The Perfect ‘Ted Lasso’ Beyoncé Needle Drop Came from a Very Literal Place

It’s the (probable?) last season of “Ted Lasso,” so it makes sense that the show would aim as high as it can. When it comes to music, it makes even more sense that the Season 3 premiere would go after help from Beyoncé.

The first new episode of the Apple TV+ show in 17 months ends with Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis) himself finding out that his ex-wife Michelle (played by Andrea Anders, who’s great in “That ’90s Show,” by the way) might have a new boyfriend. The darker, more somber version of the show we last saw in Season 2 might have gone for a moodier ending track. But here, instead, there’s the booming air raid siren that kicks off “Ring the Alarm,” a hit from Beyoncé’s 2006 album “B’Day.”

Finishing things off with that song was a stellar creative touch that came out of a moment of inspiration during Season 3 post-production, namely a conversation between writers and executive producers Joe Kelly, Sudeikis, and Brendan Hunt (who also co-stars in the show as Coach Beard).

“It comes from the part of the process where Joe and Jason and I are watching cuts and exchanging notes among the three of us,” Hunt told IndieWire. “It was actually one of Joe Kelly’s notes. I can’t remember what song was in there before, but it was a stream of consciousness moment where he’s like, ‘I don’t know if this music that we have right now really works. It should really be something that’s more like a ‘ring the alarm’ moment. Oh, wait. ‘Ring the Alarm.” And then we tried it and it worked great.”

It’s part of an overall impressive Season 3 premiere for Tony Von Pervieux, Christa Miller, and the rest of the show’s music supervision team. There are also tracks from Bob Dylan (“Wigwam” plays under Ted’s phone call with Dr. Sharon) and Eric B. & Rakim (the first day we see of Nate at West Ham is backed by “Follow the Leader”). But “Ring the Alarm” is certainly what sets the tone for the rest of the season going forward.

“Apparently it cleared. That all happens above my paygrade,” Hunt said. “But Beyoncé, I owe you yet again.”

“Ted Lasso” releases new episodes every Wednesday on Apple TV+. 

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