Lil Star

Infobox Single
Name = Lil Star


Caption = UK CD 1 cover
Artist = Kelis featuring Cee-Lo
Album = Kelis Was Here
B-side = "80's Joint"
Released = February 19, 2007 (UK)
Format = Digital download, CD single, 12" single
Recorded = 2005 at
Doppler Studios
(Atlanta, Georgia)
Genre = R&B, soul
Length = 4:55
Label = Virgin
Writer = Kelis Rogers-Jones, Thomas Callaway
Producer = Cee-Lo Green
Certification =
Misc = Extra chronology
Artist = Kelis
Type = singles
Last single = "Blindfold Me"
(2006)
This single = "Lil Star"
(2007)
Next single = "I Don't Think So"
(2008)Extra chronology
Artist = Kelis
Type = European singles
Last single = "Bossy"
(2006)
This single = "Lil Star"
(2007)
Next single = Extra track listing
Album = Kelis Was Here
Type = studio
prev_track = "Aww S***!"
prev_no = 12
this_track = "Lil Star"
track_no = 13
next_track = "I Don't Think So"
next_no = 14 Extra chronology
Artist = Cee-Lo
Type = singles
Last single = "Gone Daddy Gone"
(2006)
This single = "Lil Star"
(2006)
Next single = "Church"
(2007) Extra album cover 2
Upper caption = Alternate covers
Type = single


Lower caption = UK CD 2 cover Extra album cover 2
Type = single


Lower caption = Digital cover

"Lil Star" is the second single (final in Europe) from Kelis' Grammy Award-nominated fourth studio album, "Kelis Was Here" (2006). The single features Cee-Lo, who is most known for being a half of the chart-topping duo Gnarls Barkley. Following the moderate success of "Bossy", the single has proven to be a return to form for Kelis; it debuted at number two in Ireland and was also a huge hit in the United Kingdom reaching number three on the UK Singles Chart. The track was hailed by many music fans and critics as Kelis' "comeback" single, despite the fact "Bossy" was written specifically for the return of Kelis to music.

The single sold 125,000 copies in the United Kingdom, going on to become the sixty-first biggest-selling single of 2007. [ [http://www.buzzjack.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=59941 Board Message ] ]

ong information

As for the song, the soulful and pensive "Lil Star" features Kelis singing about the time when she has self-doubt, giving fans a look at her vulnerable side. "I can't be confident and bold and obnoxious all the time", Kelis says. "What kind of person would I be? I'm a human being and I have other sides, too. I'm not always secure and I'm not always confident. I have moments where I get self-conscious."

The song was tentatively set to be released on January 8, 2007, but to allow time for promotion the release date was pushed back to February 19. However, on January 8, the song was added to the C List of BBC Radio 1 Playlist, and has since been promoted to their A List, guaranteeing at least twenty plays a week.

The video for "Lil Star" was filmed by Marc Klasfeld, and has been on rotation since January 13, 2007 when it was added to British urban music channel MTV Base's videos roster.

Surprisingly, "Lil Star" debuted on the UK Singles Chart at number thirty-seven on January 28, 2007. This was three weeks before the track received an official physical release, indicating that the songs had a good chance of a high chart position upon official release. The following week high download sales enabled an eighteen-position jump to number nineteen. On February 12, 2007 "Lil Star" moved into the UK top fifteen at the number-thirteen position. During its fourth week in the top forty, the song slid down two places to number fifteen. However, on February 26, 2007, in the fifth week on the UK chart it moved from number fifteen to the top three. The success of "Lil Star" was undoubtedly certified when it landed at number three on the UK Singles Chart in the week of its physical release; sales to date have totalled 125,000 copies. [ [http://www.buzzjack.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=59941 Board Message ] ]

Track listings and formats

;UK CD 1
#"Lil Star" (Radio Edit)
#"80's Joint"

;UK CD 2
#"Lil Star" (Album Version)
#"Lil Star" (Linus Loves Remix)
#"Lil Star" (Soundboy Remix)
#"Lil Star" (Future Cut Throw Back Mix)
#"Lil Star" (Video)

;12" singleSide A:
#"Lil Star" (Main)
#"Lil Star" (Instrumental)

Side B:
#"Lil Star" (Main)
#"Lil Star" (A Capella)

;Promo remixes CD
#"Lil Star" (Linus Loves Remix featuring Cee-Lo)
#"Lil Star" (Linus Loves Dub featuring Cee-Lo)
#"Lil Star" (Future Cut Remix featuring Cee-Lo)
#"Lil Star" (Soundbwoy Remix featuring Cee-Lo)
#"Lil Star" (Soundbwoy Instrumental)
#"Lil Star" (Al Usher 12" Mix featuring Cee-Lo)

Video

The mellow video for "Lil Star" was filmed in December 2006 in Los Angeles, California, and directed by Marc Klasfeld, who had previously worked with Kelis on "Bossy" and "Blindfold Me" earlier in 2006. In the video Kelis is walking down a street in a large space suit-style coat, then singing to the stars. The stars take the formation of Cee-Lo and Kelis as they both sing, all wrapped up in a very mellow and calm atmosphere, relating to the song's theme. It premiered on MTV UK on January 13, 2007.

Chart performance

"Lil Star" made its debut on the UK Singles Chart at number eighty-four on January 21, 2007 based on downloads alone five weeks before its release and climbed the charts rapidly to number thirty-seven within a matter of weeks due to strong download sales. Several weeks later it managed to make its initial peak at number thirteen based on downloads sales. After is official release it peaked at number three, becoming the first single from "Kelis Was Here" to reach the top three in the UK, and became Kelis' highest-charting single since 2004's "Millionaire". "Lil Star" also entered several other UK charts including the UK R&B Singles Chart where it peaked at number one, the UK Airplay Chart where it peaked at number three, the UK Official Download Chart where it reached number nine, and the UK iTunes Top 100 countdown where it peaked at number eleven. To date, "Lil Star" remains one of Kelis' best-selling singles in the UK where it sold over 118,000 copies. "Lil Star" also peaked at number eight in Ireland, her highest-peaking single since "Milkshake" back in 2003. "Lil Star" found similar success in Eastern Europe; it peaked at number four in Slovenia, number seven in Hungary, number thirteen in Lithuania, and number eighteen in Slovakia. Although "Lil Star" performed well in European countries such as the UK and Ireland, it became a commercial failure in Germany, peaking at number ninety-nine, Kelis' lowest-charting single there to date. "Lil Star" was to be released in Australia as the second single from "Kelis Was Here", with its video having been aired on music programs around Australia, but for unknown reasons it did not happened and instead "I Don't Think So" was released.

Charts

{| class="wikitable"!align="center"|Chart (2007)!align="center"|Peak
position
-
align="left"|Romanian Top 100 [cite web |url=http://www.rt100.ro/top-100-edition.html?edition=573&go=Go |title=Romanian Top 100 – 12/2007 |accessdate=2008-03-07 |work=Vento Consultanta SRL |language=Romanian]
align="center"|25
-
align="left"|Russian Airplay Chart [cite web |url=http://www.tophit.ru/airplay_week.shtml?week_st=1173128400 |title=Airplay Detection TopHit 100 |accessdate=2008-02-26 |work=TopHit |language=Russian]
align="center"|61
-
align="left"|Slovak IFPI Airplay Chart [cite web |url=http://www.ifpicr.cz/hitparadask/index.php?a=titul&hitparada=18&titul=144234&sec=7550a4759c523e1119b01b49488cea7d |title=RADIO TOP100 Oficiálna |accessdate=2008-01-18 |work=IFPI |language=Slovak]
align="center"|18
-
align="left"|Slovenian Airplay Chart
align="center"|4
-
align="left"|Turkey Top 20 Chart [cite web |url=http://www.billboard.com.tr/pages/Turkiye_top20.aspx/ |title=Billboard Türkiye Top 20 |accessdate=2008-04-11 |work=Billboard Türkiye |language=Turkish]
align="center"|4
-
align="left"|UK Singles Chart
align="center"|3
-
align="left"|UK R&B Singles Chart
align="center"|1

References