STUDS #6💪: Superstar

Long ago and oh so far away I fell in love with 5 STUDS before the second show

This week, we have a Superstar guest collaborator for STUDS!

Max Freedman, who writes the always-smart, often-provocative Lavender Sound newsletter, is here to share his picks for the latest Same Title Utterly Different Song episode.

Lavender Sound is home to reviews of and retrospectives on music by and for LGBTQ+ people (allies are welcome too!), with other music-related content sometimes in the mix. New music, old-ish music, rants about streaming platforms and their problems — it’s all here. You can also find Max’s work at The Creative Independent, Inked Magazine, and other Musicstack publications.

Max was also a guest contributor to part 3 of my Male Friendship in Media series, which you can check out here.

You can subscribe to Lavender Sound by entering your email in the box below.

Before we get to STUDS #6, I wanted to post the results of STUDS #5: Spy in the House of Love, with guest contributor Emm as in Music. If you missed that one, you can check it out here.

This was a nail-biter, with The dB’s winning by a single vote over Was (Not Was). Animal Logic was just two votes shy, in 3rd place. I know Emm is disappointed; she campaigned heavily for Animal Logic, but I warned her — wormheads are a fickle bunch. They can’t be swayed by clever marketing tricks.😁

When Max told me his idea for STUDS, I was giddy with joy.

I immediately thought of a couple of possible song entries and knew it was the perfect title to explore more deeply.

This week’s STUDS is also the catchphrase for one of my all-time favorite Saturday Night Live skits (and subsequent comedy feature, Superstar: Dare to Dream starring Molly Shannon and Will Ferrell).

Steve: Max, I think we know our song title by now, but what led you to choose it?

Max: Hey Steve! When I recently saw the artist Blond in Car open for the legend, the icon herself, CMAT, she played a song called “Superstar Superstar” that was a medley of “Superstar” by The Carpenters and “Superstar” by Beach House. I posted a video of it to Substack Notes and tagged you, saying this would be a great STUDS idea, and, well, here we are!

I wasn’t super familiar with The Carpenters’ song, but I love Beach House, and “Superstar” is one of their B-tier songs (they have A-tier and S-tier songs galore), so it was really exciting for me to hear Blond in Car put her own quirky, bedroom pop spin on the track. I also couldn’t think of any other songs with this title at the time, so that made me even more excited to discover some new ones through this collaboration.

Steve: What a fantastic show that must have been! I had never heard of Blond in Car before you posted about her (BiC is the stage name of singer/songwriter Robin Schorr). I thought the idea of a dual-cover mashup of two Superstars was brilliant and executed to perfection!

I’m confident we, too, will execute this Superstar extravaganza to perfection.

Superstar is such an empowering word. I have a tendency to get down on myself, to believe I'm anything but a superstar. So playing these songs all week has been a serious boost to my esteem.

It also brought to mind the Love Inc. song “You’re a Superstar” from 1998, which isn’t on our list, since STUDS titles must be exact (we will sometimes allow a parenthetical word or two). I assume many readers are familiar with this one.

I’m curious, Max: does the word “superstar” have any meaning for you? Does it call to mind any stories or memories?

Max: Although I wouldn’t quite say I attach any personal or especially significant meaning to “superstar” (definitely no stories or memories), it does remind me of the compelling notion that plenty of everyday folks are superstars, they just don’t have the level of exposure associated with traditional superstars. Maybe that’s because they’re choosing not to be, say, stage performers or social media influencers. But perhaps if they did put themselves out there, their charisma and sharp perspectives would take them farther than they could have imagined.

Along these lines, so many of us in the Musicstack Cinematic Universe™ (ed: Max is referring to music writers here on Substack, for those outside the MCU) are superstars in the making. Maybe some of us are aspiring superstars.

I’m sure not, even if making a meaningful amount of money from folks tipping Lavender Sound (which is free to read) would be a nice little fantasy despite my enjoying almost all the paid work I do (also writing, editing, research, reporting, etc.). For those who are on Substack trying to make their publications a thing, so to speak, I wish y’all the best in becoming superstars.

Steve, who are the superstars in your life? Put another way, who in your life do you think has the charisma, the personality, the unique perspective I’m describing? For me, the list includes my partner, my best friend from New Jersey, my cat, my dad’s dog, and the petunias in my window boxes. I insist that they’re beautiful enough to be famous.

Steve: Those are some superstar petunias! Holy moly! I hereby deem my lemon tree a superstar!

I like how you turned the Superstar theme over to the music writing community (including yourself). We are indeed an all-star, superstar bunch of kooks.

Staying on a self-promotion theme, your mentioning how “we’re all superstars” reminded me of a post I wrote three and a half years ago, about “Stars,” the 1986 Ronnie James Dio-led heavy-metal response to the more pop-focused fund-raising efforts of “We Are the World” and “Do They Know It’s Christmas.”

Hear ‘N Aid - Stars

“We are stars,” the song repeats, and although the “we” could be cynically interpreted as the metal and hard rock artists who were not invited to participate in Band Aid and USA For Africa, it’s clearly meant to include everyone. Even you, dear reader!

As for superstars in my own life, I would definitely put my wife and dog in that category. (I have to: they both read this!) I will also shout out my good friend, Chris, who is dealing with a serious health crisis, with more determination and fortitude than I would be able to muster in his situation. His wife, Rebecca, is a superstar as well, handling the endless red tape with the medical/insurance industries, on top of the emotional stress and the constant updates to friends and family that a circumstance like this brings.

But enough about Max and me…let’s talk about the songs!

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Before Max reveals our first contestant, I want to mention a song that won’t be appearing in this STUDS contest.

Clearly, The Carpenters’ “Superstar” (which was written by Leon Russell and Bonnie Bramlett) is the most recognized song with that title. It’s a classic of the highest level. The orchestration, Karen’s voice – it almost doesn’t matter the lyrics — it cuts straight to the heart and saws right through. It’s hard to imagine The Carpenters not winning the poll, so it’s not on the list.

We also considered a cover version of “Superstar.” Sonic Youth’s lugubrious, dirge-like take was my suggestion. But there were simply too many other great entries, so it didn’t make the cut. For those who haven’t heard this Sonic Youth cover, you can check it out below.

Alright, Max, what is our first song?

STUD #1: Beach House

Max: Our first song is “Superstar” by Beach House. It’s one of the two Superstar-titled songs from the Blond in Car medley that inspired this STUDS, and it goes first because Beach House is one of my favorite musical artists.

Well, kind of. I don’t listen to them as much these days as I did in the 2010s, but the Baltimore duo’s run from 2010 to 2018 is pretty unimpeachable, particularly 2010’s Teen Dream and 2012’s Bloom. “Superstar” is from 2022’s Once Twice Melody, Beach House’s eighth album and first since 2008’s Devotion not to win me over front to back.

The album reached #12 on the Billboard 200 (ever since “Space Song” from 2015’s Depression Cherry went viral on TikTok in 2021, Beach House have been streaming behemoths) and topped the Alternative and Rock Albums charts. It also reached #2 on the Independent Albums chart. “Superstar” made no chart impact despite being sent to radio a couple of months after the album’s release. But it’s a fan-fave, and one of mine as well.

Steve: I also love Beach House and find their hypnotic, all-encompassing sound intoxicating. There was a period in the 2010s when I would hear an unfamiliar new song that stopped me in my tracks, and when I would Shazam it, it would nearly always be Beach House. I had not heard their “Superstar” before, though.

This one is especially shimmery. It feels less like a song than a mood. I’m not even sure what that mood is, but whatever mood I’m in before playing this song changes to match it.

What is our song #2?

STUD #2: Lupe Fiasco ft. Matthew Santos

Max: Song #2 is this 2007 Lupe Fiasco song that I feel like I still hear over the PA at random fast-casual restaurants and retail stores, nearly 20 years after its release. This is despite my not having known the track’s name until lining up “Superstar” tracks for this STUDS.

At the risk of swaying the poll results for this STUDS, this song isn’t quite for me — the chorus vocals feel like they’re being sung in a different key than the production, and most men’s falsettos grate on my ears, and in almost all cases, men rapping have the same impact. But still, I had to include this song for this STUDS because the feeling of clicking play on a track and being like “wait, I know this one!” always enthralls me even if I don’t love the song.

“Superstar” was Fiasco’s breakthrough hit, reaching #10 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was only his fourth single ever and just his second to crack the Hot 100 (or third if you count his feature on a song by an artist who’s now a staunch neo-Nazi and will thus not be named here). His previous single to crack the chart, 2006’s “Kick Push,” peaked at #78, so “Superstar” was a pivotal moment in his career. Today, he still has a strong streaming audience, and good for him. Genuinely. I mean that even though the music isn’t for me.

Steve: I was not familiar with this one, and I had no idea who Matthew Santos was (I’ve since looked him up – still don’t recognize any of his songs), but he has a Chris Martin (Coldplay)-like tone to his voice, which means: not especially unique. That’s also an apt description for how I’ve felt about Lupe Fiasco as a rapper. I like that he prioritizes melody, and many of his songs incorporate fun, creative production tricks that usually make his songs rise above the fray.

I can’t say I’ve followed his career closely at all, but I’ve always loved “Kick, Push.” It’s definitely an earworm for me. “Superstar” has earworm qualities as well, and to its credit, I haven’t been able to get it out of my head. So far, that’s a good thing. To rebut your polling comment, I say this one definitely deserves some votes.

Okay, I think we’re ready for STUD #3.

STUD #3: Jamelia

Max: I chose this track precisely because I hadn’t heard of this artist or song whatsoever before Steve suggested this “Superstar” as a possibility. It’s a funky pop banger from 2003 with exactly the kind of lyrics that were popular at the time: There’s something ‘bout you. I really wanna rock with you. The things you do. I don’t know what it is that makes me feel like this. All the usual stuff coming from 2003 artists who correctly identified Janet Jackson as a deity.

All of which is to say that this “Superstar” slaps and I was initially embarrassed to have missed it upon its release. I was 10 years old in 2003 and actively listening to pop music, making my parents buy me CDs (remember those?) of Outkast’s Speakerboxxx/The Love Below and Liz Phair’s self-titled album long before I became aware of her indie-rock legacy and the perfection of Exile in Guyville. What was my excuse for Jamelia’s “Superstar” not crossing my radar?

There’s an easy answer: It wasn’t promoted in the U.S. Jamelia is British, and “Superstar” went to #3 in her native country, #1 in Australia and New Zealand, and the top five in six mainland European countries. But it made no chart impacts in the U.S.; none of her songs have. The discrepancy between her commercial non-existence here and smash success elsewhere, which continued through 2007 before she paused making music, suggests that she simply didn’t care about being an, um…superstar in the States. Respect! She’s certainly a superstar in Europe, with TV credits galore and her first album in 20 years currently in the works.

Steve: I hadn’t heard this song either until I began researching “Superstar” songs! When Jamelia’s “Superstar” started playing through my stereo speakers, my body began to move and groove around my living room. I felt like a puppet, and Jamelia was the puppeteer.

How this didn’t get airplay in the U.S. is beyond me. I feel the bass from my head to my toes. The song breathes. It perfectly utilizes space. Jamelia (and her producers) knew that less was more, and they pulled off a serious banger. Janet Jackson is a great comparison. I was also reminded of Britney Spears’ “Toxic” from her 2003 In the Zone album, the same year as Jamelia’s Thank You.

And that’s exciting news that Jamelia has a new album coming out! I’ll be on the lookout for it.

What’s next on the list?

STUD #4: Lauryn Hill

Max: Whereas I hadn’t heard of Jamelia at all until this STUDS, Lauryn Hill is a larger-than-life figure whom we all know. At the very least, you know her for “Doo Wop (That Thing),” a #1 hit from her only solo album, 1998’s almost comically (but justifiably) revered The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. “Superstar” is the track after it on the LP. It’s a perfect lens into why Miseducation is RIAA diamond-certified and #10 (!!!) on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list. At times, it’s a low-key neo-soul bop; at others, it’s an incisive hip-hop song. Hill is a fierce presence in both modes.

It’s a devastating read on musicianship and the music industry at large, coming from someone who had already seen quite a lot of it, as, sorry not sorry, the only Fugee I care about. You know The Fugees from, among so much else, their version of Roberta Flack’s “Killing Me Softly with His Song,” a #2 hit for the Fugees and a #1 hit for Flack.

Steve, I believe you’re not much of a hip-hop person, but since this song is only partially hip-hop and indeed so much more, what are your thoughts on it?

Steve: Do you say that because I’m a 50-something bald white guy who loves prog rock? (Max’s reply….”Maybe.” 😂)

I was actually obsessed with old-school hip-hop in the 80s and 90s, and I still follow a lot of current hip-hop artists. I had Little Simz and De La Soul in my top 15 albums last year. No, I’m not trying to prove my cred. But at the rate my teeth are falling out, it won’t be long before I need a grill fershizzle.

I’ve written about Cypress Hill, Coolio, and Hammer for Earworms and Song Loops, and even used to go dancing at the hip-hop clubs back in the 90s! And more recently, I attended a Live TV ‘80s dance party (à la American Bandstand), and my funky moves were featured during Kool Moe Dee’s “I Go To Work.” That’s me below, in a promotional photo, wearing a skinny red tie, silver pants, and a long mullet wig. Mic drop.

But in all seriousness, I remember both The Fugees and Lauryn Hill’s albums and still own Miseducation on CD. I hadn’t played it in years until this STUDS research. It’s hard not to think of her decades-long absence while listening to the record, though after a couple of songs, I found myself sucked back into the glorious worlds, words, and music, and it’s (almost) like hearing it for the first time.

“Music is supposed to inspire/How come we ain’t gettin’ no higher?” Lauryn asks in “Superstar,” and it’s a question aimed at the hip-hop artists at the time. It’s a question that feels extremely relevant today, regardless of genre.

Okay, Max, who’s our final Superstar?

STUD #5 - Pretty Sick

Max: I think I’ve heard the name Pretty Sick floating around in the ether for a while, but this was my first time listening to them, let alone knowing any of their song titles. When Steve brought this song to me to consider for this STUDS, he described it as having an “indie-retro vibe,” and that’s a solid way of putting it. I’m getting some Julee Cruise, a bit of Deerhunter, even a touch of Liz Phair in the intentionally monotone and sing-spoken vocals. Solid song here with an alluringly smoky echo on the percussion, a steady and dry (non-derogatory) guitar line, and a vaporous lil’ guitar solo toward the end.

Lyrically, it’s interesting to have a song called “Superstar” be about Pretty Sick’s frontperson, Sabrina Fuentes, giving herself over to someone against her better judgment. She’s trying to be this person’s savior, but her detached delivery and the fact that she’s giving this person space to, in particular, wallow and be low suggest that she’s gonna fail. An unsuccessful superstar, I suppose, despite the song being a solid success — it’s their most popular on Qobuz, my chosen streaming platform.

I listened to a few other Pretty Sick songs because this band is new to me, and on their most recent release, 2024’s Streetwise EP, there’s far greater audio fidelity in the computerized, grungy production. Fuentes’ vocals are still a bit droll but considerably more melodic here. Before that, on their 2022 debut album Makes Me Sick Makes Me Smile, they sound fully Hole-inspired, a pretty big shift from the smoky, mysterious indie rock of “Superstar” from 2020’s Deep Divine EP.

I may have to spend more time listening to this band after discovering them through this STUDS — I’m intrigued! I bet my feelings about them will change too and that I’ll look back on this initial description of their sound as not quite holding up. The limitations of an instant reaction! Steve, how well do you know this band?

Steve: I didn’t know them at all! I found them in a YouTube search for “Superstar” songs. The band name does ring a bell, though. I may have read something about them in a music mag a while back.

And by “a while back,” I mean five minutes ago when I just looked them up. A review in a music blog called The Deli described Pretty Sick as “balancing hookiness and grittiness and lower bodily stratum and spiritual elevation.”

I love this description because I have no idea what ‘lower bodily stratum’ means. I assume it’s something akin to shaking the booty. Yes, I’m old. But I can still shake it like a Polaroid picture, like a peckerwood.

I wonder if Sabrina Fuentes, being a semi-successful actor and model, was referencing this part of her career path when naming this song “Superstar.”

I do like this song, but I haven’t explored the band’s output beyond this track. Like you, I am definitely intrigued.

I think all of the Superstar candidates we’ve chosen are pretty sick!

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Thanks so much, Max, for choosing such a super song title for this week’s STUDS!

Max: Thanks for having me, Steve! I loved discovering new songs and revisiting old faves with you.

Mind if I take a moment to plug my latest post since it’s about an artist I know we’re both fans of? Wormheads, check out my retrospective on Mitski’s ‘Puberty 2’ here: lavendersound.substack.com/p/mitski-puberty-2-turns-10-retrospe…

Steve: I’m all for my guests self-promoting as much and as often as possible! Even if you don’t know Mitski, reading this retrospective will surely make you a fan.

Click the buttons below to listen to all of the above songs in Spotify and YouTube playlists.

And please vote for your favorite song in the poll below. I’ll reveal the winner in two weeks, when we will have another guest collaborator, Kristin DeMarr, author of the All the Things She Said newsletter.

• Thanks again to Lavender Sound (Max Freedman) for joining me again for a full week of collaborations!

• What did you think of our 5 superstar contestants? Did we leave out any candidates that should have made our list?

• What does the word “superstar” mean to you?

• If you haven’t seen the Mary Katherine Gallagher skits on SNL, you need to get on that right away. Here’s one and another to get you started.

• If you’d like to be a guest for a future STUDS episode, shoot me a message in the app or email me at ambidextwords@gmail.com. It’s fun and easy!

• Don’t forget to vote!