I’m going to explain the chaotic love triangle of Cassie, Maddy, and Nate from Euphoria using Lana Del Rey songs.
I’m a longtime fan of Euphoria and a longtime Lana Del Rey stan, so using her music to clarify the insanity of this love triangle will help organize all the details and clear up any confusion.
Starting with Maddy and Nate’s connection at the beginning of the show.
Born to Die — Maddy & Nate were always doomed
Maddy and Nate’s relationship was doomed from the very beginning, just like the relationship Lana Del Rey describes in “Born to Die.” Maddy and Nate were never a solid or stable couple, even though they had an incredible amount of passion for each other.
In “Born to Die,” Lana describes a relationship that’s destined to fall apart no matter how intense the chemistry is. She sings, “Come and take a walk on the wild side. Let me kiss you hard in the pouring rain. You like your girls insane, so choose your last words; this is the last time. Cause you and I, we were born to die.”
Deep down, Maddy and Nate both knew there was no real longevity in their love story, but they chose not to acknowledge that reality at first.
A&W — Cassie felt unwanted during her single-girl era
When Cassie gave off the vibe that she felt unwanted and lonely during her single-girl era after her relationship with McKay ended in season one, it reminded me of Lana Del Rey’s song “A&W.”
Cassie was stumbling through life feeling depressed and empty after terminating her unwanted pregnancy with McKay. At the same time, she was trying to navigate life as a newly single young woman while also feeling disrespected by the guys she interacted with.
In A&W, Lana sings, “It’s not about having someone to love me anymore. This is the experience of bein’ an American whore.”
The song explores themes of loneliness, objectification, and feeling reduced to one’s sexuality rather than being valued as a whole person.
Cassie felt like none of the guys around her truly respected her because of the inappropriate videos that had circulated of her being intimate with different boys.
The emotional themes in “A&W” remind me of the loneliness Cassie was probably experiencing before she decided to pursue Nate.
This Is What Makes Us Girls — Maddy & Cassie’s friendship
Maddy’s friendship with Cassie was near and dear to her heart, much like the friendship Lana Del Rey describes in “This Is What Makes Us Girls.”
Cassie and Maddy’s friendship was the one thing they could both depend on.
They trusted each other. They relied on each other. Their friendship had the potential to last forever if such a heartbreaking betrayal had never happened.
They slept over at each other’s houses, borrowed each other’s clothes, got high together, partied together, and genuinely loved each other.
In This Is What Makes Us Girls, Lana sings, “Remember how we used to party up all night? Sneakin’ out and lookin’ for a taste of real life.” Lana also sings, “Sweet 16, and we had arrived Walkin’ down the streets as they whistle, Hi, hi.”
Lana sings, “There she was, my new best friend. High heels in her hand, swayin’ in the wind.” But the most important portion of this Lana song is when she sings, “This is what makes us girls. We all look for heaven, and we put love first. Somethin’ that we’d die for, it’s our curse. Don’t cry about it, don’t cry about it.”
These lyrics are extremely relevant to the dissolution of Maddy and Cassie’s close-knit friendship since Cassie eventually prioritizes love with Nate over loyalty to Maddy.
Maddy & Nate’s toxicity — “Shades of Cool”
In season two of Euphoria, Maddy realizes Nate isn’t capable of giving her the kind of love she truly wants, yet she still can’t seem to walk away.
That reminds me of Lana Del Rey’s song “Shades of Cool.”
Maddy and Nate’s relationship was riddled with red flags because of their toxic on-and-off cycle and Nate’s inability to open up emotionally.
Instead of allowing himself to be vulnerable, he constantly shut Maddy out.
Lana sings, “I can’t fix him, can’t make him better. And I can’t do nothing about his strange weather. But you are unfixable. I can’t break through your world. ‘Cause you live in shades of cool. Your heart is unbreakable.”
Nate came across as emotionally unavailable, impossible to reach, and impossible to fix.
That’s exactly what “Shades of Cool” explores: loving someone whose emotional walls are so high that no amount of love can break through them. Those themes describe Nate Jacobs remarkably well.
Nate assaulted Maddy — “Ultraviolence”
Nate and Maddy’s relationship genuinely reminded me of Lana Del Rey’s song “Ultraviolence” after their relationship crossed into domestic violence.
Nate violently choked Maddy during episode four of season one after she embarrassed him.
Instead of regulating his emotions, he responded with violence.
Then, in season two, episode six, he broke into Maddy’s bedroom and threatened her with a gun in an attempt to recover the explicit recording involving his father.
“Ultraviolence” explores the disturbing overlap between love, violence, trauma, and emotional dependency. Lana sings, “I was filled with poison. But blessed with beauty and rage. I can hear sirens, sirens. He hit me, and it felt like a kiss.”
That perfectly reflects Maddy and Nate’s relationship. Their love became poisonous. It was fueled by equal parts beauty, passion, manipulation, fear, and rage.
Even after everything Nate put her through, Maddy still found herself emotionally attached to him.
Maddy & Nate’s toxicity gets worse — “Diet Mountain Dew”
Maddy and Nate’s continued toxicity throughout season two reminds me of Lana Del Rey’s song “Diet Mountain Dew.”
Their problems dragged on until Winter Formal. Their dysfunctional relationship was on full display for everyone around them to see. Breaking up and getting back together became a cycle they both seemed addicted to.
Even after acknowledging how unhealthy their relationship had become while slow dancing together at Winter Formal, neither of them could fully let go.
Watching those scenes honestly felt like insanity to me. There was absolutely no reason they should’ve continued sharing intimate moments after their relationship had already escalated into domestic violence.
Lana sings, “You’re no good for me. But baby, I want you, I want you.”
It’s almost like neither of them knew how to stop choosing each other.
When Cassie & Nate’s affair began — “The Other Woman”
The beginning of Cassie and Nate’s affair reminded me of Lana Del Rey’s cover of “The Other Woman.”
Cassie knew she shouldn’t have been sleeping with Nate, but she reveled in his attention anyway.
She wanted to feel wanted. She wanted to be chosen. She wanted validation so badly that she was willing to betray her best friend to get it.
Their affair made Cassie feel like she’d somehow gained a one-up on Maddy because she’d captured Nate’s attention.
The song centers on the emotional experience of being “the other woman”— someone who may temporarily receive attention but ultimately pays an enormous emotional price for the affair. Lana sings, “The other woman is perfect where her rival fails.”
That perfectly reflects Cassie’s experience. The moment Maddy started banging on the bathroom door, Cassie’s guilt immediately took over.
Lana sings, “The other woman will always cry herself to sleep. The other woman will never have his love to keep. And as the years go by, the other woman will spend her life alone.”
She instantly realized she was risking everything. Her friendship. Her reputation. And possibly even Nate himself.
Deep down, she knew the affair wasn’t built on a stable foundation, and that realization haunted her almost immediately.
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