Lucky Star (Madonna song)
"Lucky Star" is a song by American singer Madonna from her self-titled debut studio album (1983). Produced by Reggie Lucas, it was written by Madonna with the intention that her friend Mark Kamins would play it in his sets at Danceteria, where he was the resident DJ. In 1982, Madonna was signed on by Sire Records for the release of two 12" singles; after the success of first single "Everybody", the label approved the recording of an album, and the singer decided to work with Lucas. However, problems between Madonna and the producer arose and he ended up leaving the project; she then called John "Jellybean" Benitez, her boyfriend at the time, to work on the remaining songs.
"Lucky Star"
- "Holiday"
- "I Know It"
September 9, 1983
1983
Sigma Sound (New York City)
5:37 (album version)
3:44 (edit)
Madonna
A dance song with disco influences, the lyrics to "Lucky Star" are a double-entendre that compare a lover's body with the stars in the sky. It was first released as a double-sided single with "Holiday" on August 1983. One month later, it was published as a stand-alone single in Europe and the United Kingdom; in the United States, a release was issued on August 8, 1984. Critics reacted positively towards "Lucky Star", highlighting its optimistic sound; in retrospective reviews, it is now considered one of Madonna's best singles. It reached the fourth spot of the US Billboard Hot 100, giving Madonna her first top-five hit. It also peaked within the top-ten in Canada, and the top 20 in Ireland and the United Kingdom.
The song's music video shows the singer dancing against a white backdrop with her brother Christopher and her friend Erika Belle. Some authors noted that in the video Madonna portrayed herself in a narcissistic way, that she was referring to herself as the titular lucky star. Additionally, after the visual's release, the singer's fashion became a trend among the younger generation. Madonna has performed "Lucky Star" in four of her concert tours, the last being 2015–2016's Rebel Heart Tour. The single has been referenced in movies like Pulp Fiction (1994), and covered and sampled by artists such as Chris Colfer and Carly Rae Jepsen.
Background[edit]
In 1982, Madonna was living with her former Michigan boyfriend Stephen Bray in an unused rehearsal studio in New York City.[1] Since "funky dance records were in style on the radio and dance floor", the singer and Bray created a demo tape with four dance tracks, including "Everybody", "Burning Up", and "Ain't No Big Deal".[2] While pitching the tape, she met and befriended DJ Mark Kamins at Danceteria nightclub.[3] After listening to "Everybody", Kamins took her to Sire Records, where Seymour Stein, the label's president, signed Madonna for two 12" singles.[3] Released in October, "Everybody" became a hit in the dance scene.[4][5] The single's success led to the label approving the recording of an album, but Madonna chose not to work with either Bray or Kamins, opting instead for Warner Bros. producer Reggie Lucas.[4] Upon meeting her, Lucas wasn't impressed with the singer's "boho-punk style", and thought she was "the weirdest person I'd ever met".[6]
"Lucky Star" was one of three songs Madonna wrote prior to entering the studio, along with "Think of Me" and "I Know It".[7] According to Andrew Morton, the singer wrote the lyrics to "Lucky Star" on a yellow legal notepad, and created the music on a Casiotone keyboard with a cassette player Kamins had given to her.[8][9] She wrote it as a thank you to him, and with the hope that he'd play it in his sets at Danceteria.[8][10] One of the earliest recorded versions of "Lucky Star" Madonna and Lucas created was described as being very "R&B-leaning", while another one was heavy on guitars, but due to a negative experience involving Madonna and a rock guitarist, was quickly discarded.[10][11] However, problems between Madonna and Lucas soon arose, as she felt he was "moving [the songs] away from the sparse form of the original demos", something she did not approve of; the producer ended up leaving the project without altering the tracks.[3] The singer then invited John "Jellybean" Benitez, her boyfriend at the time, to work on the remaining songs.[3] In the case of "Lucky Star", Benitez added additional guitars and vocals, a "synthesized disco beat with soulful flourishes", and elements of New Wave.[12] Benitez would recall that Madonna was "overwhelmed by how great it all sounded [...] As much as she could be a bitch, when you were in groove with her, it was very cool, very creative".[13]
Composition and release[edit]
"Lucky Star" was recorded at the Sigma Sound Studios in New York.[14] Personnel working on the song included Fred Zarr on keyboard arrangement and synthesizers, alongside Dean Gant; Ira Siegel on guitars, Benitez was in charge of audio mixing, and Bobby Malach played tenor saxophone.[14] It has been described as a "medium-paced" dance track with disco influences.[3][15] The lyrics are a double-entendre and compare a lover's "heavenly body" with the stars in the sky, while the "simple" refrain refers the nursery rhyme "Star Light, Star Bright".[3][16][10] The line Shine your heavenly body tonight is considered the closest the song has to a sexual innuendo.[17]
The song begins with the sound of a "shimmering, programmed" glissando, which is followed by "clanging rhythm guitars, synth atmospherics, and [a] chugging bass".[18] Madonna then sings the lines You must be my lucky star/Cause you shine on me wherever you are/I just think of you and I start to glow with a "youthful chirp".[17] According to the sheet music published by Alfred Publishing Inc., "Lucky Star" is set in the time signature of common time with a moderate dance tempo of 108 beats per minute. It is set in the key of G major, with Madonna's voice spanning from the tonal nodes of G3 to F♯5. The song has a basic sequence of Em7–D as its chord progression.[19]
A double-sided single of "Holiday" and "Lucky Star" was first made available on mid August 1983.[20][21] According to Rikki Rooksby, author of The Complete Guide to the Music of Madonna, the label wanted to release "Lucky Star" as a stand-alone single, but changed their mind after "Holiday" began receiving heavy radio play and reached the first spot of Billboard's Dance Club Songs chart.[3][22] In Europe and the United Kingdom, "Lucky Star" was first published on September 8, 1983;[23] in the United States, it was officially released almost one year later, on August 8, 1984.[24] Music executive Jeff Ayeroff recalled that Madonna initially didn't want to release "Lucky Star" as a single; around that time, she was getting sued and needed money, so Ayeroff told her, "let me release 'Lucky Star', and I guarantee that you'll sell enough records to pay that off". According to the executive, he was right because, "['Lucky Star'] broke the first album wide open".[23] Years later, the song was included on Madonna's compilation albums The Immaculate Collection (1990) and Celebration (2009).[25][26]
Chart performance[edit]
On August 27, 1983, the "Holiday" / "Lucky Star" release debuted on Billboard's Dance Club Songs chart at number 31.[21] Almost one month later, it reached the chart's top spot ―where it spent five weeks― becoming Madonna's very first number one on any Billboard chart.[46][47] By the end of the year, "Holiday" / "Lucky Star" was ranked third on the Dance Club Songs chart.[48] On August 25, 1984, Billboard reported that "Lucky Star" was the most added song on radio stations, which caused it to enter the Hot 100 at number 49.[49][50] Almost two months later, it peaked at number four, becoming the singer's first top-five hit.[51][36] The single also entered the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary chart, were it peaked at number 19.[52] "Lucky Star" came in at number 66 of the Hot 100 year-end chart for 1984.[53] In Canada, the single debuted in the 89th position of RPM's Top Singles chart on the week of September 22, 1984;[54] two months later, it peaked at number eight.[55] "Lucky Star" came in at number 72 on the official year-end chart.[56]
In the United Kingdom, "Lucky Star" debuted at the 47th position of the UK Singles Chart on March 17, 1984, and, three weeks later, peaked at number 14; it spent 9 weeks on the chart overall.[57] According to Music Week magazine, over 117,000 copies of the single have been sold in the United Kingdom as of 2008.[58] On March 10, the single debuted at number 74 of the European Hot 100 Singles chart, where it eventually peaked at number 29.[59][60] "Lucky Star" saw a moderate response across Europe, peaking within the top 30 and top 20 of Belgium and Ireland, respectively.[61][62] In Australia, it reached the chart's 36th spot.[63]
Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.[14]