Superstar

In Superstar, Sheryl Crow doesn’t sing about a cardboard idol, but about someone who believes they’re great simply because their name reflects back at them in the media. The song unfolds with a rhythm that seems to drag between blues and rock, as if each chord carries a little more weight from that hollow fame. The bass lines repeat lazily, while Crow’s voice shifts between irony and exhaustion, as if she knows that behind every "superstar" is someone who’s just repeating what they were told they should be.

Recorded at the Kingsway Studios in New Orleans, this track is part of the album that shares its name, released in 1996. There, Crow took on the role of lead producer for the first time, something uncommon at the time for an artist of her profile. The album, recorded in Louisiana, blends genres without hesitation: rock intertwines with folk, country, and even hints of hip hop, yet always with a foot in that raw sound reminiscent of old recording studios. Superstar lasts nearly five minutes, long enough for the song to breathe and unfold at its own pace, as if every note had to justify its existence. The mixing was handled by Tchad Blake, who gave it that air of controlled distortion that makes Crow’s voice sound as though she’s speaking from the other side of a fogged-up window.