Starburster

"Starburster"
Single by Fontaines D.C.
from the album Romance
Released17 April 2024 (2024-04-17)
Genre
Length3:41
LabelXL
Composer(s)
  • Carlos O'Connell
  • Conor Curley
  • Conor Deegan III
  • Grian Chatten
  • Tom Coll
Producer(s)James Ford
Fontaines D.C. singles chronology
"Roman Holiday"
(2022) 		"Starburster"
(2024) 		"Favourite"
(2024)

"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. At the 67th Grammy Awards, the song received a nomination for Best Alternative Music Performance.[1]

Background

The song was written about a panic attack that frontman Grian Chatten suffered at London's St Pancras station.[2]

NME described "Starburster" as a "pensive art-rock beast that fuses elements of electronica and hip-hop".[3] Consequence labeled it "trip-hop-infused" with "hip-hop-esque production" that frames Fontaines D.C. "as much more than just a gang of Irish rockers."[4] Rolling Stone believed it to be a "funky, disco-rock track".[5] Clash wrote of its construction: "An elegant string loop precedes tasteful piano before being consumed by a bulky trip-hop beat."[6]

The band debuted the song live on 7 May 2024 during their performance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.[7]

Reception

NME gave "Starburster" a five-star review, praising how it "captures that shock of trying to grasp reality amidst all the chaos."[3] The Irish Times rated it four stars out of five, comparing it to Shygirl, The Prodigy and Björk's song "Army of Me".[8] Consequence bestowed the "Song of the Week" honor to the track for its "remarkably well-constructed composition, one that pushes the band into new, unexpected places."[4]

Year-end lists

Publication Accolade Rank Ref.
The Independent 20 Best Songs of 2024 9 [9]

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 and sometimes wearing a mask. Towards the end of the video, he 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. Chatten uses the garage to appear in various music video shoots. At the end of the video, a bald man closes and locks the door of the garage.[10]

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.[11]

Commercial performance

"Starburster" debuted at No. 62 on the UK Singles Chart, the band's first entry. It peaked at No. 57.[12]

Charts

Chart performance for "Starburster"
Chart (2024) Peak
position
Canada Rock (Billboard)[13] 12
Ireland (IRMA)[14] 24
UK Singles (OCC)[15] 57
UK Indie (OCC)[16] 10
US Rock Airplay (Billboard)[17] 22

References

  1. ^ Frazier, Nina (8 November 2024). "2025 GRAMMYs: See The Full Nominations List". The Recording Academy. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
  2. ^ "Fontaines D.C. Announce New Album 'Romance': Hear "Starburster"". Stereogum. 17 April 2024. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
  3. ^ a b Trendell, Andrew (17 April 2024). "Fontaines D.C.'s daring comeback single 'Starburster' is their most experimental work yet". NME. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
  4. ^ a b "Fontaines D.C.'s "Starburster" Is Our Song of the Week". 19 April 2024. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
  5. ^ Grow, Kory (17 April 2024). "Fontaines D.C. Set a Panic Attack to Disco-Rock on 'Starburster'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
  6. ^ "On Returning: Fontaines D.C. – Starburster | Reviews". Clash. 17 April 2024. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
  7. ^ Skinner, Tom (8 May 2024). "Watch Fontaines D.C. give 'Starburster' live debut with simmering Fallon performance". NME. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
  8. ^ "Starburster: Fontaines DC's thrillingly sinister new single is a dystopian belter". The Irish Times. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
  9. ^ "The 20 best songs of 2024, ranked". The Independent. 18 November 2024. Retrieved 24 November 2024.
  10. ^ "Fontaines D.C. Announce New Album Romance, Share Video for New Song "Starburster"". Pitchfork. 17 April 2024. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
  11. ^ Singh, Surej (23 July 2024). "Fontaines D.C.'s Grian Chatten returns cameo in Jade Thirlwall's 'Angel Of My Dreams' video – connecting to 'Starburster' universe". NME. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  12. ^ "STARBURSTER". Official Charts. 2 May 2024. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
  13. ^ "Fontaines D.C. Chart History (Canada Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
  14. ^ "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
  15. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  16. ^ "Official Independent Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  17. ^ "Fontaines D.C. Chart History (Rock Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 29 September 2024.