Stars Align (song)

"Stars Align"
Single by R3hab and Jolin Tsai
ReleasedMarch 21, 2021 (2021-03-21)
GenreDance
Length2:41
LabelLiquid State
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)R3hab
R3hab singles chronology
"Distant Memory"
(2021) 		"Stars Align"
(2021) 		"Sorry I Missed Your Call"
(2021)
Jolin Tsai singles chronology
"Fight as One"
(2020) 		"Stars Align"
(2021) 		"Equal in the Darkness"
(2021)
Music video
"Stars Align" on YouTube

"Stars Align" is a song by Dutch DJ R3hab and Taiwanese singer Jolin Tsai. The track was written by Fadil El Ghoul, Rik Annema, and Cimo Fränkel, with R3hab serving as the producer. It was released as a single by Liquid State on March 21, 2021. The song was featured as the theme song for the mobile game PUBG Mobile's third anniversary celebrations.[1][2]

Background and release

On August 30, 2020, Tsai's manager, Tom Wang, revealed that Tsai was planning to release new music.[3] On November 29, 2020, Tsai herself confirmed that she would release a new single the following year.[4] On December 22, 2020, Tsai stated, "The release of the new song really depends on luck. I will begin working on the production, but whether it will be completed on time is still uncertain."[5] On January 19, 2021, Wang confirmed that Tsai had completed recording the new single and mentioned, "It took a long time to choose the right song."[6]

On March 18, 2021, R3hab announced that his collaboration with Tsai on a new single would be released on March 21, 2021.[7] Tsai expressed her excitement, stating, "This song is beyond words. I'm really looking forward to 'Stars Align' and can't wait to see how fans will react to it!"[8] On March 22, 2021, Tsai revealed plans to shoot a music video for the track.[9] On April 22, 2021, a reworked remix of the song by Alle Farben was released.[10] Another remix by Faulhaber was released on May 20, 2021.[11] The song ranked 10th on the 2021 Hit FM Top 100 Singles chart.[12]

Writing and recording

"Stars Align" is primarily an electronic dance music track, featuring dynamic rhythms characteristic of R3hab's signature style. The song is energetic and layered, with Tsai's distinctive enunciation and unique vocal tone seamlessly blending into the dance music genre.

This track marks the first collaboration between R3hab and Tsai. Tsai expressed her immediate fondness for the demo, saying, "When I first received the demo, I really liked it and thought it sounded great, especially the hook of the song, which is very captivating and interesting. After hearing the final production, the melody and rhythm made me want to dance!" R3hab, on the other hand, shared that he is constantly pushing the boundaries of music and exploring different styles, and working with Tsai further fueled his creativity and imagination in music production.[13]

Music video

On April 5, 2021, Proximity released a lyric video for "Stars Align". On April 23, 2021, Tsai released the official music video for the song, which was directed by Muh Chen. The video tells the story of Tsai waking up in a fantastical forest, where she encounters a hermit. She follows the hermit to a mysterious Moroccan-style building, where she experiences symptoms such as insomnia, crying, loss of appetite, and self-isolation. After enduring the "illness" of love, Tsai’s inner healing gradually begins. The video was filmed over two days, with Tsai changing into eight distinct outfits throughout the shoot.

To capture an exotic atmosphere, the video was filmed at Kenting Amanda Hotel in Pingtung County, Taiwan. Tsai shared her experience, saying, "I visited Morocco two years ago, and stepping into this place immediately reminded me of my North African travels! The architecture in Morocco features windows facing courtyards, with rooms in vibrant colors, and pools with unique curves and luxurious color schemes. Walking here felt like becoming a millionaire!"[14] The video was also shot at GangKou White Banyan Garden in Pingtung County. Tsai expressed her gratitude, saying, "I’m very thankful for the opportunity to shoot in such a precious location."[15] The dance choreography in the MV combines elements of vogue and floorwork, featuring highly intricate movements.[16] On December 1, 2021, "Stars Align" ranked 4th on YouTube Taiwan's list of the most viewed music videos of the year.[17]

Accolades

On December 11, 2021, "Stars Align" was awarded one of the Top 10 Songs at the 3rd Tencent Music Entertainment Awards.[18]

Track listing

Digital download and streaming

  1. "Stars Align" – 2:41

Digital download and streaming – Alle Farben remix

  1. "Stars Align" (Alle Farben remix) – 2:54

Digital download and streaming – Faulhaber remix

  1. "Stars Align" (Faulhaber remix) – 2:44

Release history

Region Date Format(s) Version Label
Various March 21, 2021
Original version Liquid State
April 22, 2021 Alle Farben remix
May 20, 2021 Faulhaber remix

References

  1. ^ "《和平精英》女生季，一同闪耀魅力无限-和平精英-官方网站-腾讯游戏". gp.qq.com. Retrieved December 13, 2024.
  2. ^ "亞洲天后Jolin蔡依林台北演唱會宣布加場 新單曲〈Stars Align〉上架衝第一". Yahoo News (in Chinese). March 22, 2021. Retrieved December 13, 2024.
  3. ^ "Jolin密召舞者備戰雄蛋 拎6.7萬GUCCI包串門 ｜ 蘋果新聞網 ｜ 蘋果日報". 蘋果新聞網 (in Chinese (Taiwan)). August 30, 2020. Retrieved December 16, 2021.
  4. ^ "Jolin蔡依林預告2021有新作品，與小S「女女吻」直呼害羞". Vogue Taiwan (in Chinese). November 30, 2020. Retrieved December 16, 2021.
  5. ^ "蔡依林心疼廖人帥 聞MV評價兩極：不是第一次遇到了". tw.news.yahoo.com (in Chinese). December 22, 2020. Retrieved December 16, 2021.
  6. ^ 聯合新聞網. "獨／蔡依林承諾繼續唱 傳5月重返小巨蛋開6場". 噓！星聞 (in Chinese). Retrieved December 16, 2021.
  7. ^ "Taiwan pop diva Jolin Tsai to release song with DJ R3hab | Taiwan News | March 19, 2021 13:39:00". Taiwan News. March 19, 2021. Retrieved December 16, 2021.
  8. ^ "蔡依林深夜無預警PO「國際大咖合照」 驚喜曝光粉絲瘋狂". tw.news.yahoo.com (in Chinese). March 19, 2021. Retrieved December 16, 2021.
  9. ^ "蔡依林未演先轟動 再曝喜訊「Ugly Beauty巡演」加演2場". tw.news.yahoo.com (in Chinese). March 22, 2021. Retrieved December 16, 2021.
  10. ^ Stars Align (Alle Farben Remix) - Single by R3HAB & Jolin Tsai, April 22, 2021, retrieved December 16, 2021
  11. ^ Stars Align (FAULHABER Remix) - Single by R3HAB & Jolin Tsai, May 20, 2021, retrieved December 16, 2021
  12. ^ "Hitoradio‧Hit Fm --華人音樂入口指標". June 2, 2016. Archived from the original on June 2, 2016. Retrieved December 13, 2024.
  13. ^ "蔡依林深夜無預警PO「國際大咖合照」 驚喜曝光粉絲瘋狂". Yahoo News (in Chinese). March 19, 2021. Retrieved December 13, 2024.
  14. ^ "蔡依林被導演狂操24小時 笑喊：很想退休". April 28, 2021. Archived from the original on April 28, 2021. Retrieved December 13, 2024.
  15. ^ "國境之南絕美景緻曝光！潘孟安跳起來：謝謝Jolin - 自由娛樂". July 19, 2021. Archived from the original on July 19, 2021. Retrieved December 13, 2024.
  16. ^ 聯合新聞網. "演唱會公休一天 蔡依林自爆「想退休」曝光驚人工作量". 噓！星聞 (in Chinese). Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  17. ^ Bella儂儂. "2021YouTube「台灣熱門音樂影片」Top10！蔡依林新作〈Stars Align〉躍上國際拿第四，「這首歌」第一名不意外！". Bella.tw儂儂 (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  18. ^ "潘艺翔作曲的歌曲《执迷不悟》荣获2021年腾讯娱乐音乐盛典十大热门歌曲_舞台_唱首歌_乐坛". www.sohu.com. Retrieved December 16, 2021.