Dominic Fike is a singer-songwriter who took a jab at acting in season 2 of Euphoria as Elliot. While Elliot and Rue had quite an interesting relationship together that ended in Rue hating him (for the most part), it didn’t mean that they didn’t have closure at the end of the season—especially given that Elliot sang Rue a song he wrote.
Called “Little Star,” Decider has said that the song was actually written by Zendaya and the show’s composer, Labrinth. Euphoria‘s music is an important part of the storyline. In season 1, Zenday’s Rue sang a song, and for season 2, Zendaya and Labrinth wrote the song “I’m Tired” that plays at the end of the finale. So, though Fike himself is a singer-songwriter, it seems that “Little Star” was one of the songs that Zendaya and Labrinth did together.
The music has a connection to the series that brings you a surprising emotional reaction while you’re watching it. Often, I find myself crying for Rue based on the music that Labrinth decorates the scene with. And while “Little Star” was a relatively long song in a finale that had a lot of ground to cover, it still fits with how the show uses music to drive home the emotional arc of these characters.
The beauty of “Little Star”
“Little star, feels like you fell right on my head. Gave you away to the wind, I hope it was worth it in the end,” Elliot sings to Rue. “You and my guitar, I think you may be my only friend. I gave it all to see you shine again, I hope it was worth it in the end.”
Rue and Elliot had an interesting dynamic from the start. Elliot thought he’d found a casual drug-using friend in Rue, and she used him as her excuse to continue using without pause. But Elliot and Jules “turned” on Rue and held an intervention for their friend, and while Elliot and Jules were hurting Rue with their own relationship, it is clear that they both clearly love Rue and want her to be healthy.
In the finale, Rue goes to Elliot to tell him that she forgives him because she has a long list of “I’m sorrys,” but he’s the one she gets give forgiveness—and this song is a look into Elliot’s own feelings towards Rue. “Us against the world, just a couple sinners making fun of hell. If I keep you here, I’ll only be doing this for myself,” the lyrics go on. “Been some time since we’ve spoken, one day we’ll meet again. Some distance when you’re older, you’ll come lean on my shoulder, tell me that story’s over, that day we meet again.”
They leave the moment as two who know they’re bad for each other, and “Little Star” says as much, but hopefully this isn’t the end of Rue/Jules/Elliot as a trio and we get to explore the pain they all caused each other in the future of Euphoria.
(image: HBO)
