Starburster
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Starburster
| cover = Starburster.jpeg
| type = single
| artist = Fontaines D.C.
| album = Romance
| released = {{Start date|2024|04|17|df=y}}
| recorded =
| studio =
| genre =
| length = 3:41
| label = XL
| composer = * Carlos O'Connell
- Conor Curley
- Conor Deegan III
- Grian Chatten
- Tom Coll
| producer = James Ford
| prev_title = Roman Holiday
| prev_year = 2022
| next_title = Favourite
| next_year = 2024
| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|KHocVRUlvkk|"Starbuster"}}}}
}}
"Starburster" is a song by Irish rock band Fontaines D.C. It was released on the 17 April 2024 as the lead single from the band's fourth studio album Romance.
The song was the band's first entry on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at No. 57. It received critical acclaim and placed on several publications' year-end lists. It was listed as a top 10 song of the year by Business Insider, Consequence, The Guardian, The Independent and NME. Spin proclaimed it the Song of the Year.
At the 67th Grammy Awards, the song received a nomination for Best Alternative Music Performance.{{Cite web |last=Frazier |first=Nina |date=2024-11-08 |title=2025 GRAMMYs: See The Full Nominations List |url=https://www.grammy.com/news/2025-grammys-nominations-full-winners-nominees-list |access-date=2024-11-08 |publisher=The Recording Academy}}
The song is also featured as part of the official soundtrack for EA Sports FC 25{{Cite web |title=The FIFA EA FC 25 Soundtrack has been announced and it includes Central Cee & Rema |url=https://www.capitalxtra.com/news/fifa-ea-fc-25-new-soundtrack/ |access-date=2025-02-17 |website=Capital XTRA |language=en}} and was used in the premiere trailer for Borderlands 4.{{Cite web |last=Singh |first=Surej |date=2024-12-13 |title=Watch the premiere trailer for 'Borderlands 4', soundtracked by Fontaines D.C.'s 'Starburster' |url=https://www.nme.com/news/gaming-news/watch-the-premiere-trailer-for-borderlands-4-soundtracked-by-fontaines-d-c-s-starburster-3821825 |access-date=2025-02-17 |website=NME |language=en-GB}}
The song is also the main theme for the Paramount+ TV series MobLand.{{Cite web |title=MobLand soundtrack: Full list of songs in the Guy Ritchie series so far |url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/drama/mobland-paramount-soundtrack/|access-date=2025-03-30 | website=Radiotimes |language=en}}
Background
The song was written about a panic attack that frontman Grian Chatten suffered at London's St Pancras station.{{Cite web |date=2024-04-17 |title=Fontaines D.C. Announce New Album 'Romance': Hear "Starburster" |url=https://www.stereogum.com/2259757/fontaines-d-c-starburster/music/ |access-date=2024-04-27 |website=Stereogum |language=en}} Grian admitted that he wrote the song "as a joke", and when showing the track to the rest of the band, "they laughed. But I was serious."{{Cite web |date=2024-12-09 |title=Fontaines DC: ‘We’ve broken the mould. Now strap yourselves in!’ |url=https://archive.today/20241209231744/https://www.thetimes.com/culture/music/article/fontaines-dc-weve-broken-the-mould-now-strap-yourselves-in-qxrt86dm8 |access-date=2024-12-21 |website=archive.md}}
NME described "Starburster" as a "pensive art-rock beast that fuses elements of electronica and hip-hop".{{Cite web |last=Trendell |first=Andrew |date=2024-04-17 |title=Fontaines D.C.'s daring comeback single 'Starburster' is their most experimental work yet |url=https://www.nme.com/features/music-features/fontaines-d-c-starbust-track-review-xl-romance-3618968 |access-date=2024-04-27 |website=NME |language=en-GB}} Consequence labelled it "trip-hop-infused" with "hip-hop-esque production" that frames Fontaines D.C. "as much more than just a gang of Irish rockers."{{Cite web |date=2024-04-19 |title=Fontaines D.C.'s "Starburster" Is Our Song of the Week |url=https://consequence.net/2024/04/fontaines-d-c-starburster-song-of-the-week/ |access-date=2024-04-27 |language=en-US}} Rolling Stone believed it to be a "funky, disco-rock track".{{Cite magazine |last=Grow |first=Kory |date=2024-04-17 |title=Fontaines D.C. Set a Panic Attack to Disco-Rock on 'Starburster' |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/fontaines-dc-starburster-romance-1235006143/ |access-date=2024-04-27 |magazine=Rolling Stone |language=en-US}} Clash wrote of its construction: "An elegant string loop precedes tasteful piano before being consumed by a bulky trip-hop beat."{{Cite magazine |date=2024-04-17 |title=On Returning: Fontaines D.C. – Starburster {{!}} Reviews |url=https://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/on-returning-fontaines-d-c-starburster/ |access-date=2024-04-27 |magazine=Clash |language=en-GB}} Spin said the song was "fused with a driving drumbeat keeping 4/4 time and layered with electric guitar, trickling piano, and a hauntingly romantic synth sound".{{Cite web |last=Moss |first=Charles |date=2024-12-17 |title=Song of the Year: Fontaines D.C.’s ‘Starburster’ |url=https://www.spin.com/2024/12/song-of-the-year-fontaines-dc-starburster/ |access-date=2024-12-17 |website=SPIN |language=en-US}}
The band debuted the song live on 7 May 2024 during their performance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.{{Cite web |last=Skinner |first=Tom |date=2024-05-08 |title=Watch Fontaines D.C. give 'Starburster' live debut with simmering Fallon performance |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/watch-fontaines-d-c-give-starburster-live-debut-with-simmering-fallon-performance-3754333 |access-date=2024-05-11 |website=NME |language=en-GB}}
Reception
NME gave "Starburster" a five-star review, praising how it "captures that shock of trying to grasp reality amidst all the chaos." The Irish Times rated it four stars out of five, comparing it to Shygirl, The Prodigy and Björk's song "Army of Me".{{Cite news |title=Starburster: Fontaines DC's thrillingly sinister new single is a dystopian belter |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/review/2024/04/17/starburster-fontaines-dcs-thrillingly-sinister-new-single-is-a-dystopian-belter/ |access-date=2024-04-27 |newspaper=The Irish Times |language=en}} Consequence bestowed the "Song of the Week" honour to the track for its "remarkably well-constructed composition, one that pushes the band into new, unexpected places."
Naming it the "Song of the Year", Spin wrote that "Like Blur evoked for England, Fontaines D.C. reflects the turbulence of everyday life in Ireland."
= Year-end lists =
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
! scope="col" |Publication ! scope="col" |Accolade ! scope="col" |Rank ! class="unsortable" scope="col" |{{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}} |
| scope="row" |Billboard
|Staff List: The 100 Best Songs of 2024 | style="text-align: center;" |61 |
|---|
| scope="row" |Business Insider
|The Best Songs of 2024 | style="text-align: center;" |8 |
| scope="row" |Consequence
|200 Best Songs of 2024 | style="text-align: center;" |2 |
| scope="row" |The Guardian
|The 20 Best Songs of 2024 | style="text-align: center;" |6 |
| scope="row" |The Independent
|20 Best Songs of 2024 | style="text-align: center;" |9 | {{Cite web |date=18 November 2024 |title=The 20 best songs of 2024, ranked |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/best-songs-2024-charli-xcx-chappell-roan-b2647140.html |access-date=24 November 2024 |website=The Independent}} |
| scope="row" |NME
|The 50 Best Songs of 2024 | style="text-align: center;" |3 |
| scope="row" |Pitchfork
|The 100 Best Songs of 2024 | style="text-align: center;" |19 |
| scope="row" |Rolling Stone
|The 100 Best Songs of 2024 | style="text-align: center;" |57 |
| scope="row" |Stereogum
|The 50 Best Songs of 2024 | style="text-align: center;" |36 |
Music video
The official music video was released with the song, directed by Aube Perrie. It features Grian Chatten performing mundane daily activities while wounded.{{Cite web |date=2024-04-17 |title=Fontaines D.C. Announce New Album Romance, Share Video for New Song "Starburster" |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/fontaines-dc-announce-new-album-romance-share-video-for-new-song-starburster-watch/ |access-date=2024-04-27 |website=Pitchfork |language=en-US}} He accidentally kicks his football into an unattended garage of a grocery shop, which he proceeds to explore, and discovers that a door in the building takes him to various film studios. Donning masks, makeup, and costumes from the studios, Chatten uses the garage to appear in various music video shoots. At the end of the video, security closes and locks the door of the garage.
Little Mix member Jade Thirlwall made an uncredited cameo in the video as a red-haired woman in an angel-themed video shoot that Chatten visits. On 19 July 2024, three months after the release of "Starburster", Thirlwall released her debut solo single, "Angel of My Dreams", the video of which was also directed by Perrie at the same time as "Starburster". As such, the video for "Angel of My Dreams" features the same scene, with Chatten making a cameo as one of the angel dancers.{{Cite web |last=Singh |first=Surej |date=2024-07-23 |title=Fontaines D.C.'s Grian Chatten returns cameo in Jade Thirlwall's 'Angel Of My Dreams' video – connecting to 'Starburster' universe |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/fontaines-dc-grian-chatten-returns-cameo-in-jade-thirlwall-angel-of-my-dreams-video-connecting-to-starburster-universe-3777038 |access-date=2024-08-29 |website=NME |language=en-GB}}
Commercial performance
"Starburster" debuted at No. 62 on the UK Singles Chart, the band's first entry. It peaked at No. 57.{{Cite web |date=2024-05-02 |title=STARBURSTER |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/songs/fontaines-dc-starburster/ |access-date=2024-04-27 |website=Official Charts |language=en}}
Charts
Certifications
{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications for "Starbuster"}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|relyear=2023|certyear=2024|title=Starburster|artist=Fontaines Dc|type=single|award=Silver|id=20772-5632-1|access-date=7 February 2025}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|noshipments=true|nosales=true|streaming=true}}