All the Stars
{{short description|2018 single by Kendrick Lamar and SZA}}
{{Distinguish|All-star (disambiguation) {{!}} All Stars|All of the Stars}}
{{Infobox song
| name = All the Stars
| cover = All the Stars single cover.jpg
| type = single
| artist = Kendrick Lamar and SZA
| album = Black Panther: The Album
| released = {{start date|2018|1|4}}
| recorded = 2017
| genre =
| length = {{unbulleted list|3:55 (single version)|3:52 (album version)}}
| label = *Top Dawg
| writer = *Kendrick Duckworth
- Mark Spears
- Al Shuckburgh
- Solána Rowe
- Anthony Tiffith
| producer = *Sounwave
| chronology = Kendrick Lamar
| prev_title = Love
| prev_year = 2017
| next_title = Don't Don't Do It
| misc = {{Extra chronology
| artist = SZA
| type = single
| prev_title = The Weekend
| prev_year = 2017
| title = All the Stars
| year = 2018
| next_title = Broken Clocks
| next_year = 2018
}}
{{External music video|{{YouTube|JQbjS0_ZfJ0|"All the Stars"}}
}}
}}
"All the Stars" is a song by American rapper Kendrick Lamar and American singer SZA. Written alongside Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith and producers Sounwave and Al Shux,{{cite web|url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/black-panther-the-album/1331258584|title=Black Panther: The Album|publisher=iTunes|access-date=January 4, 2017}}{{cite web|url=https://listen.tidal.com/album/82999399|title=All the Stars / Kendrick Lamar TIDAL|website=Tidal|access-date=January 5, 2018}} the song was released on January 4, 2018, as the lead single to the soundtrack album of the film Black Panther.{{cite web|last=Madden|first=Sidney|title=Kendrick Lamar And SZA Release 'All the Stars' Single From 'Black Panther'|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/therecord/2018/01/04/575609889/kendrick-lamar-and-sza-release-all-the-stars-single-from-black-panther|website=National Public Radio|access-date=January 4, 2018|date=January 4, 2018}}{{cite web|last=Blais-Billie|first=Braudie|title=Kendrick Lamar and SZA Drop New Song: Listen|url=https://pitchfork.com/news/kendrick-lamar-and-sza-drop-new-song-listen/|website=Pitchfork|access-date=January 4, 2018|date=January 4, 2018}} Its release coincided with Top Dawg Entertainment's announcement that Tiffith (its president) and Lamar would be producing the Black Panther soundtrack album.{{cite web|last=Berry|first=Peter A.|title=Kendrick Lamar and SZA Deliver New Song "All the Stars"|url=http://www.xxlmag.com/news/2018/01/kendrick-lamar-sza-all-the-stars-new-song/|website=XXL|access-date=January 4, 2018|date=January 4, 2018}} Marvel Studios confirmed the news and revealed that Lamar was hand-picked by Black Panther{{'}}s director Ryan Coogler to produce the soundtrack album. The song appeared in the movie's end credits.{{cite web|last=Martinelli|first=Marissa|title=Kendrick Lamar and SZA Drop a New Song From the Black Panther Soundtrack|url=https://slate.com/arts/2018/01/kendrick-lamar-and-sza-drop-all-the-stars-from-the-black-panther-soundtrack.html|website=Slate|access-date=January 4, 2018|date=January 4, 2018}}
"All the Stars" received numerous accolades and nominations including a nomination for Best Original Song at the 76th Golden Globe Awards and the 91st Academy Awards, as well as receiving four nominations at the 61st Grammy Awards including Record of the Year and Song of the Year.
"All the Stars" won Best Song at the African-American Film Critics Association, while its video won Best Visual Effects at the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards.{{Cite web |date=2018-08-21 |title=Here are the winners at the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards |url=https://www.avclub.com/here-are-the-winners-at-the-2018-mtv-video-music-awards-1828479340 |access-date=2022-09-09 |website=The A.V. Club |language=en-us}}
Background
Lamar first hinted at his involvement with the Black Panther soundtrack album in the music video for his song "Love", released on December 22, 2017.{{cite web|last=Tiffany|first=Kaitlyn|title=Kendrick Lamar produced the soundtrack for Black Panther|url=https://www.theverge.com/2018/1/4/16849056/kendrick-lamar-all-the-stars-black-panther-soundtrack-marvel-sza|website=The Verge|access-date=January 4, 2018|date=January 4, 2018}} In the video, at about 1:54 into the song, a clapperboard is shown with the words "B.Panther Soundtrack Coming Soon".{{cite web|last=Shifferaw|first=Abel|title=Kendrick Lamar Teases New Music for 'Black Panther' Soundtrack in "Love" Video|url=http://www.complex.com/music/2017/12/kendrick-lamar-teases-black-panther-soundtrack-in-love-video|website=Complex|access-date=January 4, 2018|date=December 22, 2017}} Lamar subsequently announced his involvement on January 4, 2018, along with the release of "All the Stars".
Release
Upon its release, Lamar announced his praise for Black Panther and its director, Ryan Coogler, writing "the magnitude of [the] film showcases a great marriage of art and culture. I'm truly honored to contribute my knowledge of producing sound and writing music alongside Ryan and Marvel's vision."
Reception
"All the Stars" received positive reviews from critics. Jon Blistein of Rolling Stone praised the song, calling Lamar's verse "defiant" and SZA's verse "enthralling" and "filled with vocal turns".{{cite magazine|last=Blistein|first=Jon|title=Hear Kendrick Lamar, SZA's Defiant New Song 'All the Stars'|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/hear-kendrick-lamar-szas-defiant-new-song-all-the-stars-w514922|magazine=Rolling Stone|access-date=January 4, 2018|date=January 4, 2018|archive-date=January 12, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180112124151/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/hear-kendrick-lamar-szas-defiant-new-song-all-the-stars-w514922|url-status=dead}} However, Sheldon Pearce of Pitchfork gave the song a negative review, calling it "generic" and "pales in comparison to [Lamar and SZA's] recent works".{{cite web|last1=Pearce|first1=Sheldon|title="All the Stars" [ft. Sza] by Kendrick Lamar Review|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/kendrick-lamar-all-the-stars-ft-sza/|website=Pitchfork|access-date=January 4, 2017|date=January 4, 2017}} Pearce further wrote that the song is "full of heavy-handed plotting and everyman cliches" and is "so nondescript that it reeks of compromise, devoid of personality or any true vision." Although Pearce complimented Lamar and SZA's performances and the "slick production", he ultimately wrote that "'All the Stars' is uncharacteristically conservative for these two stars, all in service of a bigger picture."
In December 2018, Billboard ranked "All the Stars" as the 15th best song of the year.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/events/year-in-music-2018/8489483/best-songs-2018-staff-picks|title=Billboard's 100 Best Songs of 2018: Critics' Picks|magazine=Billboard}}
Chart performance
In the week ending January 20, 2018, "All the Stars" debuted at number 43 on the Billboard Hot 100.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/2018-01-20|title= The Hot 100 (January 20, 2018)|magazine= Billboard|access-date=February 22, 2018}} During its fifth week on the chart, it managed to rise to number 31 on the Hot 100,{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/2018-02-17|title= The Hot 100 (February 27, 2018)|magazine= Billboard|access-date=February 22, 2018}} and in the week ending March 3, 2018, the single reached number seven on the Hot 100.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/8220361/drake-gods-plan-100-million-streams-blocboy-jb-look-alive|title=Drake Leads Billboard Hot 100 With 'God's Plan' for Fifth Week, Drawing 101.7 Million U.S. Streams|magazine=Billboard|last=Trust|first=Gary|date=February 26, 2018|access-date=February 27, 2018}} It is Lamar's second top ten hit on the chart in 2018, following his collaboration with The Weeknd on "Pray for Me", which reached number seven in early February. It also became SZA's second top ten hit on the chart following her collaboration with Maroon 5 on the hit single "What Lovers Do".{{cite web|last=McIntyre|first=Huge|title=Drake, Kendrick Lamar And SZA All Collect New Top 10 Hits|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2018/02/20/drake-kendrick-lamar-and-sza-all-collect-new-top-10-hits/#5c54ba8b2de4|website=Forbes|date=February 20, 2018|access-date=February 22, 2018}} On the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, "All the Stars" debuted at number 19 and stayed in the top 20 for three weeks. In its fifth week, it rose to number five on the chart.
Worldwide, the song peaked at number one in Malaysia, Mexico, Singapore, and Slovakia. The song reached the top ten in Australia, Canada, Hungary, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
Music video
The music video for the song was filmed in January 2018 and released to Lamar's Vevo channel on YouTube on February 6, 2018. It was directed by Dave Meyers and the Little Homies.{{cite web|last1=Yoo|first1=Noah|title=Kendrick Lamar and SZA Share New Video for "All the Stars": Watch|url=https://pitchfork.com/news/kendrick-lamar-and-sza-share-new-video-for-all-the-stars-watch/|website=Pitchfork|access-date=February 6, 2018|date=February 6, 2018}} As of February 2025, the video has over 490 million views.{{cite web | url=https://youtube.com/watch?v=JQbjS0_ZfJ0 | title=Kendrick Lamar, SZA - All the Stars - YouTube | website=YouTube | date=6 February 2018 }}
The video features themes and images of Afrocentrism and Afrofuturism, referencing the visual language of the film. The beginning of the video references to the Middle Passage, with appearances of Fulani hats, La Sape, Pantsula, Kufi caps, traditional African masks, and Kandake at the end. The video also features a sequence where Lamar walks alongside several panthers referencing the Black Panther soundtrack album.{{Cite web|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2018/03/all-the-stars-kendrick-lamar-sza-video-afrocentrism-afrofuturism/554306/|title=How a 'Black Panther' Music Video Taps Into an Old Trend|first=Taylor|last=Hosking|date=March 1, 2018|website=The Atlantic}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.vulture.com/2018/02/watch-kendrick-lamar-and-szas-all-the-stars-video.html|title=Kendrick Lamar and SZA Serve Wakandan Royal Opulence in 'All the Stars' Video|first=Dee|last=Lockett|date=February 6, 2018|website=Vulture}}
=Copyright infringement=
In February 2018, British-Liberian artist Lina Iris Viktor claimed that images of her 24-karat gold patterned artwork were used in the music video without her permission.{{Cite news |last=Sabur |first=Rozina |date=February 12, 2018 |title=Black Panther team accused of breach of copyright by British-Liberian artist |work=The Daily Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/02/12/black-panther-team-accused-breach-copyright-british-liberian/ |access-date=February 13, 2018}} A settlement agreement was reached in principle on December 20.{{Cite news |last=Harris |first=Elizabeth A. |date=December 28, 2018 |title=Artist Who Sued Kendrick Lamar Over Black Panther Video Agrees to Settle |work=New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/28/arts/music/kendrick-lamar-sza-all-the-stars-lina-iris-viktor.html |access-date=April 22, 2022}}
Awards and nominations
{{More citations needed section|date=March 2021}}
Personnel
Credits adapted from digital booklet.{{cite web|url=https://genius.com/Various-artists-black-panther-the-album-booklet-lyrics|title=Various Artists – Black Panther: The Album [Booklet]|website=Genius|access-date=February 9, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180209182432/https://genius.com/Various-artists-black-panther-the-album-booklet-lyrics|archive-date=2018-02-09|url-status=dead}}
Performers
- Kendrick Lamar – vocals
- SZA – vocals
Technical
- Matt Schaeffer – record engineering, mix engineering
- Mike Bozzi – master engineering
- Sam Ricci – record engineering
- James Hunt – record engineering
- Lorenzo Richards - record engineering
Production
Charts
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
=Weekly charts=
{{col-2}}
=Year-end charts=
class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+2024 year-end chart performance for "All the Stars" ! scope="col"| Chart (2024) ! scope="col"| Position |
scope="row"| Australia (ARIA){{cite web|url=https://www.aria.com.au/charts/2024/singles-chart|title=ARIA Top 100 Singles Chart for 2024|publisher=Australian Recording Industry Association|access-date=January 13, 2025}}
| 74 |
---|
{{col-end}}
Certifications
{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications and sales for "All the Stars"}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Australia|type=single|award=Platinum|number=10|relyear=2018|certyear=2024|access-date=December 24, 2024}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Austria|artist=Kendrick Lamar & SZA|title=All the Stars|award=Platinum|type=single|relyear=2018|certyear=2024|access-date=December 4, 2024}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Belgium|type=single|award=Gold|relyear=2018|relmonth=01|certyear=2018|certmonth=04|access-date=April 18, 2018}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Brazil|type=single|award=Diamond|artist=Kendrick Lamar|title=All the Stars|relyear=2018|certyear=2024|access-date=June 29, 2024}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Canada|artist=Kendrick Lamar feat. SZA|title=All the Stars|type=single|award=Platinum|number=6|relyear=2018|certyear=2022|access-date=April 2, 2025}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Denmark|artist=Kendrick Lamar & SZA|title=All the Stars|award=Platinum|number=2|type=single|relyear=2018|certyear=2024|id=14076|access-date=July 7, 2024}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=France|artist=Kendrick Lamar & SZA|title=All the Stars|award=Platinum|type=single|relyear=2018|certyear=2024|access-date=December 4, 2024}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Germany|type=single|award=Gold|artist=Kendrick Lamar feat. SZA|title=All the Stars|relyear=2018|certyear=2023|access-date=June 2, 2023}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Italy|artist=Kendrick Lamar & SZA|title=All the Stars|type=single|award=Platinum|relyear=2018|certyear=2018|id=5992|access-date=October 29, 2018}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=New Zealand|artist=Kendrick Lamar and SZA|title=All the Stars|award=Platinum|number=6|type=single|relyear=2018|source=radioscope|access-date=April 2, 2025|certyear=2024}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Poland|artist=Kendrick Lamar, SZA|title=All the Stars|award=Platinum|type=single|relyear=2018|certyear=2024|access-date=April 17, 2024}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Portugal|artist=Kendrick Lamar & SZA|title=All the Stars|award=Platinum|number=4|type=single|relyear=2018|certyear=2025|id=file_2025-02-24-15-15-45.pdf|access-date=February 25, 2025}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Spain|artist=Kendrick Lamar / SZA|title=All the Stars|award=Gold|type=single|relyear=2018|certyear=2024|access-date=January 14, 2024}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|artist=Kendrick Lamar & SZA|title=All The Stars|type=single|award=Platinum|number=3|relyear=2018|certyear=2024|access-date=August 30, 2024|id=14825-4613-1}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=single|artist=Kendrick Lamar, SZA|title=All the Stars|award=Platinum|number=2|relyear=2018|certyear=2018|access-date=May 14, 2018|salesamount=2,000,000|salesref={{Cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/8464828/post-malone-drake-nielsen-music-mid-year-charts-2018-rb-hip-hop |title=Post Malone & Drake Rule Nielsen Music's Mid-Year 2018 R&B/Hip-Hop Charts |last=Caulfield |first=Keith |date=July 12, 2018 |magazine=Billboard |access-date=July 22, 2018}}}}
{{Certification Table Separator|title=Streaming}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Greece|award=Platinum|number=2|type=single|relyear=2024|certyear=2025|certweek=06|id=20250212103436|access-date=February 12, 2025}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Sweden|artist=Kendrick Lamar & SZA|title=All the Stars|type=single|award=Platinum|relyear=2018|certyear=2018|certweek=10|position=9|access-date=March 13, 2020}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true|streamsonly=true|streaming=true|noshipments=true}}
Release history
class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+Release dates for "All the Stars" ! scope="col"| Region ! scope="col"| Date ! scope="col"| Format ! scope="col" class="unsortable"| Label ! scope="col" class="unsortable"| {{abbr|Ref.|Reference}} |
scope="row" rowspan="3"| United States
| January 4, 2018 | {{hlist|Digital download|streaming}} | rowspan="3"| {{hlist|Top Dawg|Aftermath|Interscope}} | |
---|
rowspan="2"| January 9, 2018
| Rhythmic contemporary radio |
Urban contemporary radio |
scope="row"| Italy
| January 19, 2018 | rowspan="2"| Contemporary hit radio | Universal | style="text-align:center;"|{{cite web|url=http://radiodate.it/radio-date/kendrick-lamar-sza-all-the-stars-177272-19-01-2018-radiodate/|title=KENDRICK LAMAR "All the Stars" – (Radio Date: 19/01/2018)|website=radiodate.it}} |
scope="row"| United States
| February 27, 2018 | {{hlist|Top Dawg|Aftermath|Interscope}} |
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{YouTube|JQbjS0_ZfJ0|"All the Stars" Music video}}
{{Kendrick Lamar songs}}
{{SZA songs}}
{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for "All the Stars"
|titlestyle = background: lightblue
|list1 =
{{Black Reel Award for Outstanding Original Song}}
{{Hollywood Music in Media Award for Best Original Song in a Sci-Fi, Fantasy or Horror Film}}
{{MTV Video Music Award for Best Visual Effects}}
}}
{{Marvel Cinematic Universe|selected=Music}}
{{authority control}}
Category:Aftermath Entertainment singles
Category:Black Panther (film series)
Category:Interscope Records singles
Category:Marvel Cinematic Universe songs
Category:Music videos directed by Dave Free
Category:Music videos directed by Dave Meyers (director)
Category:Music videos directed by Kendrick Lamar
Category:Number-one singles in Malaysia
Category:Number-one singles in Singapore
Category:Song recordings produced by Al Shux
Category:Songs written by Al Shux
Category:Songs written by Kendrick Lamar