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Brandi Carlile sings Ted Lasso theme in Season 4 finale, replacing Marcus Mumford's version

The Ted Lasso Season 4 finale opened with a Brandi Carlile cover of the theme instead of the Marcus Mumford and Tom Howe original. Co-creator Hunt says it's unclear whether it will stay.

2 outlets · 1L · 1C · 0R First reported Account updated

The story, neutrally told

Mixed · 2The Season 4 finale of Ted Lasso, released on Apple TV on Wednesday 7 October, opened with a cover of the show's theme sung by Brandi Carlile instead of the usual version. Mixed · 2The original theme was co-written and performed by Marcus Mumford of Mumford & Sons and composer Tom Howe. Left · 1Variety reports that executive producer and star Jason Sudeikis has been friends with Carlile for years, at least since the 2021 Saturday Night Live episode he hosted and she was musical guest, and called to ask for the new version.

Left · 1Co-creator and star Hunt told Variety that Sudeikis had long said the theme should eventually reflect the show's shift from a men's team to a women's team, with a woman's voice, and wanted the handover to be graceful rather than sudden. Centre · 1Hunt told Deadline that going from the wake of the character Mae straight into Mumford's bouncy version would have been abrupt, so an early cut used the acoustic Jeff Tweedy version from the Season 2 episode "Beard After Hours" before Carlile was asked. Mixed · 2Both outlets note the Tweedy cover is the only earlier alternate theme, and that Deadline calls Carlile's the first time a woman has performed it.

Mixed · 2Hunt has heard the full-length recording, which Hunt said brought them to tears, and hopes it is released, since the show uses only a 30-second snippet. Mixed · 2Whether Carlile's version will continue is open: Variety says it could become the new theme if a Season 5 happens, while Hunt told Deadline that the version is "a bit funereal" and the energy may not suit every episode.

Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.

Left1 outlet

Framing
Variety explains the swap as a deliberate creative decision tied to the show's move to a women's team, and asks whether it is permanent.
Emphasis
Sudeikis's friendship with Carlile, the women's-team rationale, Hunt's emotional reaction and the possibility of a new permanent theme.
Leaves out or plays down
Does not mention the early cut using the Tweedy version or Hunt's doubt that a funereal tone suits every episode.
Charged language
“bowled over”
For example
“this could potentially be the show’s new theme” — Variety

Centre1 outlet

Framing
Deadline presents a Q&A with Hunt on the practical reasons for the change, particularly the tonal fit after Mae's wake, and whether it will stay.
Emphasis
Tonal reasoning, the Tweedy fallback, Carlile's Grammy credentials and Hunt's reservations about the melancholy tone.
Leaves out or plays down
Does not mention Sudeikis's earlier SNL connection to Carlile or Sudeikis's long-held plan for a woman's voice.
Charged language
“haunting”“funereal”
For example
“It’s a bit funereal, and if we do come back, I’m not sure that every episode will start with a funeral” — Deadline

Right0 outlets

No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.