Star People (song)

Last updated

"Star People '97"
Star People '97 (George Michael single - cover art).jpg
Single by George Michael
from the album Older
B-side "Everything She Wants" (live)
Released4 March 1997 (1997-03-04)
Genre
Length5:38
Label
Songwriter(s) George Michael
Producer(s) George Michael
George Michael singles chronology
"Older" / "I Can't Make You Love Me"
(1997)
"Star People '97"
(1997)
"Waltz Away Dreaming"
(1997)
Music video
"Star People '97" on YouTube

"Star People '97" is a song by British singer-songwriter George Michael, released as the fifth single from his third studio album, Older (1996). It was written and performed by George Michael and released by Virgin Records in the United Kingdom and DreamWorks Records in the United States. The lyrics make reference to the materialism and frivolity of certain (unspecified) people in show business, suggesting that those behaviours are derived from some insecurity or a bad childhood. The single version is titled "Star People '97", on most issues, because the track was re-recorded for the single release.

Contents

"Star People '97" was first released in the US on three formats over three weeks in March 1997 and was issued in the UK on 28 April 1997. The song peaked at No. 2 in the United Kingdom and No. 1 on the US Billboard Dance Club Play chart, becoming Michael's second No. 1 on this chart. Worldwide, the song reached No. 1 in Denmark and Hungary, and reached the top 10 in Iceland, Ireland, and Spain.

Critical reception

Retrospectively, Matthew Hocter from Albumism noted that the song "spoke to the fakery and greed that consumes many in the entertainment business, making reference to damaging childhoods and insecurity as some of the possible causes." He described it as a song "rooted in a soul, funk sound with splashes of disco". [1] Upon the release, Larry Flick from Billboard wrote, "After teasing his die-hard club following for months with several rhythmic (but not quite dance) singles, George Michael has finally unleashed a slamming house music anthem from his glorious—if underappreciated—opus Older . Jeremy Healy, Amos, Mike Koglin, and Forthright have been tapped to turn the original retro pop/jazz ditty into a dance ditty. Working as a team, Healy, Amos, and Koglin successfully transform the song into an edgy anthem befitting the swagger of Michael's vocal. Meanwhile, Forthright injects a few drops of Europop flavor into the groove, making the single a viable top 40 contender. A sterling 12-inch package that was well worth the wait." [2]

Paul Lester from Melody Maker described the song as "uptempo", noting that it "has a go at celebrity attention-seekers". [3] A reviewer from Music Week gave "Star People '97" four out of five, adding, "The restrained Older track takes on a completely new life in this re-recorded, funked up version which amounts to George's brightest, most uplifting single in a long while." [4] Ed Morales for Vibe opined that "the halfhearted condemnation of glitz in "Star People" has a serious Latin beat working." [5]

Track listings

Charts

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [43] Silver200,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)Ref.
United States4 March 199712-inch vinyl [44]
11 March 1997Cassette [45]
18 March 1997CD [46]
United Kingdom28 April 1997
  • CD
  • cassette
[47]
Japan6 June 1997CD [48]

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