Kelly Watch the Stars - Air (1998) | 1001 Songs Challenge #868

On 11 February 2019 I set myself the challenge of reading 1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die by Robert Dimery (ed.) and following the book’s advice to the letter. I’ve previously read 1001 Films… and started 1001 Albums… but felt 1001 Songs… would be a sensible place to start for what I have in mind here.

My challenge is to read about one song per day and listen to it (YouTube and Spotify, I need you tonight!) before sharing my own thoughts. Some songs I will love, others I’ll hate, and I’m sure there will be those that leave me perplexed but listen to them I shall.

I’ll also try, and most likely fail, to pinpoint the best song from the 1001 on offer but I’m nothing if not foolhardy. Instead of one song, I’m predicting I’ll have about 100 favourites by the end and may have to resort to a Top 10 so far to maintain any semblance of sanity.

So long as I post every day (including Christmas) then this challenge should come to an end on Wednesday 8 November 2021. Staying with the Barney Stinson theme I am hoping that the whole experience will prove to be… legendary!

Air – Kelly Watch the Stars (1998)

Kelly Watch the Stars – Wikipedia

” Kelly Watch the Stars” (also written ” Kelly, Watch the Stars!”) is a song by French electronic music duo Air from their debut studio album, Moon Safari (1998). It was released on 4 May 1998 as the album’s second single. The song was well received by music critics.

Lyrics (via Genius)

Read “Kelly Watch The Stars” by Air on Genius

We’re leaving the US today, dear reader, and making our way across the Atlantic Ocean and to Europe. Once here, we land in France and make our way to Versailles. Formed in 1995 Air were an electronic duo made up of Nicholas Godin and Jean-Benoit Dunckel. Specialising in electronica and a range of pop, Air’s debut album, Moon Safari, came in 1998 and from there 1001 Songs have lifted the track, Kelly Watch the Stars.

Kelly Watch the Stars is lyrically limited, made up entirely of a repetition of the song’s title. The song relies heavily on the music which sounds like it utilises synthesiser sounds and is pure electronica throughout. Who Kelly is and why she is being beseeched to watch the stars is not a question that is ever answered unfortunately. The lyrical content blends with the dreamy music and proves an apt description.

I was not familiar with Air prior to this challenge but it has been interesting to sample different styles of music, especially electronica which I am not well versed in. Kelly Watch the Stars is all about that music. Lyrically, it is lacking depth but the words are secondary to the melody and any reservations I may have about tracks such as this are irrelevant given how well Air’s work has been received. The duo continue to perform and have released numerous albums since their debut.

Favourite songs so far:

The Animals – House of the Rising Sun (1964)

Simon & Garfunkel – The Sounds of Silence (1965)

The Beatles – A Day in the Life (1967)

The Doors – The End (1967)

Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here (1975)

Meat Loaf – Bat Out of Hell (1977)

Tracy Chapman – Fast Car (1988)

U2 – One (1991)

Jeff Buckley – Hallelujah (1994)

Radiohead – Paranoid Android (1997)