Rice’s newest single, “Starz,” is an earnest reminder that even at our darkest, there is light waiting to break through. Penned in a time of personal hardship, the song unfurls as a soul-baring ode to self-esteem, inner illumination, and emotional rebirth. It’s the kind of song that feels like a reassuring hand on the shoulder, a gentle push to continue despite the weight.
Anchored by a lush, atmospheric beat, “Starz” juxtaposes late-night introspection with hopeful resilience. Rice’s vocals have purpose, coursing through lyrics dissecting the hurt of looking for love outside yourself, and ultimately coming to terms with the fact that real validation should come from within. It’s intimate and poetic, yet doesn’t lose sight of its clarity, and the repeated line “baby, you’re a star in the nighttime” falls like a mantra of encouragement for anyone who’s quietly been fighting to take back the shine.
What elevates the song is its double meaning: Rice is not just sending a loved one light but he’s also singing about himself evolving. There’s an undercurrent of honesty that gives “Starz” its power an emotional tug that is personal but not parochial in effect. It’s self-discovery, live, in melodies.
Rice doesn’t just sing about finding the light, he turns himself into a beacon others can follow. It’s a testament to resilience, to recovery, and, most of all, to the quiet strength it requires to remember how to let your shine through.