Physical copies of promotional CD singles for "Shooting Star" contained the song "Wasteland" as a b-side also from their new album, Hollyweird. As of 2025 Shooting Star is the band's most recent new single that was an original song and not a cover song.[19][20][21][22]
Background and release
Shooting Star was first revealed by the band on April 2, 2002, during the announcement and track list reveal of the band's upcoming seventh studio album Hollyweird which would be released independently on Cyanide Records, Poison's own record label on May 21, 2002.[23][24]
In a August 2002 interview with Kara Marie of The Pure Rock Shop, when asked if a third single from Hollyweird would be released, drummer Rikki Rockett acknowledged Shooting Star was receiving some radio airplay and was in test phase at the moment but did not confirm at that time that it would be released as the follow-up single to Squeeze Box.[25][26]
On November 5, 2003 Shooting Star was released as the third and final single from Hollyweird.[citation needed] Despite heavy rotation on AOR stations "Shooting Star" did not chart on major music charts such as the Billboard Hot 100 or the Billboard'sMainstream Rock Tracks and it did not achieve significant commercial success or widespread recognition outside of the positive reactions fans gave to the song when performed live at select shows for their Hollyweird World tour.
Content
Often regarded as "Fallen Angel Pt. 2", "Shooting Star" continues the narrative of a young woman who left home to chase her dreams of finding success and fame in a big city.[27][28] While "Fallen Angel" focuses on the disillusionment and downfall that comes with being overwhelmed, misled by the glamour of fame, "Shooting Star" presents a more determined and unwavering perspective.[citation needed] Instead of dwelling on loss and regret, the protagonist remains steadfast, embracing the struggle and doing whatever it takes to achieve success, reflecting a more resilient take on the pursuit of stardom.[29][30][31]
In a review by Predro B. of Sputnik Music stated that Shooting Star "offers little new for long-time fans", and tracks like "Shooting Star" and others from "Hollyweird" hold their own against the band's classic hits, describing the song being seen as a testament to Poison's ability to produce quality music even in their later years.[37]
Cultural commentary journalist Matty Wishnow from Past Prime criticized the song, saying "Shooting Star and Wishful Thinking are back to back sequels to Fallen Angel that do nothing to update the idea or the song." in a article published online on April 21, 2021. Commenting further on his scathing review, Wishnow continued on by stating the songs "Shooting Star", "Wishful Thinking" and "Devil Woman" from Hollyweird all "try to channel both The Rolling Stones and AC/DC in its dark, bluesy misogyny. Unfortunately, Poison isn't even a fraction of those bands on their best day". Wishnow ended his review by pointing out that the songs lyrics, instrumentals, and overall production is "distasteful and lacks any of the melody or humor required to even marginally redeem it. In the end, all we are left with is harmonica, plodding rhythm guitar and a lot of bile."[38]
Billboard magazine journalist Gary Graff ranked "Shooting Star" as the 6th best Poison song of all time in a article on March 28, 2023. Graff commented on the song describing it as: "A sequel of sorts to 1988's "Fallen Angel," this chugging rocker from Hollyweird has a thicker, heavier tone than much of the band's previous material with an opening riff that straddles '80s glam and '90s alt-rock. This time, Angel is fist-pumping throughout a compact, tightly executed track."[39]
Despite the song's album [43] debuting with strong sales in its first week with 11,574 sales as an independent release without a major record label promoting the album,[44] peaking at #103 on the Billboard 200 chart and No. 8 on the Independent Albums chart, when released as the third and final single from the album on November 5, 2002, Shooting Star did not chart on any major music charts and failed to gain traction on major radio stations with the exception of some airplay on AOR radio stations.
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