diff --git a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Osu/Objects/Drawables/Connections/FollowPointConnection.cs b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Osu/Objects/Drawables/Connections/FollowPointConnection.cs
index a5e89210f6..921b23cb13 100644
--- a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Osu/Objects/Drawables/Connections/FollowPointConnection.cs
+++ b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Osu/Objects/Drawables/Connections/FollowPointConnection.cs
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@ namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.Osu.Objects.Drawables.Connections
         private const int spacing = 32;
         private const double preempt = 800;
 
+        public override bool RemoveWhenNotAlive => false;
+
         /// <summary>
         /// The start time of <see cref="Start"/>.
         /// </summary>
@@ -79,27 +81,31 @@ namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.Osu.Objects.Drawables.Connections
             drawableObject.HitObject.DefaultsApplied += scheduleRefresh;
         }
 
-        private void scheduleRefresh() => Scheduler.AddOnce(refresh);
+        private void scheduleRefresh()
+        {
+            Scheduler.AddOnce(refresh);
+        }
 
         private void refresh()
         {
             ClearInternal();
 
-            if (End == null)
-                return;
-
             OsuHitObject osuStart = Start.HitObject;
-            OsuHitObject osuEnd = End.HitObject;
+            double startTime = osuStart.GetEndTime();
 
-            if (osuEnd.NewCombo)
-                return;
+            LifetimeStart = startTime;
 
-            if (osuStart is Spinner || osuEnd is Spinner)
+            OsuHitObject osuEnd = End?.HitObject;
+
+            if (osuEnd == null || osuEnd.NewCombo || osuStart is Spinner || osuEnd is Spinner)
+            {
+                // ensure we always set a lifetime for full LifetimeManagementContainer benefits
+                LifetimeEnd = LifetimeStart;
                 return;
+            }
 
             Vector2 startPosition = osuStart.EndPosition;
             Vector2 endPosition = osuEnd.Position;
-            double startTime = osuStart.GetEndTime();
             double endTime = osuEnd.StartTime;
 
             Vector2 distanceVector = endPosition - startPosition;
@@ -107,6 +113,9 @@ namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.Osu.Objects.Drawables.Connections
             float rotation = (float)(Math.Atan2(distanceVector.Y, distanceVector.X) * (180 / Math.PI));
             double duration = endTime - startTime;
 
+            double? firstTransformStartTime = null;
+            double finalTransformEndTime = startTime;
+
             for (int d = (int)(spacing * 1.5); d < distance - spacing; d += spacing)
             {
                 float fraction = (float)d / distance;
@@ -125,16 +134,23 @@ namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.Osu.Objects.Drawables.Connections
                     Scale = new Vector2(1.5f * osuEnd.Scale),
                 });
 
+                if (firstTransformStartTime == null)
+                    firstTransformStartTime = fadeInTime;
+
                 using (fp.BeginAbsoluteSequence(fadeInTime))
                 {
                     fp.FadeIn(osuEnd.TimeFadeIn);
                     fp.ScaleTo(osuEnd.Scale, osuEnd.TimeFadeIn, Easing.Out);
                     fp.MoveTo(pointEndPosition, osuEnd.TimeFadeIn, Easing.Out);
                     fp.Delay(fadeOutTime - fadeInTime).FadeOut(osuEnd.TimeFadeIn);
-                }
 
-                fp.Expire(true);
+                    finalTransformEndTime = fadeOutTime + osuEnd.TimeFadeIn;
+                }
             }
+
+            // todo: use Expire() on FollowPoints and take lifetime from them when https://github.com/ppy/osu-framework/issues/3300 is fixed.
+            LifetimeStart = firstTransformStartTime ?? startTime;
+            LifetimeEnd = finalTransformEndTime;
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Osu/Objects/Drawables/Connections/FollowPointRenderer.cs b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Osu/Objects/Drawables/Connections/FollowPointRenderer.cs
index be192080f9..4d73e711bb 100644
--- a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Osu/Objects/Drawables/Connections/FollowPointRenderer.cs
+++ b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Osu/Objects/Drawables/Connections/FollowPointRenderer.cs
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.Osu.Objects.Drawables.Connections
     /// <summary>
     /// Visualises connections between <see cref="DrawableOsuHitObject"/>s.
     /// </summary>
-    public class FollowPointRenderer : CompositeDrawable
+    public class FollowPointRenderer : LifetimeManagementContainer
     {
         /// <summary>
         /// All the <see cref="FollowPointConnection"/>s contained by this <see cref="FollowPointRenderer"/>.
@@ -45,8 +45,6 @@ namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.Osu.Objects.Drawables.Connections
         /// <returns>The index of <paramref name="connection"/> in <see cref="connections"/>.</returns>
         private void addConnection(FollowPointConnection connection)
         {
-            AddInternal(connection);
-
             // Groups are sorted by their start time when added such that the index can be used to post-process other surrounding connections
             int index = connections.AddInPlace(connection, Comparer<FollowPointConnection>.Create((g1, g2) => g1.StartTime.Value.CompareTo(g2.StartTime.Value)));
 
@@ -74,6 +72,8 @@ namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.Osu.Objects.Drawables.Connections
                 FollowPointConnection previousConnection = connections[index - 1];
                 previousConnection.End = connection.Start;
             }
+
+            AddInternal(connection);
         }
 
         /// <summary>
diff --git a/osu.Game/Graphics/UserInterface/LoadingLayer.cs b/osu.Game/Graphics/UserInterface/LoadingLayer.cs
index 25a62acaba..35b33c3d03 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Graphics/UserInterface/LoadingLayer.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Graphics/UserInterface/LoadingLayer.cs
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Graphics.UserInterface
         protected override void Update()
         {
             base.Update();
-            MainContents.Size = new Vector2(Math.Min(100, Math.Min(DrawWidth, DrawHeight) * 0.25f));
+            MainContents.Size = new Vector2(Math.Clamp(Math.Min(DrawWidth, DrawHeight) * 0.25f, 30, 100));
         }
 
         protected override void Dispose(bool isDisposing)
diff --git a/osu.Game/Graphics/UserInterface/LoadingSpinner.cs b/osu.Game/Graphics/UserInterface/LoadingSpinner.cs
index b5a235f9d8..36d429b8c1 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Graphics/UserInterface/LoadingSpinner.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Graphics/UserInterface/LoadingSpinner.cs
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Graphics.UserInterface
 
         private void rotate()
         {
-            spinner.Spin(spin_duration * 4, RotationDirection.Clockwise);
+            spinner.Spin(spin_duration * 3.5f, RotationDirection.Clockwise);
 
             MainContents.RotateTo(0).Then()
                         .RotateTo(90, spin_duration, Easing.InOutQuart).Then()
diff --git a/osu.Game/Screens/Play/BeatmapMetadataDisplay.cs b/osu.Game/Screens/Play/BeatmapMetadataDisplay.cs
index 77ee52f23e..a84a85ea47 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Screens/Play/BeatmapMetadataDisplay.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Screens/Play/BeatmapMetadataDisplay.cs
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@ using osu.Game.Graphics.UserInterface;
 using osu.Game.Rulesets.Mods;
 using osu.Game.Screens.Play.HUD;
 using osuTK;
-using osuTK.Graphics;
 
 namespace osu.Game.Screens.Play
 {
@@ -63,15 +62,9 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.Play
             set
             {
                 if (value)
-                {
                     loading.Show();
-                    backgroundSprite.FadeColour(OsuColour.Gray(0.5f), 400, Easing.OutQuint);
-                }
                 else
-                {
                     loading.Hide();
-                    backgroundSprite.FadeColour(Color4.White, 400, Easing.OutQuint);
-                }
             }
         }
 
@@ -138,7 +131,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.Play
                                     Anchor = Anchor.Centre,
                                     FillMode = FillMode.Fill,
                                 },
-                                loading = new LoadingSpinner { Scale = new Vector2(1.3f) }
+                                loading = new LoadingLayer(backgroundSprite)
                             }
                         },
                         new OsuSpriteText