It was late 2017. Marvel was gearing up for its biggest cultural swing yet, and Kendrick Lamar was basically the king of the world after DAMN. dropped. When the first notes of the All The Stars lyrics hit the airwaves in early 2018, something shifted. It wasn't just another radio hit. It felt heavier. SZA’s ethereal, almost weeping vocals against Kendrick’s grounded, sharp-edged verses created this weird, beautiful tension that people are still trying to deconstruct today.
Most movie songs are throwaways. They're filler for the credits while you’re looking for your shoes in the dark theater. But this one? It defined an era. It’s the lead single from the Black Panther soundtrack, and honestly, if you look closely at the words, it’s way more than a superhero anthem. It’s about the crushing weight of fame, the fragility of trust, and that desperate hope we all have that someone, somewhere, is actually looking out for us.
The Lyrics to All The Stars: Breaking Down the Hook
SZA starts the track with a vibe that feels like a fever dream. She talks about "all the stars" being closer, but there’s a catch. She isn't just celebrating. She’s questioning. When she sings about not being "under the stars," but being among them, she's touching on that feeling of finally making it—and realizing it’s kind of terrifying.
"This may be the night that my dreams might let me know / All the stars are closer."
That line is iconic. But look at the next bit: "All the stars are closer, all the stars are closer." It sounds like a mantra. Like she’s trying to convince herself. SZA has spoken in interviews about her anxiety during the recording process for the Black Panther album. She wasn't just singing lyrics; she was processing the sudden, massive spotlight she was under after Ctrl blew up.
People usually miss the nuance in the bridge. "Tell me what you gon' do to me / Confrontation ain't no new to me." It’s defensive. It’s a shield. She’s basically saying that while everyone else is looking at the glitter and the lights, she’s looking for the exit or the armor. It’s a very human response to a world that suddenly wants everything from you.
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Kendrick’s Verse: A Masterclass in Cynicism
Kendrick Lamar doesn't do "happy" very often, at least not in a straightforward way. In the All The Stars lyrics, his verse is a complete tonal shift from SZA’s melodic longing. He comes in hot, talking about "hate" and "expectations."
He says: "I don't wanna be your friend, I don't wanna be your type."
Think about that. This is the guy curated to lead the soundtrack for one of the biggest Black cultural moments in cinema history, and his first move is to set boundaries. He’s calling out the "fake world" and the people who only show up when the "stars" are aligned. He’s lived through the "Section.80" days to the "To Pimp a Butterfly" heights, and you can hear the exhaustion in his flow. He mentions "loyalty" and "royalty"—recurring themes in his work—but here, it feels more like a warning.
If you’ve ever felt like people only like the version of you they see on social media, Kendrick’s verse hits home. He’s talking about the "ego" and how it "trips." He’s basically saying: I’ve seen the top, and it’s crowded with people I don't trust. It’s a gritty contrast to the lush production by Sounwave and Al Shux.
Why the Song Actually Works
It shouldn't work. On paper, a pop-leaning R&B singer and a Pulitzer-winning rapper making a song for a Disney-owned franchise sounds like a recipe for something soulless. But the All The Stars lyrics work because they are deeply personal.
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- The Production: It’s grand. It’s cinematic. It uses these sweeping synth pads that feel like deep space.
- The Vulnerability: SZA’s voice cracks slightly on certain notes. It’s not "perfect," which makes it feel real.
- The Context: Black Panther was about legacy and the burden of leadership. The song mirrors that. T'Challa had to decide what kind of king he wanted to be. Kendrick is deciding what kind of icon he wants to be.
The song was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song, and while it didn't win (Lady Gaga’s "Shallow" took it that year), its cultural footprint is arguably deeper in the hip-hop and R&B community. It’s a staple at weddings, funerals, and graduation parties. It’s universal because it’s about the distance between where we are and where we want to be.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Meaning
A lot of listeners think "All The Stars" is just a song about success. It’s not. If you really read the All The Stars lyrics, it’s a song about the cost of success.
"I can see the omen," SZA sings. An omen isn't a good thing. It’s a sign of something coming. She’s worried that the "stars" might actually be falling. Kendrick echoes this when he talks about "letting it all go." There’s a sense of impending loss throughout the track. It’s that feeling you get when things are going too well, and you’re just waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Also, the visuals in the music video—directed by Dave Meyers and the Little Homies—add another layer. They used heavy Pan-African imagery, but they also used a lot of surrealist, almost lonely imagery. Kendrick walking through a forest of panthers, SZA dancing in a sea of stars. It’s beautiful, but it’s isolated.
The Controversy You Forgot About
It wasn't all smooth sailing. Back in 2018, the song and its video faced a legal hurdle. Artist Lina Iris Viktor sued, claiming the video used her "Constellations" series artwork without permission. It was a whole thing. It added this weird layer of irony to the song—a track about integrity and "not wanting to be your friend" getting caught up in a copyright dispute over art. They eventually settled, but it’s a reminder that even the most "spiritual" or "deep" commercial art is still tied to the business world.
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How to Truly Experience the Track Today
If you haven't listened to it in a while, do yourself a favor. Don't play it on your phone speakers. Get some actual headphones.
The bassline is much more complex than you remember. There’s a subtle percussion layer that sounds like a heartbeat. When you focus on the All The Stars lyrics while hearing that heartbeat, the song stops being a "pop hit" and starts being a confession.
SZA’s ad-libs in the final third of the song are some of her best work. She’s riffing on the idea of "closer," pushing her voice into a higher register that feels like she’s actually reaching for something just out of grasp. It’s haunting.
Actionable Takeaways for Music Fans
If you're trying to write lyrics like this, or just want to appreciate the craft more, look at the "push and pull" method they used.
- Contrast your textures. SZA is soft and airy; Kendrick is percussive and "staccato." This prevents the song from becoming a flat wall of sound.
- Use universal metaphors with a twist. Everyone uses "stars" to mean success. These guys used stars to mean distance, omens, and isolation.
- Keep the hook simple but the verses dense. The hook is easy to sing along to, which makes it a hit. The verses are hard to unpack, which makes it "art."
The All The Stars lyrics remain a benchmark for how to do a "movie song" correctly. It didn't just promote a film; it expanded the universe of the artists involved. It proved that Kendrick could play the "pop" game without losing his soul, and it solidified SZA as a generational talent who could hold her own next to a giant.
Next time you’re driving at night and this comes on the shuffle, don't skip it. Pay attention to the way the words "closer" and "far" dance around each other. It might just change how you think about your own "dreams."
To get the most out of the track, listen to the Black Panther: The Album in its entirety to see how the motifs in "All The Stars" are teased in other songs like "Pray For Me" or "Opps." Study the rhyming scheme in Kendrick's verse—specifically how he uses internal rhyme to speed up the tempo without actually changing the beat. Check out the live performance from the 2018 Grammys to see how they translated the studio "sheen" into a raw, stage-ready energy.