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Stars in the Sky
"Stars in the Sky" is a song by American musician Kid Cudi. It was created for the film Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022) and was released as a single in both promotion for the film and its soundtrack on March 25, 2022. The song was written by Cudi himself alongside Lil Nas X and producers Splititupbenji, Take a Daytrip, and Dot da Genius. It was released by Republic Records. The accompanying music video released on YouTube garnered more than 42 million views as of December 2024 and also received overall positive reviews. Background"Stars in the Sky" was released at midnight on March 25, 2022;[3] the song was available for pre-save on music streaming services the day prior.[4] Kid Cudi also released a teaser for the song on March 24 as well on his X (formerly Twitter) account.[4][5] In addition to his announcement for the single, he also stated the intention to do a film screen with some of his followers.[6] The music video was also released on the same day on YouTube, gaining more than 42 million views as of December 2024.[7][8] The song's lyrics were written and composed by Kid Cudi, Lil Nas X, Dot da Genius, and Take a Daytrip, with the latter two also behind the productions.[2] "Stars in the Sky" was included in the film's soundtrack and plays during both the opening and ending credits of it.[3][9][10] ReceptionTom Breihan of Stereogum wrote that the song is a "bleepy, uptempo dance-pop track" while saying that it "definitely sounds like a song from a kids' movie." Breihan also says: "A pretty weird look for Kid Cudi! But maybe it'll be a hit! The song's video plunges Cudi into the Sonic universe."[11] Jordan Rose of Complex noted that the song "captured the lighthearted and fast nature of Sonic 2", while Jessica McKinney from the same entertainment company said that "Stars in the Sky" found Kid Cudi "dancing over galactic production".[12][13] Tom Skinner of NME said in regards to the music video that it contained "fun accompanying visuals that intersperse clips of Cudi performing in the studio with shots from the forthcoming movie", and some graphics from the 1991 game Sonic the Hedgehog.[6] Writing for ComicBook.com, Cade Onder described the song as a "banger" while also saying that it "fits well with the heart of Sonic the Hedgehog 2."[14] Christian Hodge of Screen Rant wrote that the music video was a "fun romp", but questioned whether it presented an excessive amount of the film's plot before its release.[15][16] The music video for "Stars in the Sky" received an average rating of 8.1/10 from 11 reviews on IMDb.[17] Some of the song's lyrics referenced some of Kid Cudi's previous songs, including his 2008 and 2009 singles "Day 'n' Nite" and "Rollin'", respectively.[3] Music videoThe music video displays Kid Cudi recording the song in a recording studio, but he is interrupted by a message from Doctor Robotnik on his cell phone, who invites Cudi to join him. Cudi preemptively accepts and leaves the studio, where he finds the Eggmobile, Robotnik's vehicle. He starts the vehicle and starts flying off at high speed while continuing to sing the song, in addition to the video clip showing footages (some hitherto unpublished) of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, both in its original filmage version and in a 16-bit recreation. In the final moments of the music video, in the Labyrinth Zone, Cudi discovers Robotnik's true intention to have called him, to help the doctor steal the Master Emerald. The musician teams up with Sonic and Tails to stop Robotnik, who is already in Green Hills, inside a giant robot resembling himself, which is powered by the emerald. Cudi also builds a mech that resembles himself and with one punch, destroys Robotnik's robot, and later, celebrates with a fist bump with Tails and Sonic, who gives the musician one of his powered quills and opens a ring portal so Cudi can return to the recording studio. Live performancesOn April 9, 2022, Cudi performed a medley of "Stars in the Sky" and "Pursuit of Happiness" at the Kids' Choice Awards for the first time.[18][19] PersonnelDerived from Apple Music:[2]
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