"Stars Are Blind" is a song recorded by American television personality and socialite Paris Hilton for her debut studio album, Paris (2006). It was released as the lead single from the album on June 5, 2006, by Warner Bros. Records. The song was written by Fernando Garibay, Sheppard Solomon and Ralph McCarthy, and produced by Garibay with additional production by Solomon.[2] Jennifer Karr was the vocal arranger and background vocalist for the song.[3]
"Stars Are Blind" | ||||
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Single by Paris Hilton | ||||
from the album Paris | ||||
Released | June 5, 2006 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 3:56 | |||
Label | Warner Bros. | |||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) | ||||
Paris Hilton singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Stars Are Blind " on YouTube |
"Stars Are Blind" was well received by music critics. It debuted at its peak of number 18 on the US Billboard Hot 100 due to strong digital sales[4] and topped the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart. Worldwide, the single topped the charts in Hungary, Scotland, and Slovakia while reaching the top 10 in Australia, Canada, Venezuela, and more than 10 European countries.
A reggaeton remix featuring Puerto Rican duo Wisin & Yandel was released in Latin America, receiving heavy airplay and achieving club success in countries like Colombia, Ecuador, Chile and Venezuela.
Critical response
edit"Stars Are Blind" received favorable reviews from music critics. Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic called it "a breezy track".[5] Sal Cinquemani from Slant says that "Paris's debut single, 'Stars Are Blind' (which was commissioned to bridge the gap between the hip-hop and rock-inflected tunes on the album), has been the surprise of the summer, Nelly Furtado's 'Promiscuous' notwithstanding; it's a sunny, reggae-hued love song that has eclipsed new singles by some of music's biggest stars".[6] Leah Greenblatt from Entertainment Weekly called it "a summery island groove".[7] Alexis Petridis from The Guardian said that "on 'Stars Are Blind', the combination of tinny cod-reggae and your-call-is-being-held-in-a-queue vocal technique results in something so plasticky, it's perversely enjoyable". Mark Daniels from Yahoo! Music said, "Even the plinky pop-reggae, never a good look, of single 'Stars Are Blind' manages to ingratiate itself eventually".[8] Ernest Baker from Complex listed the song as one of the "50 Awesome Guilty Pleasure Songs We're Ashamed to Like (But Not Really)", and stated that "the song was like a tropical escape from her tabloid headline persona. Instead, you had what seemed liked sincere emotions from the socialite incorporated into a ridiculously well-written record, over spot-on production. 'Stars Are Blind' was a flash in the pan, a fluke, but an incredible one. We'll never get something like this from Paris Hilton again". He finished saying that this was Hilton's greatest contribution to society.[9]
Music video
editThe accompanying music video for "Stars Are Blind" was shot in two days in May 2006, in Malibu, California, and was directed by Chris Applebaum.[10][11] The video for the song features many images of her walking and rolling around on the beach with a lover. It premiered on June 6, 2006 on MTV. Hilton later posted the video on her official YouTube channel in August 2006. "Shooting the music video was so much fun, and I had the best time doing it, and was so proud when it came out and everyone loved it so much", said Hilton.[12] The video was listed as one of the 50 worst videos of all time by NME at number 49. The magazine stated, "So this is what you can do when your daddy has buckets of money – pay someone to film you roll around in a bikini in the sand with a guy in order to distract us from the fact that you've been auto-tuned (quite poorly) to high heaven. Good on you, Paris Hilton – you successfully created something that sucked more than the song itself (which, frankly, we thought would be impossible to do).[13]
A second version of the video was shot for the European and Latin American countries, featuring Hilton's lover (played by Lucas Babin) from the beach as her photographer at a photoshoot. In this version, which is entirely in black and white, scenes from the beach are still present, but exist as Hilton's fantasies during the photoshoot. At the end of the video, she wins the affection of her photographer, but ends up just taking his keys and stealing his car. The second version premiered on Z100's website on July 5, 2006.[14]
Legal controversy
editIn June 2007, the copyright holders of the 1970 song "Kingston Town", Sparta Florida Music Group, started legal action against Hilton and Warner Chappell Music for plagiarism due to alleged similarities between "Stars Are Blind" and "Kingston Town".[15][16] The two songs use the same chord progression in the verses. It has wrongly been ascribed that UB40 was the suing party, but that has been denied by the band themselves on their website.[17] The suit appears to have been settled out of court.[18]
Covers and versions
editUpon its original release, several remix compilations were released. Among these included a Tracy Young remix and a collaboration with Wisin & Yandel. The song reached the top of the Dance Club Songs chart. Hilton's friend, German singer Kim Petras, performed a cover of the song and posted it online.[19][20] An updated version of the song, "Stars Are Blind (Paris' Version)", was released exclusively to Amazon Music on December 30, 2022.[21] A version featuring Petras was also released.[22]
In popular culture
edit- The song appears in the film Lynn + Lucy, where the characters dance to it in a local nightclub.
- The song appears in the film Promising Young Woman, where the characters Cassie (Carey Mulligan) and Ryan (Bo Burnham) dance to it in a pharmacy.
Track listing
edit
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Charts
edit
Weekly chartsedit |
Year-end chartsedit
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Certifications
editRegion | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[84] | Gold | 4,000^ |
Italy | — | 10,000[85] |
Sweden (GLF)[86] | Gold | 10,000^ |
United Kingdom | — | 102,000[87] |
United States (RIAA)[89] | Gold | 559,000[88] |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Release history
editRegion | Date | Format(s) | Label | Ref(s). |
---|---|---|---|---|
United States | June 5, 2006 | Digital download | Warner Bros. | [23] |
June 6, 2006 | Contemporary hit radio | [90] | ||
June 27, 2006 | Digital download | [24] | ||
Germany | July 7, 2006 | CD | [28] | |
Australia | July 10, 2006 | [91] | ||
Canada | July 18, 2006 | [27] | ||
United States | [25][26] | |||
United Kingdom | July 31, 2006 | CD | [92] | |
Japan | August 23, 2006 | CD | [32] |
References
edit- ^ MacLean, Craig (August 13, 2006). "Paris Hilton: I'm with the brand". The Independent. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
- ^ a b "Stars Are Blind - Paris Hilton - Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
- ^ "Jennifer Karr - Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
- ^ Clover Hope, "Furtado Earns Second No. 1 Of The Week", Billboard.com, June 29, 2006.
- ^ "Paris - Paris Hilton - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic.
- ^ "Paris Hilton Paris - Album Review - Slant Magazine". Slant Magazine. August 14, 2006.
- ^ "Paris". Entertainment Weekly. August 28, 2006.
- ^ "Celebrity Latest news and headlines". uk.news.yahoo.com. Archived from the original on June 13, 2011.
- ^ "50 Awesome Guilty Pleasure Songs We're Ashamed to Like (But Not Really)". Complex Networks.
- ^ "Paris Hilton - Stars Are Blind Music Video".
- ^ "Paris Hilton's Debut Merges Hip-Hop, Reggae, Rod Stewart". MTV. Archived from the original on September 3, 2014.
- ^ "Remember The Time: Paris Hilton Looks Back On 'Stars Are Blind'". Billboard.
- ^ "50 Worst Music Videos Ever - NME". NME. November 21, 2011.
- ^ [1][dead link] Z100.com Retrieved on 05-22-07
- ^ "UB40 sue Paris Hilton over copyright".
- ^ "Daily Telegraph".
- ^ "Press Statement: PARIS HILTON & UB40". June 7, 2007. Archived from the original on June 18, 2007.
- ^ "Paris Hilton Sued Again For Stealing". www.judiciaryreport.com.
- ^ "Paris Hilton Gushes Over Kim Petras' Stunning 'Stars Are Blind' Cover: 'It Made Me Cry'". www.msn.com. Archived from the original on July 16, 2020.
- ^ "Watch Kim Petras Cover Paris Hilton's 'Stars Are Blind'". PAPER. April 24, 2020.
- ^ "Paris Hilton Dropped A New Version Of Her 2006 Hit "Stars Are Blind"". Nylon. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
- ^ Stars Are Blind (Paris' Version) [feat. Kim Petras], June 2, 2023, retrieved January 16, 2024
- ^ a b "Stars Are Blind – Single by Paris Hilton". June 5, 2006 – via music.apple.com.
- ^ a b "Stars Are Blind" – via Amazon.
- ^ a b "Stars Are Blind" – via Amazon.
- ^ a b "Stars Are Blind" – via Amazon.
- ^ a b "Stars Are Blind" – via Amazon.
- ^ a b "Stars Are Blind" – via Amazon.
- ^ "Stars Are Blind" – via Amazon.
- ^ "Stars Are Blind" – via Amazon.
- ^ "Stars Are Blind" – via Amazon.
- ^ a b "Stars Are Blind Paris Hilton CD Maxi". CDJapan.
- ^ "Paris Hilton – Stars Are Blind". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
- ^ "Paris Hilton – Stars Are Blind" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
- ^ "Paris Hilton – Stars Are Blind" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
- ^ "Paris Hilton – Stars Are Blind" (in French). Ultratop 50.
- ^ "Paris Hilton Chart History (Canadian Digital Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved June 9, 2018.
- ^ "R&R Canada CHR/Pop Top 40" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1667. July 21, 2006. p. 27. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
- ^ "Paris Hilton Chart History (Canada CHR/Top 40)". Billboard. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
- ^ "Top Radio Hits Global Weekly Chart - Aug 3, 2006". TopHit. Archived from the original on April 29, 2024. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
- ^ "Top Lista Hrvatskog Radija". Croatian Radiotelevision. Archived from the original on September 3, 2006. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
- ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 37. týden 2006 in the date selector.
- ^ "Paris Hilton – Stars Are Blind". Tracklisten.
- ^ "Hits of the World – Eurocharts" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 118, no. 33. August 19, 2006. p. 55. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
- ^ "Paris Hilton: Stars Are Blind" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat.
- ^ "Paris Hilton – Stars Are Blind" (in French). Les classement single.
- ^ "Paris Hilton – Stars Are Blind" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
- ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Rádiós Top 40 játszási lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége.
- ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége.
- ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Stars Are Blind". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved January 14, 2020.
- ^ "Paris Hilton – Stars Are Blind". Top Digital Download.
- ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 31, 2006" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved June 12, 2019.
- ^ "Paris Hilton – Stars Are Blind" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
- ^ "Paris Hilton – Stars Are Blind". Top 40 Singles.
- ^ "Paris Hilton – Stars Are Blind". VG-lista.
- ^ "Romanian Top 100 – Issue nr: 40/2006 (09 Octombrie - 15 Octombrie 2006)" (in Romanian). Romanian Top 100. Archived from the original on March 16, 2009. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
- ^ "Top Radio Hits Russia Weekly Chart: Jul 13, 2006". TopHit. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
- ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
- ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 200635 into search. Retrieved June 12, 2019.
- ^ "Paris Hilton – Stars Are Blind". Singles Top 100.
- ^ "Paris Hilton – Stars Are Blind". Swiss Singles Chart.
- ^ "Paris: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
- ^ "Paris Hilton Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
- ^ "Paris Hilton Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard.
- ^ "Paris Hilton Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
- ^ "Paris Hilton Chart History (Dance Mix/Show Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
- ^ "Paris Hilton Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard.
- ^ "Pop Rock" (in Spanish). Record Report. July 15, 2006. Archived from the original on July 16, 2006.
- ^ "ARIA Top 100 Singles for 2006". ARIA. Retrieved June 9, 2018.
- ^ "Jahreshitparade Singles 2006" (in German). Retrieved June 12, 2019.
- ^ "Jaaroverzichten 2006" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved June 9, 2018.
- ^ "European Hot 100 Songs". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 14, 2007. Retrieved January 9, 2022.
- ^ "Top 100 Single–Jahrescharts 2006" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved June 9, 2018.
- ^ "Rádiós Top 100 – hallgatottsági adatok alapján – 2006" (in Hungarian). Mahasz. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
- ^ "Musica: Classifiche Annunali 2006 FIMI-AC Nielsen" (in Italian). FIMI. Archived from the original on January 12, 2007. Retrieved January 15, 2021. Click on Scarica l'allegato.
- ^ "Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 2006". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
- ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 2006" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved June 9, 2018.
- ^ "Romanian Top 100 – Top of the Year 2006". Archived from the original on February 12, 2007. Retrieved January 12, 2012.
- ^ "Top Radio Hits Russia Annual Chart: 2006". TopHit. Archived from the original on April 25, 2024. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
- ^ "Årslista Singlar, 2006" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
- ^ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2006" (in German). Retrieved June 9, 2018.
- ^ "The Official UK Singles Chart 2006" (PDF). UKChartsPlus. Retrieved June 9, 2018.
- ^ "Dance/Club Songs – Year-End 2006". Billboard. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
- ^ "Guld Og Platin November/December/Januar". Archived from the original on July 24, 2011.
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- ^ "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 2006" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 17, 2011.
- ^ "Stars Are Blind Sales". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 11, 2021.
- ^ "Paris Hilton to Release Second Album on Cash Money, Feature Lil Wayne". Billboard. May 22, 2013. Retrieved May 22, 2013.
- ^ "American single certifications – Paris Hilton – Stars Are Blind". Recording Industry Association of America.
- ^ "FMQB : Radio Industry News". FMQB. Archived from the original on June 2, 2013. Retrieved January 8, 2022.
- ^ "The ARIA Report: New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 10/07/2006" (PDF). ARIA. July 10, 2006. p. 28. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 22, 2008. Retrieved January 8, 2022.
- ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. July 29, 2006. p. 35.