and beyond...
07/03/2024
Spotify ajustera ses prix en France prochainement
Prochainement, nos abonn s Spotify Premium en France subiront une augmentation de prix en raison de co ts suppl mentaires sur les services de streaming musica...
07/03/2024
Spotify To Adjust Its Prices Over New Tax in France
Spotify Premium subscribers in France will soon experience a price increase due to additional costs on music streaming services imposed by the government, as pa...
07/03/2024
La Tierra de Texas' Celebrates the Tejano Legacy of Msica Mexicana at the Houston Rodeo
On February 26, 1995, Selena walked into the middle of the Astrodome as the head...
04/03/2024
The European Commission Confirms, Apple's Anti-Competitive Behavior Is Illegal and Harms Consumers
Today's decision marks an important moment in the fight for a more open inte...
04/03/2024
Los artistas colombianos, una fuerza imparable en la escena msical global
Desde los movimientos magn ticos de Shakira, pasando por el electrizante rock en espa ol de Juanes y hasta la vibrante fusi n de pop y vallenato de Carlos Vives...
04/03/2024
Colombian Artists Prove To Be an Unstoppable Force on the Global Music Scene
From Shakira s magnetic moves to Juanes s electrifying Spanish rock and Carlos Vives s vibrant blend of pop and vallenato, Colombian music resonates globally. U...
01/03/2024
Spotify's New Audiobooks Access Tier Gives Booklovers More Listening Options
Spotify is continuously innovating to provide the best possible offering for every kind of audio fan. Since launching Audiobooks in Premium, we've seen a 45...
01/03/2024
A Letter to the European Commission on Apple's Lack of DMA Compliance
Ahead of the European Union's DMA implementation deadline next week, Spotify and many EU companies sent the following letter to the European Commission toda...
29/02/2024
Spotify's Song Psychic Is Ready To Answer Your Burning Questions
Life's full of little mysteries, and sometimes the most fun way to tackle them is with a bit of cosmic guidance. Spotify is ready to take you on a journey o...