Star2 Releases “Run Away”

As the guitar strings begin to create a starting place for Star2’s story in the new single “Run Away,” one who has followed this young player’s ascent through the underground is inclined to assume this is yet another layer of emotion about to come undone in the next four minutes of play. After all, Star2 has been getting progressively more vulnerable with his work, opening up in a way that a lot of players in his peer group are reticent to, and for those who were hoping this would present us with a chance to see another side of his multidimensional personality, this is going to hit the spot. 

This delivery is smooth and reminiscent of Trippie Redd ala Pegasus, and I think there’s no debating that this artist is getting a lot more melodic as time passes by. Where Star2 was hitting the verses a lot harder just a couple of singles ago, he’s now postured to execute something balladic whether the beat is there or not, which is telling of the poetic depth that he’s working with as a composer right now. He can’t help but put his heart on the line, and that’s one of the key narratives here. 

The music video for this track feels and looks a lot more formidable both cosmetically and socially than what Star2’s previous visualizers have offered us, and it isn’t because of the war-related subject matter here alone. In all honesty, I’m not surprised that this player decided to throw his hat in on a protest track, mostly because he not only has the right kind of artistry for it but because his style of charisma can frame a story like this without sounding overly indulgent nor commercial in motivation. He’s the right man for the job, and his astute performance here assures the audience as much. 

I’m not feeling a lot of bass tone in this master mix, but this isn’t necessarily a negative feature at all. On the contrary, I actually think it’s a sign that Star2 is outgrowing some of the more predictable beats plenty of his contemporaries in and outside of the American underground are more than comfortable with using as a point of guidance for the better part of their careers. He’s advancing beyond the oversized basslines and bloated percussive centerpieces that have become the scourge of the mainstream, and it’s going to do him a slew of favors as he develops a proper album. 

Star2 isn’t one to hide anything from his listeners, and it’s in this way that I think he’s on the mark with his new single and music video. It’s indeed more revealing than what he’s done before, but it’s very much on par with the progression he’s been making from one track to the next. His growth is undeniable, and when looking at how far he’s come next to the much-hyped competition he’s been facing across the industry, there’s no debating his importance to the underground scene at the moment. 

Mindy McCall