Lydia May Follows Her Own Advice On Opening Up In New Single ‘star girl’

London-based musician Lydia May has released ‘star girl’, her second single of 2025. An upbeat indie track with clear pop influences, ‘star girl’ is a playful and candid examination of being a performer chasing a dream.

In an Instagram post celebrating the release of ‘star girl’, May explained how “performing on stage isn’t too far estranged from the daily direction and critique those of us tend to practice over and over.” It’s easy to see this: at some points, it feels less like a song full of theatrical motifs and tongue-in-cheek moments, and more like a glimpse at May’s personal diary, layered with introspections and affirmations alike. 

The song opens with a single guitar’s strum and May’s voice proclaiming “maybe I’m the bitch who hurts feelings / and can’t take it back”. For a moment, the song is tense, combining the bold opening lyrics with a charged chord combination. 

Yet, following the sonic buildup of the pre-chorus, the chorus almost feels like a weight has been lifted up. It is still as refreshingly honest as the rest of the song, but May is immediately more playful, stating “come on, come on, what’s so tough? / come on, come on, open up”. There’s an intentional vagueness in whether the message is meant for the listener or May herself—and it works.

May’s punchy vocals only serve to drive the point home. In the bridge, the song takes a step back from the chorus, and reaches a crescendo with May’s impressive belt as she asks, “what if they don’t want me? / I let them down / surrounded by stars with no way out”. At that moment, it’s easy for the listener to understand the sheer emotional weight of performing, both as a musician and as a person. 

The song blurs the line between an anthem and a confession, and with May’s playfulness shining throughout the song, it’s easy to accept it as both. May’s lyricism is equal parts cynical and hopeful—with both perspectives displayed in the repeated lyric “all alone, it seems”—and Producers Alfie Williams and Sebastian Waldron do an impressive job of reflecting this. 

Despite the variability of the song, one way to describe it stands out: it’s simply a fun song. The entire song feels reminiscent of a noughties coming-of-age movie montage, with the post-chorus riff almost invoking a sense of nostalgia.

It’s easy to see how this could become a crowd favorite to sing along at her shows. May can look forward to hearing her fans sing back her own advice—“girl, don’t lose your mind”—as she performs next time on April 18th in London. 

Riya Kataria
@katariamedia / riyakatariax
Image: ‘star girl’ Official Single Announcement Poster

 

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