'Starlight In Me' is this really personal song about Stevens going through the emotional mess of a breakup. He keeps it simple, not overdoing the music or lyrics, but it’s still super intimate and bold. Basically, Stevens feels like he gave everything in the relationship, but his former lover never really got him. Now, he's trying to work through that pain and figure out why they couldn’t see his worth. It’s hard for him to move on, and even something small, like seeing their face pop up on Instagram, just pulls him right back into those feelings.
Now, looking at the music, overall the sound is melancholic with Stevens' natural voice under the spotlight. He sings like someone who's just expressing himself, speaking his mind. Honestly, his voice has this rough, melodic tone, very unfiltered and candid, like he’s not trying to imitate anyone, just being himself. His voice is often described as having that trademark bourbon-and-cigarette smoky quality.
But then, there's this completely different vibe going on in the background with the music. Over a simple chord progression, you've got an acoustic guitar, tight drums and a bass along with some solid percussion work. You also get these echoing vocal harmonies from Raquel Ramos and Douglas Fabiano. And way in the back, there’s this widely sustained, high-pitched and dreamy tone that seems to come from a mix of electric guitar and synth.
On a side note, there isn’t much of a shift in dynamic range between these verses and the chorus, so what this means is that production-wise, the song maintains its steady, ambient state throughout, without any major ups or downs. And finally, you can hear some sharp, powerful reverb layered onto these elements, which adds even more to the already well-established sentimental depth of the song.
Heading towards the lyrics, a powerful part of the song is where he mentions how the person he truly loved was great at noticing all the wonderful things in life, but totally missed what made him special. Basically, he’s feeling overlooked and undervalued, which totally sucks. Such a song can be relatable as it's described as an anthem for all who have never been truly seen for who they are by someone they love.
Further, Stevens keeps repeating how much he misses his love and is stuck in memories but then tries to remind himself to let go. His heart isn’t ready yet. Towards the end, he’s crying out for help, showing just how overwhelmed he feels. He expresses frustration about waking up to the same sad feelings. He's desperate to move on and doesn't want to get stuck in this sad loop anymore.
Now, a bit about BB Stevens. He signed his first record deal with a major label at just sixteen, which is pretty impressive! Over the years, he’s not only made a name for himself as an artist but also produced records and written songs for big international stars, including Madonna.
His recent collaborations are just as exciting, working with Saving Abel's vocalist Scotty Austin and award-winning producer Malcolm Springer. After spending years away from the spotlight, he’s finally back to performing, and it’s clear he hasn’t lost his touch!