Stars (¥$ song) explained

Stars
Type:song
Artist:¥$
Album:Vultures 1
Released:February 10, 2024
Recorded:2022–2024
Genre:Gospel
Length:1:55
Label:YZY
Producer:

"Stars" (originally "Up In The Stars" and "In the Stars") is a song by the American hip hop superduo ¥$, composed of rapper Kanye West and singer Ty Dolla Sign, released as the opening track on their debut studio album, Vultures 1 (2024). The song features uncredited vocals from Camper. It was produced by the duo alongside Aver Ray, Camper, FnZ, JPEGMafia, Shdøw, the Legendary Traxster, and Timbaland. Apart from Shdøw and Timbaland, the producers served as co-writers with Lucien Parker and Quentin Miller. A dark gospel track, it features a sample of "Good Luck" by Dijon. Lyrically, the song sees West and Ty Dolla Sign boasting of their accomplishments.

"Stars" received praise from music critics, who mostly praised the composition. Focus was placed on its instrumentation and some commended the vocals, although other critics found the song underwhelming. The song debuted at number 39 on the US Billboard Hot 100, alongside reaching number 17 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. It charted at numbers eight and ten in Latvia and Iceland, respectively. The song charted within the top 40 of eight other countries, including Canada and New Zealand, while it reached number 26 on the Billboard Global 200.

Background

In October 2023, Ty Dolla Sign announced a collaborative album with Kanye West. The singer revealed their duo name of ¥$, which shows the Japanese yen symbol next to a dollar sign.[1] [2] The duo had previously collaborated on multiple tracks, including the singles "Only One" (2014) and "Ego Death" (2020). Their most recent collaboration was "Junya pt 2" from West's 2021 album Donda.[1] [2] In March 2024, Ty Dolla Sign acknowledged his loyalty to West for having believed in the rapper during both his successes and failures.[3]

Singer-songwriter and record producer Camper had first worked with West at the age of 20, a few years before venturing to Hawaii for recording sessions with the rapper and other collaborators. Camper said that the two saw each other on multiple occasions and remained on good terms in spite of not seeing each other for another eight years, reunited to work on Vultures 1 in Saudi Arabia from the fall of 2023 into 2024.[4] The producer acknowledged their growth and their time separate to come together for the album, which he helped produce, including the single "Talking / Once Again". Camper was impressed with West's bravery and ambition as he learned "how to put it into what I'm doing"; he also contributed vocals to "Stars".[5] The song was produced by West, Ty Dolla Sign, Aver Ray, Camper, FnZ, JPEGMafia, Shdøw, the Legendary Traxster, and Timbaland. Apart from Shdøw and Timbaland, the producers wrote it alongside Lucien Parker and Quentin Miller.[6] On February 9, 2024, musician Dijon posted to Instagram Stories that he was not aware of his 2019 track "Good Luck" being sampled on the song. Following the release of the album, YZY executive Che Pope responded that Dijon "should be good".[7]

Originally, "Stars" was a solo Ty Dolla Sign song called "Up In The Stars". It was recorded in 2022 and was meant for his solo album.[8]

Composition and lyrics

Musically, "Stars" is a dark, slow-building gospel track.[9] The song has a faded backdrop, combined with a sample of Dijon's vocals from "Good Luck".[7] It features orchestral production, alongside drums. West's vocal pitch rises and falls, while Ty Dolla Sign contributes airy falsettos.[10]

In the lyrics of "Stars", West and Ty Dolla Sign boast of accomplishments from their level of fame. West acknowledges the allegations of antisemitism against him, rapping that he keeps "a few Jews on the staff now".[11] He addresses attempts to cancel him and losing his contracts with major brands, dismissing the contracts that were torn apart.[12]

Release and reception

On February 10, 2024, ¥$ released their debut studio album Vultures 1 independently through YZY, including "Stars" as the opening track, changing from its previously reported title of "In the Stars".[13] [14] [15] The song was met with generally positive reviews from music critics, with general praise for the composition. Paul A. Thompson from Pitchfork praised how West's singing voice changes pitch, finding this to be "at wonderful odds with [the] song's martial drums".[10] Writing for HipHopDX, Scott Glaysher observed the song's tranquillity where West and Ty Dolla Sign sound both peaceful and confident.[9] HotNewHipHops Aron A. expressed that the song's orchestral production is elevated by falsettos from Ty Dolla Sign, who acts as "a vessel for Kanye's ear".[16]

Some reviewers were less impressed. Rhian Daly of NME highlighted the song's resemblance to "Ultralight Beam" from West's album The Life of Pablo (2016), although concluded that it fails to "burn quite as bright".[17] Michael Saponara from Billboard said that the song is darker than expected for setting the tone at the beginning of the album and serves as "more of a palette cleanser", despite noting the "poignant moment" of the Dijon sample with its faded backdrop.[18] In a negative review for Variety, Steven J. Horowitz labeled West's line about Jews as one of his "attempts to pour gasoline on the already raging fires" that is worthy of an eye-roll.[19]

Following the release of Vultures 1, "Stars" entered the US Billboard Hot 100 at number 39.[20] It further opened at number 17 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.[21] In Canada, the song debuted at number 29 on the Canadian Hot 100 and lasted for two weeks on the chart. It reached numbers 30 and 34 in New Zealand and Australia, respectively.[22] The song performed best in Latvia, charting at number eight on the Latvian Top 20 and it similarly reached number ten in Iceland. "Stars" also attained top 40 positions in Lithuania, Norway, Denmark, Portugal, and Switzerland, while the song charted at number 26 on the Billboard Global 200.

Charts

Chart (2024)! scope="col"
Peak
position
Australia Hip Hop/R&B (ARIA)[23] 12
Iceland (Tónlistinn)[24] 10
Latvia (LAIPA)[25] 8
Lithuania (AGATA)[26] 18
Poland (Polish Streaming Top 100)[27] 30
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[28] 54

Notes and References

  1. Atkinson . Katie . October 24, 2023 . Ty Dolla $ign Announces 'Multi Stadium Listening Event' for Kanye West Joint Album . August 28, 2024 . . November 18, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231118193557/https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/ty-dolla-sign-kanye-west-stadium-listening-event-joint-album-1235452857/ . live .
  2. Renshaw . David . October 24, 2023 . Ty Dolla $ign announces 'multi stadium listening event' aheaed of rumored Kanye West album . August 28, 2024 . . December 12, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231212124209/http://www.thefader.com/2023/10/24/ty-dolla-sign-announces-multi-stadium-listening-event-aheaed-of-rumored-kanye-west-album . live .
  3. Elibert . Mark . 10 Takeaways from Kanye West & Ty Dolla Sign Interview . March 15, 2024 . August 28, 2024 . . March 16, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240316033608/https://www.complex.com/music/a/markelibert/kanye-west-ty-dolla-sign-big-boy-interview-big-moments . live .
  4. News: Jones . Damian . November 13, 2023 . Ty Dolla $ign shares update on new album with Kanye West . August 28, 2024 . . November 20, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231120123842/https://www.nme.com/news/music/ty-dolla-ign-shares-update-on-new-album-with-kanye-west-3537437 . live .
  5. Ju . Shirley . Ye & Ty$ Spent 3 Months In Saudi Arabia Recording 'Vultures 1', Says Camper . . February 27, 2024 . June 18, 2024 . February 27, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240227194330/https://thesource.com/2024/02/27/ye-ty-spent-3-months-in-saudi-arabia-recording-vultures-1-says-camper/ . live .
  6. Web site: Vultures 1 - Album by ¥$, Kanye West & Ty Dolla $ign . . August 28, 2024 . May 18, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240518195811/https://open.spotify.com/album/30zwjSQEodaUXCn11nmiVF . live .
  7. Stutz . Colin . February 17, 2024 . Kanye's 'Vultures' Samples Including Black Sabbath Use Are Not Cleared . June 18, 2024 . Billboard . February 17, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240217220534/https://www.billboard.com/business/business-news/kanye-vultures-samples-black-sabbath-not-cleared-1235610287/ . live .
  8. Web site:
  9. Glaysher . Scott . February 11, 2024 . Kanye West Can't Shake Legacy Damage As 'Vultures 1' Struggles To Move The Needle . June 18, 2024 . . en . https://web.archive.org/web/20240212093718/https://hiphopdx.com/reviews/kanye-west-ty-dolla-sign-vultures-1-album-review . February 12, 2024 . dead.
  10. Web site: Paul A. . Thompson . Kanye West / Ty Dolla $ign: Vultures 1 . June 18, 2024 . February 15, 2024 . . en-US . February 15, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240215051614/https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/kanye-west-and-ty-dolla-sign-vultures-1/ . live .
  11. News: Caramanica. Jon. Jon Caramanica. 'Vultures 1': Where the New Ye Meets the Old Kanye. The New York Times. February 19, 2024 . registration. August 27, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240219101535/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/19/arts/music/kanye-west-ye-vultures-college-dropout.html. February 19, 2024.
  12. Skelton. Eric. February 11, 2024. 5 First-Listen Thoughts on Kanye West and Ty Dolla Sign's 'Vultures 1'. Complex. June 18, 2024. en-US. February 11, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240211050742/https://www.complex.com/music/a/eric-skelton/kanye-west-ty-dolla-sign-vultures-1-impressions-review. live.
  13. News: Centeno . Tony M. . February 10, 2024 . Kanye West & Ty Dolla $ign Finally Drop Their Joint Album 'Vultures Vol. 1' . June 18, 2024 . . June 18, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240618203056/https://1061kissfm.iheart.com/content/2024-02-10-kanye-west-ty-dolla-ign-finally-drop-their-joint-album-vultures-vol-1/ . live .
  14. News: Caraan . Sophie M. . February 8, 2024 . 'Vultures, Volume 1' Album Listening Experience Recap . June 18, 2024 . .
  15. Cummings-Grady . Mackenzie . February 8, 2024 . Kanye West and Ty Dolla Sign's Vultures Album Event in Chicago . June 18, 2024 . . June 18, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240618203056/https://www.xxlmag.com/kanye-west-vultures-album-event-chicago/ . live .
  16. News: A. . Aron . May 29, 2024 . Kanye West & Ty Dolla $ign 'Vultures 1' Review . August 27, 2024 . .
  17. Web site: Daly . Rhian . February 12, 2024 . Kanye West & Ty Dolla $ign – 'Vultures 1' review: mired in misogyny . August 27, 2024 . NME . February 12, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240212192534/https://www.nme.com/reviews/album/kanye-west-ty-dolla-sign-vultures-1-review-lyrics-tracklist-3585917 . live .
  18. Saponara . Michael . February 10, 2024 . Kanye West & Ty Dolla $ign's 'Vultures 1' Album: All 16 Songs Ranked . August 27, 2024 . Billboard . en-US . February 11, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240211122431/https://www.billboard.com/lists/kanye-west-ty-dolla-sign-vultures-1-album-songs-ranked/ . live .
  19. Horowitz . Steven J. . February 14, 2024 . Kanye West and Ty Dolla Sign's 'Vultures 1': Album Review . August 27, 2024 . . February 14, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240214153028/https://variety.com/2024/music/album-reviews/kanye-west-ty-dolla-signs-vultures-1-album-review-1235910248/ . live .
  20. Zellner . Xander . February 20, 2024 . Kanye West, Ty Dolla $ign 'Vultures 1': Every Song Debuts on Hot 100 . August 28, 2024 . Billboard . February 20, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240220223411/https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/kanye-west-ty-dolla-sign-vultures-1-every-song-hot-100-1235611020/ . live .
  21. subscription . Music: Top R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – February 24, 2024 . August 28, 2024 . Billboard . live . March 2, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240302012704/https://www.billboard.com/charts/r-b-hip-hop-songs/2024-02-24/ .
  22. Web site: NZ Top 40 Singles Chart. Recorded Music NZ. February 19, 2024. June 18, 2024. February 16, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240216051402/https://nztop40.co.nz/chart/singles?chart=5760. live.
  23. Web site: ARIA Top 40 Hip Hop/R&B Singles Chart. Australian Recording Industry Association. February 19, 2024. June 18, 2024. February 16, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240216070308/https://www.aria.com.au/charts/hip-hop-r-and-b-singles-chart/2024-02-19. live.
  24. Web site: Tónlistinn – Lög. The Music – Songs. is. Plötutíðindi. June 18, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240218090521/https://plotutidindi.is/tonlistinn/. February 18, 2024.
  25. Web site: Straumēšanas Top 2024 – 7. nedēļa. Streaming TOP 2024 – Week 7. lv. LAIPA. February 26, 2024. June 18, 2024. February 26, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240226212510/https://www.parmuziku.lv/muzikas-zinas/latvija/straumesanas-top-2024-7-nedela-9899. live.
  26. Web site: 2024 7-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100). AGATA. lt. February 16, 2024. June 18, 2024. February 16, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240216123356/https://www.agata.lt/lt/naujienos/s7-2/. live.
  27. Web site: OLiS – oficjalna lista sprzedaży – single w streamie. OLiS. pl. June 18, 2024. Select week 09.02.2024–15.02.2024.. February 2, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230202134558/https://www.olis.pl/charts/oficjalna-lista-sprzedazy/single-w-streamie. live.
  28. Web site: Veckolista Singlar, vecka 7. Sverigetopplistan. June 18, 2024.

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