“All For Us” by Labrinth & Zendaya
There are two facts concerning Labrinth and Zendaya’s “All for Us” which should be noted from the onset. One is that Labrinth had already released it a couple of months prior to officially collaborating with Zendaya, so this is actually a remix. Second is that it is derived directly from a television show which Zendaya starred in entitled “Euphoria”. Thus her lyrics can be interpreted as being from the perspective of the character she portrays. And the character she plays in the aforementioned TV show is Rue.
“All For Us” is premised on the idea of the singers being the caretakers of their families. They are faced with the challenge of being responsible for their siblings since their fathers are not present. And they have responded to this challenge via hard work and personal sacrifices in the name of those they love. They also express an explicit desire to make comparable sacrifices for each other. And they are willing to go to any length to achieve this goal, as in take care of the people they love. So ultimately, the sentiment they are putting forth is that “all” of their hard-fought efforts are for the benefit of the people dear to their hearts, including each other.
But at the same time, Labrinth introduces the concept of “dreamers” being “selfish”, thus insinuating that the commitments they are making are actually for their own individual benefits. And in the end, they seem to recognize that the aforementioned efforts are causing them to lose touch with who they truly are. So accordingly, they want the other to vow to bring them back to earth if their actions take them too far. And all things considered, despite the noble goal which drives them, they do not seem overly confident that their way of life will lead to a brighter tomorrow.
Rue’s Perspective
Looking at it directly from the perspective of “Rue”, it has been hypothesized that this song actually alludes to her battle with drug addiction. The genesis of her affliction can more or less be traced back to the death of her father a few years ago. Thus it can be argued that from her point of view she perceives her addiction as an act of love – or more specifically a result of it. And it has also been put forth that the story arc of “Rue” was actually the inspiration behind this song.
Conclusion
But in all, taken out of the context of “Euphoria”, “All For Us” is a song based primarily on the themes of the singers being ready to do any and everything for the special people in their lives. Or at least that is the way they personally rationalize their actions.
Premiere of “All For Us”
“All For Us” premiered during the finale (eighth episode) of the first season of “Euphoria”. This first aired on 4 August 2019. The aforementioned date also served as the date the track was officially released.
On which album/project can I find “All For Us”?
It can be found on “Euphoria (Original Score from the HBO Original Series)”.
Who wrote “All For Us”?
Labrinth wrote and produced “All For Us”.
That said, it should be noted that this is actually a remix of a song Labrinth dropped back on 30 June 2019. But it was still created specifically for the show “Euphoria”.
