Meaning of “All The Stars” by Kendrick Lamar & SZA
“All the Stars” is a song where Kendrick Lamar and SZA talk about love and fame. Love is not explored here in a romantic sense but is generally defined as what an individual is striving for.
In true K-Dot fashion, Kendrick approaches his verse from a street perspective. For instance, he starts off by giving his opinion on physical confrontations. He also lets it be known that his life is not about living up to the expectations of others. Later, he details ways to differentiate between a true or fake person as well as stating his real associates are only a handful of people.
SZA’s verse also begins on a note of having to deal with potentially destructive individuals. She goes further by stating some of the psychological issues she has to deal with most likely in relation to her fame. However, she is still optimistic and gives thanks for her life as well as advising others to enjoy theirs while they have the opportunity.
The choruses question if love, when realized, is what the dreamer expected. They also recognize the possibility that fulfillment of personal aspirations might be imminent.
Facts about “All the Stars”
- Writer(s): This song was written by Top Dawg, Sounwave, Al Shux, SZA and Kendrick Lamar.
- Producers(s): Al Shux repping London, England and Sounwave from K-Dot’s hometown of Los Angeles also produced the track.
- Album/EP: This is the second track featured on Black Panther: The Album.
- Release Date: It was released on 4 January 2018.
- Record Label: The record labels credited for putting this “All the Stars” out are Top Dawg, Aftermath and Interscope.
- Interesting Stuff: “All the Stars” reached number one on the music charts in Malaysia, Mexico, Singapore and Slovakia. Artist Lina Iris Viktor sued K-Dot and SZA for copyright infringement due to images used in the music video of this song. However, the case was instantaneously dismissed by the court.
Does “All the Stars” actually appear in the Black Panther film?
Yes, it does. It appears during the film‘s end credits.
Did “All the Stars” mark Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s first collaboration?
No. Both Kendrick and SZA had worked together on a number of times before working on this hit single. For instance, in 2015, they released a song titled “u”.
Does “All the Stars” contain samples? If yes, which song(s) does it sample?
It samples Flume’s 2012 song titled “The Greatest View”. You can listen to the song below:
