Brandi Carlile Gives the ‘Ted Lasso’ Finale a New Theme

Ted Lasso changed one of its most familiar sounds for the Season 4 finale, opening the episode with Brandi Carlile’s version of the comedy’s theme song. The switch replaced the recording by Marcus Mumford and composer Tom Howe that has introduced most episodes of the Apple TV series.

A different voice for a changed team

The finale, titled “The Departing Lass,” arrived October 7. Carlile’s performance follows a season centered on Ted Lasso coaching a women’s soccer team, making the first female voice to lead the title song part of the show’s broader shift in perspective.

Co-creator and actor Brendan Hunt said Jason Sudeikis had discussed using the theme to reflect the move from the men’s side of the club to the women’s team. Sudeikis and Carlile have known each other for years, including a 2021 episode of Saturday Night Live that paired him as host with Carlile as musical guest. Carlile had also appeared on the Ted Lasso soundtrack before, through her recording of “Home” from The Wiz.

The arrangement matched the finale’s mood

The creative team initially considered returning to Jeff Tweedy’s spare acoustic cover, previously used in the Season 2 episode “Beard After Hours.” Instead, Carlile recorded a more melancholy interpretation that could carry viewers from the finale’s opening scene into the credits without the sharp tonal turn of the usual upbeat version.

Hunt said the complete recording extends beyond the brief segment heard in the episode and features Carlile with her full band. He described an emotional first listen at Sudeikis’ home and expressed hope that Apple would release the full performance for streaming.

Whether Carlile’s version becomes permanent remains unsettled. Hunt noted that its reflective tone fit this particular episode but may not match the energy of every future installment. For now, the cover works as a finale-specific handoff: it honors a theme viewers know while signaling that the series’ center of gravity has changed.