The impact of “Renaissance,” the main title theme for the second season of “The White Lotus,” is felt far beyond the screen. Since the season’s premiere in Fall 2022, “Renaissance” has ushered in the Killers as they arrived on stage and Dominic Fike has closed his sets with it. But where the song has really hit is on the dance floor.
Grammy-winning DJ/producer Tiësto, a huge fan of the series, began including it in his sets toward the end of 2022. His “Renaissance” remix got its official release, with HBO’s blessing.
For the second season, Chilean Canadian composer Cristobal Tapia de Veer drew his original musical ideas from the script and from conversations with series creator Mike White. White “wanted the music to feel like it was boiling under these characters,” de Veer says from his studio in Montréal.
He reimagined the borderline-dangerous original theme music as calm and romantic through a piano, ramping up with a dancefloor-ready techno beat, all the while keeping tension at its core.
The renamed “Renaissance” theme plays along with opening credits once against set against wallpaper — only his time it evokes 16th century Italy rather than an island setting.
The remix has Tiësto’s signature fluttering builds and tension-releasing drops while retaining the source material’s infectious nature. “I wanted to create something that highlights the beauty of the original track but takes it to another level energy-wise for the dance floor or festival main stage. The original song on its own is already so incredible, but for my sets it needed that extra Tiësto spice,” he tells Variety.
Tiësto’s “Renaissance” remix is the only official one—so far. But among those DJing their own bootlegs of the song are Diplo, Sofi Tukker, Flux Pavilion, Westend, Enamour, Will Sass and Shouse. Smart money is on making at least a few more of these “Renaissance” remixes legit.