Alien Superstar

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"Alien Superstar"
Song by Beyoncé
from the album Renaissance
ReleasedJuly 29, 2022 (2022-07-29)
StudioThe Juicy Juicy and Parkwood West, Los Angeles
Genre
Length3:35
Label
Songwriters
Producers
Lyric Video
"Alien Superstar" on YouTube

"Alien Superstar" is a song recorded by American singer Beyoncé. It is the third track on her seventh studio album, Renaissance (2022), which was released on July 29, 2022, through Parkwood and Columbia.

Composition

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Pitchfork writer Julianne Escobedo Shepherd described the song as an "old way house anthem", comparing the track's musicality to that of Vanity 6.[1] The "futuristic" dance-pop and R&B[2] song features heavy synthesizer production[3][4] and elements of ballroom music, such as usage of the term "category", throughout the song.[5][6] Beyoncé raps in a monotone delivery during the verses, before singing over stacked vocals during the choruses.[7][8]

The song features some cultural references, including Maya Angelou's poem "Still I Rise". The song samples an autobiographical recording by American writer and producer Barbara Ann Teer featured in Black Drama: "We dress a certain way. We walk a certain way. We talk a certain way. We paint a certain way. We make love a certain way, you know? All of these things we do in a different, unique specific way that is personally ours".[5][9][10]

Critical reception

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Upon release of the parent album, "Alien Superstar" received positive reviews from critics.[5][9] The New York Times called the song a "bold pop homage to ballroom culture" that delves into themes of Afrofuturism, and self-celebration.[11] Kevin Fallon of The Daily Beast deemed it as Renaissance's "stand-out track", praising its "ode to queer dance-floor anthems".[12]

Ranking it as the eighth best song off the album, Billboard praised the song's unconventional song structure, "warbling synths", and utilization of rapping and stacked vocals.[7] Pitchfork and NPR both placed the song on their "Best Songs of 2022" lists, ranking at number five and number two respectively.[8] The former publication called it a "new-gen ballroom staple" and compared its funky and electronic sound to that of Prince;[13] in September 2024, they included it on their list of "The 100 Best Songs of the 2020s So Far", ranking it at number 24.[14]

Commercial performance

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After the release of Renaissance, "Alien Superstar" debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 chart at number 19 and on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart at number eight.[15]

Personnel and credits

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Samples

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Recording locations

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  • The Juicy Juicy (Los Angeles, California)
  • Parkwood West (Los Angeles, California)

Personnel

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Performers

  • Vocals by Beyoncé
  • Background vocals by Blu June

Musicians

  • Mike Dean – synths
  • Honey Dijon – additional programming
  • The-Dream – synths
  • Chris Penny – keys and programming
  • Luke Solomon – drum production and programming

Technical credits

  • Beyoncé – production, vocal production
  • Matheus Braz – assistant engineering
  • Chi Coney – engineering
  • John Cranfield – engineering
  • Mike Dean – co-production
  • Honey Dijon – production
  • The-Dream – co-production
  • NovaWav – additional production
  • Chris Penny – production
  • Andrea Roberts – engineering
  • Luke Solomon – production
  • Stuart White – mixing, recording

Live performance

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File:Beyoncé - Tottenham Hotspur Stadium - 1st June 2023 (30 of 118) (52946287425) (cropped).jpg
Beyoncé performing "Alien Superstar" on the Renaissance World Tour in 2023

Beyoncé first performed "Alien Superstar" in Stockholm, Sweden on the opening night of the Renaissance World Tour, including it on the setlist for the duration of the tour.[16] The song is featured in the robotic-themed "Renaissance" act of the tour and follows a transition from "Cozy". The performance starts with Beyoncé pantomiming that she's asleep, with her dancers holding up a quilted bedspread and pillows designed by Victor Weinsanto.[17] She then 'wakes up' and holds her hands up while spelling out "Unique" and counting down with her fingers. The performance continues with the song's intro. During the second chorus, elements of "Sweet Dreams" are used such as the instrumental and select lyrics.[18]

Beyoncé wore a number of outfits during this section over the course of the tour, starting with a custom Courrèges outfit from the fall 2023 collection.[19][20] At later dates, she wore a custom Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini bodysuit,[20][21] a metallic Balmain bodysuit, and a silver-and gold Lanvin bodysuit with cutouts.[20]

During a performance of the song at a show in Arizona, an audio malfunction caused Beyoncé and her dancers to temporarily retreat.[22] She then restarted the performance, wearing a new metallic outfit with wings designed by Juraj Zigman.[23][24]

"Alien Superstar" remained on the setlist for the Cowboy Carter Tour in 2025 with a performance similar to how it was during the previous tour, omitting the "Lift Off" outro.[25]

Charts

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Certifications

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Certifications for "Alien Superstar"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[42] Gold 35,000‡
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[43] Diamond 160,000‡
Canada (Music Canada)[44] Gold 40,000‡
France (SNEP)[45] Gold 100,000‡
New Zealand (RMNZ)[46] Gold 15,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[47] Silver 200,000‡
United States (RIAA)[48] Platinum 1,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

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  26. ^ "Beyoncé – Alien Superstar". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
  27. ^ "Beyonce Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved October 21, 2022.
  28. ^ "Beyonce Chart History (Canada CHR/Top 40)". Billboard. Retrieved October 21, 2022.
  29. ^ "Beyoncé – Alien Superstar" (in French). Le classement de singles. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
  30. ^ "Beyonce Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved October 21, 2022.
  31. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
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  33. ^ "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
  34. ^ "Beyoncé – Alien Superstar". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
  35. ^ "Beyoncé – Alien Superstar". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
  36. ^ "Local & International Streaming Chart Top 100 Week 31-2022". The Official South African Charts. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
  37. ^ "Beyoncé – Alien Superstar". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
  38. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
  39. ^ "Beyonce Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved August 8, 2022.
  40. ^ "Beyonce Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved August 8, 2022.
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