Writing
When Brown returned to venture in electronic music, having last done "EDM trap bangers" in his second studio album Old (2013), he struggled to reconcile with its sound with his new sober lifestyle, which usually involves themes of partying and drug use. [1] When Brown left rehab, his phone's algorithm had altered and he discovered artists including Underscores, giving him a new perspective on electronic music. [1] While he first explored hyperpop with a Dorian Electra collaboration in 2021, he recalls discovering Sophie's 2014 song "Bipp", believing it was "where grime was gonna go next". [1] He reflects that he would have collaborated with Sophie if Vince Staples didn't take initiative. [1] Dealing with the lost opportunity, he wrote the moniker "Make SOPHIE proud" on his notebooks. [1]
Despite that Brown would initially work with Dylan Brady of 100 gecs and PC Music founder A. G. Cook, he felt like it didn't fit, and he was instead interested in the digicore wave, taking interest in working with deadAir Records founder Jesse Taconelli and signee Jane Remover. [1] Taconelli serves as Brown's "personal A&R" and influenced his process on Stardust, suggesting he create a character. Brown titled it "Dusty Star", likening it to Prince's 1984 album Purple Rain and the film of the same name. [1] Giving perspective, Brown explains that Quaranta serves as a prequel to Stardust, creating the "90s era popstar" as he took a different perspective for the latter album. [1]
Working with Angel Prost of hyperpop duo Frost Children, Brown was inspired to develop the character further. They worked on the Stardust early in its production, and when he asked Prost to record a poem for the album, Brown was attached to her verse. [1] He explains that Prost's poems are "love letters that convince Dusty Star to come back to music", initially being interested in money but finding his purpose by the conclusion of the album. [1]
As Brown developed Stardust, he realized he had to relearn how to write songs, discovering Julia Cameron's self-help book The Artist's Way (1992), which assists the reader on harnessing their creative talents and building self-confidence, likening it more when he discovered it was inspired by Cameron's journey with recovering from addiction. [1] In the 12-week program, he wrote his morning pages and took himself on artist's dates, as the progress was encouraged by folktronica musician Quadeca, who he did recording sessions with for a week. [1] Quadeca would make a beat and hand Brown a demo, and the latter would listen to it for two to three hours before going to sleep. [1] When he woke up, he wrote his verses by ten minutes, remembering, "I was like, I don’t know… maybe it’s been bottled up for so long, being fucked up and making music out of my mind." [1]
In a November 2025 interview with NME, Brown detailed his approach to creating Stardust as a concept album to tell about his recovery from addiction and finding joy in art again, through the lens of a semi-autobiographical character named Dusty Star, a 90s-era popstar. Brown further elaborated on the role of Angel Prost's spoken word interludes throughout the album, comparing them to fanmail that inspires Dusty. Brown additionally explained how the music of his collaborators on the album had been a source of inspiration and relief during his time in rehab. [1]
