In The Stars

"In The Stars" by Benson Boone is a profoundly emotional and personal ballad that explores the complex journey of grieving the loss of a loved one. The song was written as a tribute to Boone's great-grandmother after she passed away. He has shared that he was very close to her, and writing the song was a therapeutic process that helped him come to terms with her death.

The lyrics delve into the raw and often conflicting emotions that accompany loss. The verses contrast warm, specific memories of the past—like going to church on Sunday mornings—with the empty reality of the present. This juxtaposition highlights the depth of the void left by her absence. The line, "It's like I've buried my faith with you / Screaming at a god I don't know if I believe in," captures the spiritual crisis and anger that can arise from profound loss, questioning the fairness and meaning of such a painful event.

The central theme is the struggle between holding on to memory and the painful necessity of saying goodbye. The chorus, "I'm still holding on to everything that's dead and gone / I don't wanna say goodbye 'cause this one means forever," is a universal expression of this conflict. The title metaphor, "Now you're in the stars," which is often used as a comforting phrase, is contrasted with the stark reality of physical separation: "and six feet's never felt so far." This illustrates that while the spirit may live on in memory (in the stars), the physical finality of death is a heavy and painful burden. Boone’s intent was for the title to represent a cherished memory, not an eternal separation.

Ultimately, the song is a cathartic expression of heartbreak, a way of processing pain by putting it into words and music. Boone has stated that while the song is about his personal loss, he hopes listeners can relate it to their own experiences of losing someone, allowing the music to unlock their own emotions and memories.

The song opens with a nostalgic flashback to cherished Sunday mornings. The narrator remembers meeting a beloved person, likely his great-grandmother, on a specific street called Woods Creek Road. He recalls how she would style her hair as if she were famous, just to attend church. This memory of shared routine and her simple elegance paints a vivid picture of their close bond.

However, the tone shifts dramatically to the present, where these Sunday mornings are no longer special. Instead, the narrator now sleeps in, indicating a loss of the joy and purpose those mornings once held. He expresses a profound crisis of faith, feeling as though his belief system was buried along with this person. He finds himself screaming at a God he's not even sure he believes in, a desperate act born from the helplessness of his grief. This raw display of anger and confusion highlights the depth of his sorrow and his struggle to find meaning in her absence.

The chorus serves as the emotional core of the song. The narrator confesses he is still clinging to everything that is 'dead and gone.' He resists saying a final goodbye because he knows it would be permanent, a confirmation he is not ready to accept. The central metaphor of the song is introduced here: 'now you're in the stars.' While a common and comforting platitude for death, for the narrator it only emphasizes the immense distance between them, making 'six feet's never felt so far.' He feels utterly alone, caught in a desolate space between the idealized heaven where she might be and the 'embers' of his own burnt-out world.

In the second verse, the narrator delves into more tangible memories. He is sorting through old birthday letters from her and finds a crumpled twenty-dollar bill still inside the box. This specific, sensory detail makes the loss incredibly concrete. He feels he could never bring himself to spend it, even if it were the last bit of money he had, because its value is purely sentimental. It's a physical link to her memory and love that he cannot part with.

The chorus repeats, reinforcing the central theme of being unable to let go. The pain is described as coming from a 'million different reasons,' suggesting a grief that is multifaceted and overwhelming. He feels that she took the best parts of his heart with her, leaving the rest 'in pieces.' This powerful statement encapsulates the feeling of being hollowed out by loss.

The song's bridge is a repetitive, chant-like mantra of 'I'm still holding, holding, holding on.' This repetition mimics the obsessive nature of grief, the cyclical thoughts, and the sheer effort it takes to just keep holding on to the memories of the person he lost. It builds in intensity, reflecting a desperate and emotional plea, before the final, powerful rendition of the chorus seals the song's melancholic and cathartic message.

"In The Stars" was released on April 29, 2022, as a single from Benson Boone's EP, Walk Me Home.... The song was co-written by Benson Boone, Michael Pollack, and Jason Evigan, with Pollack also handling production.

The inspiration behind the song is deeply personal. Boone wrote it about the death of his great-grandmother, who passed away at the age of 97. He was very close to her, and her loss was difficult for him to process. The songwriting process served as a form of therapy for Boone, helping him grapple with his grief and change his perspective in a more positive direction.

Interestingly, Boone initially didn't like the first version of the song. He found the production wasn't what he expected and doubted the song's quality. It was a conversation with his mother that changed his mind. She reminded him how personal the song was (written about her own grandmother) and encouraged him to revisit it. Boone, Pollack, and Evigan returned to the studio and reworked the track into the powerful ballad it is today, which Boone now considers one of his favorite songs he's ever written.

The lyrics contain specific, true-to-life details, such as meeting his great-grandmother on "Woods Creek Road," the street he grew up on, to go to church. The line about finding "a crumpled twenty still in the box" from an old birthday letter is also a direct reference to his great-grandmother, who would always include a $20 bill in her letters.

The rhyme and rhythm of "In The Stars" are crafted to support its emotional narrative, moving from a conversational feel to a powerful, structured chorus.

Rhyme Scheme:

The song's rhyme scheme is relatively straightforward, primarily using couplets and an ABCB pattern, which gives it a classic ballad structure.

• Verses: The verses tend to follow an ABCB pattern. For example, in the first verse, "favorite" (A) and "famous" (C) don't rhyme, but "road" (B) and "goin'" (D) are a slant rhyme, creating a soft, narrative flow. The second verse follows a similar pattern with "letters" (A) and "spend it" (C), rhyming "box" (B) with "got" (B). This imperfect rhyme scheme feels natural and conversational, like someone sharing a personal story.
• Chorus: The chorus is more structured, using an AABB rhyme scheme with "gone" and "on" (though this is more of an identity rhyme) and "goodbye" and "forever" (slant rhyme), then moving to an ABCCB pattern with "stars," "far," "embers," "reasons," and "pieces." The rhyming of "stars" and "far" and the internal rhyme in "took the best of my heart and left the rest in pieces" make the chorus more memorable and impactful.

Rhythm and Meter:

The song's rhythm is driven by its 4/4 time signature and slow tempo, characteristic of a power ballad. The rhythmic structure contributes significantly to its emotional arc.

• Lyrical Rhythm: The verses have a looser, more prose-like rhythm, fitting the storytelling nature of the lyrics. The phrasing is conversational, mirroring natural speech patterns.
• Musical Rhythm: As the song progresses into the pre-chorus and chorus, the rhythm becomes more defined and powerful. The steady pulse of the piano chords and eventual introduction of percussion give the chorus a driving, anthemic feel. This contrasts with the freer rhythm of the verses and musically represents the shift from quiet introspection to an outpouring of emotion.
• The Bridge: The bridge ("I'm still holding, holding, holding on") uses a very deliberate, repetitive rhythm. The constant, stressed repetition of "holding on" creates a sense of desperate, ongoing struggle, making the listener feel the weight and persistence of the narrator's grief before the final emotional release of the last chorus.

"In The Stars" employs several key stylistic techniques to create its powerful emotional landscape.

Musical Techniques:

• Piano-Led Balladry: The song is built on a foundation of a simple, poignant piano melody. This minimalist arrangement in the verses creates an intimate and reflective atmosphere, allowing the listener to focus on the vulnerability in the lyrics and vocals.
• Dynamic Crescendo: The arrangement builds significantly from the verses to the chorus. The instrumentation becomes fuller and more layered, mirroring the swell of emotion as the narrator moves from quiet remembrance to the overwhelming pain of his grief. This dynamic shift makes the chorus feel like a powerful, cathartic release.
• Emotive Vocal Delivery: Benson Boone's performance is a key stylistic element. His voice shifts from a soft, breathy tone in the verses to a raw, powerful, and soaring belt in the chorus. This dynamic vocal range conveys a wide spectrum of emotions, from tender nostalgia to desperate anguish, making the listener feel the weight of his loss.
• Backing Vocals: The use of layered backing vocals, particularly in the chorus and bridge, adds a rich, almost choral texture. This enhances the song's anthemic quality and amplifies the feeling of a collective, universal experience of grief.

Literary Techniques:

• Narrative Voice and Flashback: The song is told from a deeply personal, first-person perspective. It uses flashback in the opening verse ("Sunday mornings were your favorite / I used to meet you down on Woods Creek road") to establish the past relationship before contrasting it with the painful present.
• Sensory Details: Boone uses specific, sensory details to make the memories feel real and the loss more acute. Examples include "You did your hair up like you were famous" and "a crumpled twenty still in the box."
• Hyperbole: Exaggeration is used to convey the depth of his despair, such as in the line, "It's like I've buried my faith with you." This isn't literal but effectively communicates the magnitude of his spiritual crisis.
• Repetition: The repetition of the chorus and the phrase "I'm still holding on" in the bridge acts as a lyrical motif. It emphasizes the cyclical and persistent nature of grief and the narrator's inability to move forward.

"In The Stars" has had a significant cultural impact since its 2022 release, solidifying Benson Boone's position as a prominent new artist in the pop music scene.

Chart Performance and Popularity: The song achieved widespread international success, charting in numerous countries. It peaked in the top 10 in several nations including the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and Ireland, and reached number 21 on the UK Singles Chart and number 82 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Its success was a key stepping stone in Boone's career, following his debut "Ghost Town." The track was certified Platinum in the US by the RIAA on October 6, 2023, marking a major milestone for the artist.

Viral Impact: Like many of Boone's songs, "In The Stars" gained massive traction on social media, particularly TikTok. Its emotional and relatable theme of loss resonated with users, who used the sound to accompany their own stories of grief and remembrance, leading to millions of video creations and further propelling its mainstream popularity.

Critical and Fan Reception: The song is often highlighted as one of Boone's most touching and emotionally powerful works. Fans and critics praise its raw honesty, vulnerable lyrics, and Boone's powerful vocal performance. It has become an anthem for those grieving, with many listeners sharing personal stories of how the song helped them through difficult times.

Role in Boone's Discography: "In The Stars" was a crucial single featured on his EP Walk Me Home... and later on his debut album Fireworks & Rollerblades. It helped define his musical identity as an artist capable of delivering deeply personal and emotionally resonant power ballads, setting the stage for subsequent hits like "Beautiful Things." The success of "In The Stars" contributed to his nomination for Best New Artist at the 2025 Grammy Awards.

"In The Stars" is rich with symbolism and metaphors that deepen its emotional impact.

• The Stars: The song's central metaphor, "Now you're in the stars," is a common euphemism for death, suggesting the deceased has ascended to a beautiful, peaceful place. However, Boone uses it with a sense of painful irony. While it implies a cherished, heavenly existence, it simultaneously emphasizes the vast, unreachable distance between the living and the dead, making the separation feel even more profound. He pairs it with the line "and six feet's never felt so far," grounding the celestial image in the grim reality of burial.
• Sunday Mornings: This symbolizes the cherished routines and shared joy the narrator experienced with his great-grandmother. The memory of her dressing up for church represents her spirit and the specialness of their time together. In the present, his act of sleeping in on Sundays signifies the death of that joy and a loss of faith, turning a symbol of connection into one of emptiness and despair.
• Buried Faith: The line "It's like I've buried my faith with you" is a powerful hyperbole representing a profound spiritual crisis. Her death is so devastating that it has caused him to question his entire belief system, suggesting his faith was intrinsically linked to her presence in his life.
• Heavens and Embers: The narrator describes himself as being "alone between the heavens and the embers." This imagery places him in a liminal space, a sort of purgatory of grief. "Heavens" represents the idealized place where his loved one is, while "embers" suggest the smoldering, dying remains of his former life and happiness. He is trapped between the memory of warmth and the cold reality of loss.
• The Crumpled Twenty: The physical object of the twenty-dollar bill in a birthday letter serves as a potent symbol of memory and enduring love. It's a tangible link to his great-grandmother's affection and generosity. His inability to spend it signifies his desperate need to hold onto every last piece of her, viewing the money not for its monetary value but as a sacred relic.

Several recurring phrases and motifs are central to the structure and meaning of "In The Stars."

• "I'm still holding on": This is the most significant recurring lyrical motif. It appears first in the chorus as "I'm still holding on / To everything that's dead and gone." It directly states the song's primary theme: the refusal or inability to let go of a lost loved one. Its repetition throughout the song underscores the persistence of grief. The motif culminates in the bridge, where the phrase is repeated multiple times in a pleading, mantra-like fashion ("I'm still holding, holding, holding on"). This intensifies the feeling of desperation and showcases the immense effort involved in clinging to memory.

• The Chorus as a Whole: The entire chorus functions as a recurring musical and lyrical motif. It encapsulates the core conflict of the song: the pain of separation ("Now you're in the stars / And six feet's never felt so far"), the feeling of being broken ("You took the best of my heart / And left the rest in pieces"), and the difficulty of acceptance ("I don't wanna say goodbye 'cause this one means forever"). Its repetition after each verse ensures these central emotions remain at the forefront, creating a powerful and memorable emotional anchor for the listener.

• "Sunday Mornings": While only mentioned at the beginning of the song, the contrast between the past and present "Sunday mornings" establishes a motif of time and memory. It represents a specific, cherished routine that has been irrevocably broken by loss, symbolizing the larger void that now exists in the narrator's life. It sets the emotional stage for the entire song.

• "In the stars": This titular phrase recurs in each chorus and is the song's central image. It acts as a motif for the afterlife and the idea of a loved one watching over from above. However, Boone consistently pairs it with the pain of physical distance, making it a bittersweet and complex symbol of both memory and loss.