Still reverberating around in the impressive echoes of his 2022 EP release ‘Beyond The Glass’, self-made multi-instrumentalist Joshua Woo returned with his latest single ‘Someone’s Star’ back on the 12th of May.
Taking his sound into an admittedly darker and heavier realm, Woo continues to impress in this synth-laden, foreboding rock-inspired track that warns of the perils of being overly ambitious and losing sight of what really matters. Again, with this and all of his tracks, the head turning production quality and sound is bolstered by the fact that everything gets produced, written and performed by Josh in his home studio.
The song starts off with this jaunty synth that eventually feeds into the depths of the track, yet provides an interesting start point for the song. Perhaps a hark back to his previous work, this familiar electric sound is overcome by the power of bass, before deep guitar chords shatter their way through too. At first, I questioned the place of the keys, yet when hearing them begin to merge with the other equipment played, it dawned on me not only the artist’s multi-instrumental dexterity, but also ability at structuring a song (these keys close out the song as they started, book ending well).
As said, the bass and guitar are an imposing double act and work well in portraying Woo’s message of caution. Although at first not too sure about how Joshua’s vocals fit into this deeper soundscape, they fit in well when layered – providing an almost 70’s/80’s soft rock harmony. Plus, whilst on its own, the lead voice presents a certain fragility, especially against a backdrop of imposing, growling guitar lines.
Lyrically, Woo crafts a naturally gothic story – beginning this narrative at night looking “to the moon”. Although the “future seems bright”, it’s an almost faux-hope, as a mere “reflection of the sun’s light”. The pre-chorus implies a deep uncertainty with it being “hard to tell when you’re riding high” before kicking into full on doubt with “Too much too soon”.
Deeper in the chorus, we hear the titular phrase mentioned with everyone wanting to be “someone’s star”, yet that idealistic vision comes at a cost. That can be through losing sight of identity “A face that you knew, In the mirror Looks back at you. You can barely recognise” or through pushing away those that care. Woo ultimately implies that success is great yet comes with detrimental perils that can equate to downfall.
This coming out as Woo’s seventh single, it adds to an extremely reputable body of work that runs parallel with the artist’s excellent ability to garner a following. Two singles have gained the interest of BBC Introducing, whilst impressive social media numbers for the self-produced artist are a further credit to his ability.